In a repeat of last year’s final at Wembley, Manchester United are set to host Chelsea in the semi final round of the Adobe FA Cup at Leigh Sports Village.

When the two top-flight sides met at Wembley last year, it was Emma Hayes’ side that lifted the silverware after a decisive 68th minute goal from star striker Sam Kerr.

And despite the other previous nine meetings where Manchester United have failed to beat the Blues, the hosts will have their eyes set on securing their second ever trip to Wembley.

But Emma Hayes won’t let the Reds get away with a win easily as Chelsea are currently on track to winning the Treble during her departing season.

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With many players including Millie Bright, Sam Kerr, Gabby George, and Emma Watson sidelined for remainder of the 23/24 season both teams’ squad depth has been put to the test.

Manchester United entered the international break coming off a home win against Everton, in which they ended up securing all three points after beating the Toffees 4-1.

However, Chelsea weren’t so lucky when they suffered defeat in the Continental Cup Final with Arsenal managing to secure the win, thanks to a late goal from Stina Blackstenius.

The road to the semi-final

Manchester United

Manchester United have had a successful run during the Adobe FA Cup so far, having secured themselves a place in each round after high scoring games.

The fourth round saw them secure a 5-0 win over National League team, Newcastle United back in January at LSV.

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Following securing a place in the Fifth round, they saw themselves take a trip to Southampton where they achieved a 3-1 triumph despite Southampton’s efforts to remain in the competition.

And most recently, they played Brighton & Hove Albion in the quarter finals, scoring four past Sophie Baggaley to secure their spot in their second ever semi final. 

Chelsea

Chelsea, however, have struggled to get stuck into the competition.

Despite looking to secure their fourth consecutive WFA Cup title, they haven’t looked as confident in this year’s campaign as they have done previously. 

After being drawn to West Ham in the fourth round and trailing until the second half, a last minute break through saw the Blues put three goals past Mackenzie Arnold.

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The following round then saw them drawn against Crystal Palace, and despite fans’ expectations for Chelsea to easily put the game to bed, the Blues only managed to secure a 1-0 win.

Walton Hall Park then hosted the 1-0 match against Everton, which would see them secure a semi final spot after Catarina Macario put one past Courtney Bronsan in the 66th minute.

Now, both Chelsea and Manchester United will be looking to secure themselves a spot in this year’s final against either Tottenham or Leicester City on Sunday 12 May.

The match is set to kick off at 2.35pm (BST) on Sunday 14th April and will be available to watch on BBC One.


Featured image courtesy of Gabriella Valentine.