That’s all from me today. Check out Suzanne Wrack’s match report.
Manchester City’s difficult season has just got even worse. Nick Cushing’s side are now out of all major competitions.
Speaking to the BBC after the game, the Manchester City defender Naomi Layzell said: “I think the loss is disappointing for us and we are all feeling pretty dejected. The start of the game cost us and we found it really hard to build back in.
“We had chances but weren’t able to capitalise on it. In the end they defended well and kept a clean sheet and kept us out.”
Manchester United will play Chelsea at Wembley.
The stage is set 🤩
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 13, 2025
Quadruple-chasing Chelsea will take on defending champions Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/p9Bx5mEpqi
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What a double save from Phallon Tullis-Joyce!
Nothing was getting past Man Utd keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce! ❌😤#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/LkqNwvHqff
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 13, 2025
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Full time: Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United
The defending champions advance to a third successive FA Cup final. It was a comfortable victory in the end after an electric first half. From there, Marc Skinner’s team were able to contain a depleted Manchester City side, who failed to create a great deal. Chelsea v Manchester United awaits.
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90+6 min: Galton has gone down after the ball hits her in the mouth. There’s not long to go now.
90 min: There are seven additional minutes at the end of regulation time.
89 min: Manchester United have defended resolutely throughout the game. For all of Kerolin’s skill, Manchester City have failed to really test Tullis-Joyce, with the exception of Hasegawa’s free kick.
86 min: Riviere is coming off the field to a standing ovation from the Manchester United fans after an excellent performance. Riviere and Bizet make way for Aoife Mannion and Melvine Malard.
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84 min: Perhaps Manchester City are accepting their fate as forward, Lily Murphy comes off for defender, Laura Wienroither.
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81 min: Manchester make a couple of substitutions as the game winds down. Lisa Naalsund and Anna Sandberg come on for Ella Toone and Gabby George.
77 min: Strangely, Le Tissier has gone off the pitch after the clash but Kerolin remains on the field after being fouled.
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75 min: Le Tissier goes up for an aerial duel with Kerolin. The Manchester United defender fouls Kerolin and receives a yellow card for her troubles.
67 min: Dominique Janssen comes on for Grace Clinton as Manchester United try to shore things up at the back.
63 min: Rivere plays a fantastic ball through to Clinton, who charges into the box. Keating is out of position but instead of shooting, Clinton tries to play the ball across the box. It’s cut out before Bizet smashes it straight at Keating.
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57 min: Yui Hasegawa hits the bar with her free kick. She curls her effort over the wall before Tullis-Joyce does superbly to save the ball not once but twice. She tips the ball on to the bar initially and saves the rebound with her leg. Excellent goalkeeping!
56 min: Manchester City have started this second half much better than the first. Kerolin drives infield from the left and draws a foul on the edge of the box.
55 min: That was almost a well-worked goal from Manchester United. Toone, who has been excellent today, plays a through ball to Bizet on the right. Bizet cuts it back to Elisabeth Terland on the penalty spot but the striker blazes the ball over the bar. Terland has been quiet for most of the game so far.
49 min: Le Tissier plays a looping ball over the top to Riviere. The right-back isn’t able to control it properly but still manages to whip a cross into the box. Riviere miscues her effort, inadvertently hitting the ball just wide of the left post.
45 min: Manchester United get the ball rolling again. They’re 45 minutes away from an FA Cup final.
Before a Clinton header made it two.
Grace Clinton makes it two! 😯
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 13, 2025
The defending champions may well be heading back to Wembley 🏟 pic.twitter.com/2UKCegapdy
Bizet’s curler opened the scoring for Manchester United.
The finish 🤌 😮💨
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 13, 2025
Celin Bizet with a stunner to give Man Utd the lead over Man City in the FA Cup semi-final 👊 https://t.co/utYE553BFO
Half-time: Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United
Manchester United go into half-time with a well-deserved lead. United took the game to City from the outset, with Toone, Bizet and Riviere playing leading roles in their best moves. City grew into the game as the game progressed, but for all their possession, they’ve failed to really test Tullis-Joyce.
45+3 min: Manchester City are ending the half with all the possession. After a string of passes, Laia Aleixandri lets fly from about 30 yards. It’s a comfortable save for Tullis-Joyce.
45 min: There are five minutes of additional time because of the injury to Mary Fowler.
41 min: Kerolin is making herself a nuisance, much to the Manchester City fans’ delight. She drives to the byline before beating Le Tissier with a stepover. The Brazil international tries to find someone in the middle but there’s no one in the box to tap in her cut back.
39 min: Galton is away down the left. She clips a ball over the top to Bizet, who is running through on goal, but the forward hits her effort straight at Keating.
38 min: Manchester City are growing into the game. They catch Manchester United in possession but aren’t able to capitalise. Manchester United are racing away on the counterattack …
34 min: There are signs of life from the Manchester City team. Murphy crosses the ball into the box from the left. Laura Coombs manages to flick it on specutively and Kerolin does magnificently well to generate an opportunity. With the ball slightly behind her, the Brazilian swivels to connect with the ball and force a fingertip save from Tullis-Joyce.
