MY ACCOUNT
– Chelsea have won eight of their last nine games against Man Utd
– Blues have won 14 cup ties in a row and are going for third straight domestic double
– Recommended Bet: Chelsea to win
Emma Hayes’ Chelsea are seeking a third straight domestic double and could hardly be in better form, having thumped Everton 7-0 and Leicester 6-0 in their last two Women’s Super League fixtures.
That moved them back to within a point of WSL leaders Manchester United, who extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-0 victory over Tottenham last Sunday.
A 1-0 defeat at Kingsmeadow, secured by Sam Kerr’s sensational lob, is the only blemish on the Red Devils’ record since November and Marc Skinner felt his Red Devils team were denied two solid penalty shouts in that top-of-the-table clash.
Team news
Kerr is expected to shake off a calf problem in order to play, having been dropped to the bench against Leicester after coming off with cramp in the Everton game.
The Australian goalscorer will probably replace Pernille Harder, who scored twice on her first WSL start since November on Wednesday amid rumours that she and captain Magdalena Eriksson intend to join Bayern Munich on free transfers this summer.
As for United, midfielder Katie Zelem is available again after suspension and likely to form half of Skinner’s midfield pivot in a 4-2-3-1 system.
The Red Devils’ only absentee is Maria Thorisdottir, who suffered a foot injury in the quarter-final win over Lewes.
The strength of Skinner’s side is in the back five, where Mary Earps operates behind Ona Batlle, Maya Le Tissier, Millie Turner and Hannah Blundell.
The stats
Chelsea have had the edge over United in each of their last six meetings and failed to win only one of their nine clashes since the Manchester club was re-formed in 2018.
The Blues will be featuring in the Wembley Stadium showpiece for the sixth year out of nine, having won 14 straight games in the competition, including last season’s 3-2 extra-time success over Man City in the Final.
United are also chasing a domestic double and currently sit one point ahead of Chelsea at the top of the Women’s Super League, although the Blues do have a game in hand.
Prediction
Having beaten United in eight of their last nine meetings and in both league clashes this term, Chelsea take a huge psychological edge into this contest and should make it count.
In Kerr, they have a player who can make the difference in a tight game and her battle with Earps, officially recognised as the world’s best goalkeeper, ought to be box office stuff.
Skinner’s side are well coached and capable of dominating possession – as they did in March’s league meeting at Chelsea’s home – but the tie will be decided by sharpness on the penalty areas.
Kerr, with 26 goals in 34 games in all competitions, is arguably still ahead of United’s Alessia Russo, who has bagged 13 goals in 21 games this term, in that aspect.
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