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Chelsea v Man United, FA Cup final preview: eyes on 3-peat

By Caden Charpentier

KINGSTON UPON THAMES, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Nikita Parris of Manchester United battles for possession with Jess Carter of Chelsea during the FA Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Kingsmeadow on March 12, 2023 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
KINGSTON UPON THAMES, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Nikita Parris of Manchester United battles for possession with Jess Carter of Chelsea during the FA Women's Super League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Kingsmeadow on March 12, 2023 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
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Emma Hayes, Manager of Chelsea (R) talks with Denise Reddy, Assistant Coach (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images) /

If Chelsea’s FA Cup final is anything like the two matches between these sides this season, we are all in for a treat

The west London outfit has come out on top in the previous two meetings this season. With Denise Reddy at the helm, the Blues used three second-half goals to outlast United on their home ground November. In early March at Kingsmeadow, the west London outfit used what has to be considered the club’s goal of the season to collect all three points in a match that was remarkably physical. Like she did earlier in the campaign, Lauren James haunted her former club. The English international picked out Kerr from the other side of the pitch with pinpoint right-footed ball, and the Australian did the rest.

It was a contest where the west Londoners showed their comfort level with the opposition controlling the majority of the possession. Just like United has twice this season, possession is going to be in their favor this Sunday. The only question is what they are able to do with it. Having seen far less of the ball, the west London outfit has accumulated nine shots on target in the two league matches this season between these sides, nearly twice as much as the Red Devils have managed. The Blues’ goalkeepers have not been challenged in the slightest over the past two games. For Skinner’s side, getting out to a confident start where the goalkeeper is being forced into action could lead to eventual success.

On the availability side of things, the west London outfit has Kadeisha Buchanan back into the squad, providing the kind of stability the team needs in front of goal. Having seen the pitch for more and more minutes over the past few games, Pernille Harder could be slated to play an even extended amount of time compared to what she has been asked recently. Erin Cuthbert was a big miss for the Blues back in March against United, but given how much she affected the match early in the campaign, the Scot has to be one of the most vital pieces to the success of the team in this final.

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Hayes’ side is still unbeaten against United all-time across all competitions, and are hitting top-form in front of goal at the perfect time. Despite that, this has been the breakthrough campaign the reds of Manchester have been waiting for. While Hayes’ side has consistently owned this competition, United is going to make the 90 minutes on Sunday as challenging as possible. The stars will be out, and one of England’s most coveted trophies will be on the line. The two most in-form sides in English women’s football. In front of a sold out Wembley. It cannot get much better than that.

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