33 min: Riviere clips the ball over the top to the opening scorer, Celin Bizet. The Norway international checks back on to her left foot but her shot is straight at Keating.
30 min: Excellent defending from Maya Le Tissier. Lily Murphy gets a run on the Manchester City defender down the left but Le Tissier does remarkably well to recover. She gets her body between Murphy and the ball and forces the Manchester City forward to run it out of play.
23 min: Manchester have the bit between their teeth. Ella Toone picks the ball up in the midfield before playing it out to Leah Galton. Not one to rest on her laurels, Toone continues her run and receives the ball on the edge of the box. The England forward dances past the Manchester City defenders, cutting on to her left foot before stinging Keating’s fingertips with a fierce effort.
GOAL! Manchester City 0-2 Manchester United (Clinton, 22)
I saw that one coming! Manchester United win a corner on the right, which Gabby George whips into the box. Grace Clinton loses her marker with ease before heading the ball into the bottom left corner.
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17 min: Mary Fowler has gone down injured after the last phase of play. She seemed to overstretch as she tried to help out her teammate Murphy. The Manchester City medical team are on the pitch to give her treatment.
16 min: A first sight of goal for Manchester City academy graduate, Lily Murphy. She collects the ball on the edge of the box before dragging the ball wide of the left post without troubling Phallon Tullis-Joyce in goal.
12 min: Manchester United have been on top in the early stages of this game. They’re taking advantage of Manchester City’s injury crisis and building on their solid season so far. City are struggling to create much going forward without the presence of Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema or Lauren Hemp.
GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United (Bizet, 6)
Stunning finish from Celin Bizet. Ella Toone plays a stunning through ball to the forward who takes it down with an immaculate touch. Bizet checks back on to her right foot, teasing the City defenders, before bending the ball into the far corner past Keating.
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4 min: Jayde Riviere has started this game excellently on the right hand side. She has ventured forward a few times from right-back to cause City problems. Riviere is equally competent going back and makes a great sliding tackle.
1 min: Almost a mistake there as Manchester City try to play out from the back. A pass from Khiara Keating deflects off of a Manchester United forward but they’re unable to capitalise.
Kick off
Manchester City get us under way kicking from left to right.
Skinner’s counterpart, Nick Cushing had this to say about Manchester United and their manager before today’s game:
“They’re Manchester United, right? They expect to win trophies. I have huge respect for Marc, I did when he was the Birmingham City manager and when he went out to Orlando he did a top job. He’s a real high-level coach. I expect a really difficult game.
“For us, we have a huge desire, it’s really difficult for me to dilute my expectation and my expectation is that I want to win trophies for City Women. I expect a difficult game, but I have a huge desire to progress.”
How did Skinner’s fortunes turn around from fans calling for him to be sacked last season to being the longest-serving current WSL manager? A key moment came when beating Chelsea in last season’s FA Cup semi-finals and he was given a one-year contract extension; it is understood that was signed before they went on to win the final, even though it was announced afterwards.
Mark Skinner, the longest serving WSL manager, recently signed a two-year contract extension with Manchester United. His side currently sit third in the WSL, having conceded the fewest goals, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing during Skinner’s four-year reign. Read Tom Garry’s piece on Marc Skinner’s Manchester United revival.
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The teams
Manchester City: Keating, Aleixandri, Coombs, Fowler, Kerolin Nicoli, Ouahabi, Park, Casparij, Hasegawa, Prior, Murphy
Subs: Yamashita, Startup, Layzell, Wienroither, Oyama, Lewis
Your team to face United! 📝🩵
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) April 13, 2025
XI | Keating, Aleixandri (C), Coombs, Fowler, Kerolin Nicoli, Ouahabi, Park, Casparij, Hasegawa, Prior, Murphy
SUBS | Yamashita, Startup, Layzell, Wienroither, Oyama, Lewis#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/jqMPDYhlUt
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, George, Le Tissier, Toone, Clinton, Galton, Riviere, Bizet, Terland, Miyazawa, Turner
Subs: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Mannion, Sandberg, Awujo, Janssen, Naalsund, Malard, Williams
🥊 In the red corner for today's #WomensFACup semi-final...#MUWomen
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) April 13, 2025
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to minute-by-minute coverage of the Women’s FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Manchester United.
Marc Skinner’s Manchester United side are bidding to reach a third successive FA Cup final after winning the competition last year. Their 4-2 WSL victory over their noisy neighbours earlier in the season will fill them with confidence.
Manchester City on the other hand will be keen to set up an FA Cup final with perpetual rivals Chelsea by winning today. They will be without forward Vivianne Miedema though as she picked up a hamstring injury on international duty for the Netherlands.
If today’s game is anything like Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Liverpool yesterday, we’re in for a treat!
Kick off is at 3pm. Email me with your thoughts.
