Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium sees two of the strongest women’s teams in England take to the pitch as Chelsea Women take on Manchester United Women. Both teams finished in the top four of the Women’s Super League, with Chelsea finishing second and United in fourth place. However, one of these teams will reign supreme come Saturday afternoon.
Chelsea Women come into this game as slight favourites, having won the FA Cup five times already. They have also been in impressive form this season, with a solid defence and a potent attack. Australian forward Sam Kerr has been on fire this season, scoring 21 goals in 22 WSL appearances. She will undoubtedly be a key player to watch for Chelsea on Saturday.
Manchester United Women, meanwhile, will be looking to pull off an upset and win their first-ever FA Cup. United have a strong core of players, including England international forward Leah Galton, and a solid defence led by Scotland’s Kirsty Smith. They will need to be at their best to beat Chelsea, but with nothing to lose, they could surprise their opponents on the day.
In terms of recent form, Chelsea look to have the edge, having not lost a game since February. However, United have had some impressive victories of their own, including an away win against Arsenal in March. With both teams in good form, this should be a closely contested game.
When it comes to the betting side of things, Chelsea are favourites with the bookies, currently priced at odds of around 1/2 to win the game. Manchester United can be backed at odds of around 4/1. If you’re looking for value in the markets, then you might want to consider backing Chelsea to win and both teams to score, currently priced at around 5/2. With the attacking talent on display for both teams, this could be a high-scoring game.
In terms of lineups, both teams go into the game with relatively few injury concerns. However, Chelsea could be without the services of midfielder Sophie Ingle, who picked up a knock during their recent 5-0 win over Reading. United, meanwhile, will be without midfielder Katie Zelem, who is suspended for the final.
Overall, this looks set to be an exciting matchup between two of the best women’s teams in the country. With both teams in good form and boasting plenty of attacking talent, we could be in for a thrilling Cup final. Whether you’re a fan of Chelsea, Manchester United or just women’s football in general, this is a game not to be missed.