Just days before today’s fixture, Manchester City lost both Vivianne Miedema and Jill Roord after the pair picked up injuries during the international break. With 12 injured players unavailable, City’s hopes to beat United in the derby and go on to Wembley were slim.
United came out strong and opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a through ball from Ella Toone to Celin Bizet, who whipped it into the top right corner from just inside the box, giving her side the lead.
Halfway through the second half, Grace Clinton scored the clincher. Gabby George took the corner and found Clinton, who headed it past Khiara Keating to send Manchester United to Wembley.
As it happened
After Chelsea secured their spot in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final, which will be held at Wembley next month, one side from Manchester knew they’d be joining them.
United took charge from the first minute of the game. The visitors secured the lead only six minutes in, when Toone whipped the ball to Bizet, who found herself in the right spot to score their first of the afternoon, firing an effort into the top right corner.
Embed from Getty ImagesCity looked to fight back and find an equaliser, but had to deal with yet another injury halfway through the first half. Mary Fowler awkwardly twisted her knee and went down, not able to return to play.
Soon after, with only 10 players on the pitch, Marc Skinner’s side earned a corner and doubled their lead. Gabby George stepped up to take it and found Clinton, who barely got her head to it, but generated just enough power to send it home past Keating.
Manchester City, with now a depleted squad of 13 players unavailable due to injury, looked to fight back in the second half. They made defensive substitutions, enabling them not to concede any more goals, but they couldn’t find a goal of their own.
They did have one big chance, when Yui Hasegawa stepped up to take a free kick on the edge of the box, but American International Phallon Tullis-Joyce made an impressive double save, saving Hasegawa’s effort and Lily Murphy’s attempted rebound right after.
Embed from Getty ImagesBoth Toone and Bizet kept City goalkeeper Keating busy throughout the game but could not capitalize on any more chances.
Manchester United, the much stronger side of this afternoon, took the win in the derby for the second time this season and will go to Wembley for the third year in a row.
The lineups
MCI: Keating; Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri, Ouahabi; Hasegaawa; Kerolin, Park, Coombs, Murphy; Fowler
MUN: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier, Turner, George; Miyazawa; Bizet, Clinton, Toone, Galton; Terland
