Key events
Half-time: Manchester United 1-2 Tottenham
Malard opened the scoring and had more chances to double United’s lead but couldn’t execute them and Spurs made United pay for it. Spence equalised off the back of a corner and Naz put them ahead with a well worked goal. A really entertaining half.
45 + 3 min: The pace of this game has slowed right down, United play it all the way back to Earps. her distribution is sublime and Mannion adds a great pass. Parris thinks she has won the ball from it but Tottenham instead have a free kick to clear.
45 + 1 min: There will be four additional minutes. United were patient in their build-up after the free kick and Zelem crosses in but it’s cleared.
45 min: Malard looks to break as she intercepts the ball but she is fouled by Graham, she was down for a while but she gets back to her feet. She is limping quite heavily as she looks to walk it off. The free kick is taken short as it is in their own half so they will have to build from deep.
44 min: Spurs continue to push for a third goal here, United are having to do quite a lot of defending at the moment.
42 min: Spurs look to attack again and Graham passes to Naz but she is judged offside. United are the next to attack and Tuner controls really well to chest down and pass to Naalsund, the shot doesn’t come off and then Vinberg is fouled so Spurs can clear.
40 min: Toone wanted a free kick after Vinberg tackles her but is isn’t given and Spurs peel away. Spence has a heavy touch and Parris wins it for the hosts to clear.
38 min: This is probably the most unexciting passage of play in the game so far but I think we have just been treated to a really good league battle – United being really patient in their build-up.
36 min: Tottenham come forward again with Vinberg popping it into the area but Mannion clears.
34 min: Thomas is coming off with injury, hopefully she is okay, and Graham is on.
33 min: If you blinked you could have missed Tottenham going ahead it happened that quickly. It was good control from Naz who took a touch and then blasted it past Earps. Thomas is down with injury right now and so there is a break in play.
GOAL! Manchester Unitied 1-2 Tottenham (Naz, 31′)
What is happening?!
31 min: The goal came from a corner, it was a well worked move as Summanen took it short and Vinberg got it in the area. Spence had such a skilful shot, it looked as though England got a touch to it but she didn’t. United thought it was offside but the goal stands – no VAR here.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham (Naz, 29)
Spence rifled it in and what a shot it is!
28 min: Tottenham come forward now and Thomas makes a good run down the right and crosses in but Earps plucks it out of the sky.
26 min: Parris lays off an amazing pass, how she foresaw that is pure skill. Unfortunately Toone doesn’t connect and it instead reaches Galton who is offside.
24 min: Tottenham get in another good position but Vinberg drills it over the bar – Spurs need to take the opportunities because at the moment United are being more clinical.
22 min: United have not taken their foot off of the pedal, this time Le Tissier gets a shot at goal but Spencer collects. The hosts come again and Malard has a shot, Spencer saved it but the keeper can’t keep a hold of it but she does enough to recover before a United player could pounce on the rebound ball.
20 min: Zelem muscles Thomas off the ball to launch United’s latest attack. A long build-up sees Toone pop it into the box and it comes to Parris but she sees it out for a goal kick.
18 min: Naz finds space and picks out Vinberg in a great position but her effort is well wide – a massive opportunity wasted.
16 min: Malard is again the target in the box as Galton crosses in but it is well read by Spurs, the French player is having a great match so far.
15 min: United have really grown into this match, Tottenham were better early on but the hosts kept knocking on the door and the free kick was so precise to pick out Malard – a really well worked move. Spurs may rue the chance they didn’t take in the opening stages.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham (Malard, 13)
Naz gives away a free kick and Evans takes it, Malard makes a great run and heads home.
12 min: United come forward and Parris passes a peach of a ball to Toone but her effort is wide. Spence tries to clear but she loses out to Malard, her initial cross doesn’t find a teammate but the hosts come again. Parris has a shot but Malard is offside and so Spurs can clear the danger.
10 min: Naz gives away a free kick and captain Zelem takes the set piece. The delivery is good but Tottenham do well to head it down and boot it clear.
8 min: Parris gets a good cross in but Thomas clears, the United forward is the best threat the hosts have in this game so far.
6 min: England passes a great ball to Thomas but Evans tracks back and see it out for a throw – the visitors have had a much better start here. The throw sees it passed to England who launches it into the box but it’s cleared easily. United look to break but Parris is fouled by Nilden. The free kick is taken quickly but Parris’ heavy touch allows Spurs to clear.
4 min: Vinberg is having a good start to this match and is muscling up in defence as well as attack. United have their first spell on the ball now but Naz does so well to press them, the space they thought they have is being suffocated.
2 min: It has been all Spurs so far and they had a great opportunity to open the scoring. Vinberg crossed a lovely ball to England but she fires it over the bar.
Kick-off! Manchester United 0-0 Tottenham
Here we go. An interesting encounter today with it being a preview of the Women’s FA Cup final in a few weeks.
The players will be out shortly at Leigh Sports Village, the last time Manchester United play at the stadium this season. They will play their final home game at Old Trafford against Chelsea in May.
Are you having a lazy Sunday? Is a roast in the oven while you keep up with the coverage today? Let me know via email or X (@rendellx). I have a meal deal for my lunch so please let me live vicariously through you!
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Manchester United beat Chelsea in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final and it was Emma Hayes’ side’s second win in as many weeks after losing the Conti Cup final to Arsenal. Chelsea took the hurt of those wins into their Women’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona. The Blues became the first team to beat Barcelona at home in five years, read the report:
Tottenham boss Robert Vilahamn said: “The mindset we have is on the next game, so the main thing is to have a good starting eleven, a good bench, a good game plan and try to beat Man Utd as we want to compete for the top four. Obviously, that is hard as there are not many games left, but we have a chance and we should go for it in this game.”
Manchester United manager Marc Skinner said of Tottenham: “All of a sudden you get that confidence and you get into a flow state. And I think they’ve really benefited from that this year. I think what you have to do as a coach playing against that is try and disrupt that flow. If you disrupt the flow and get them to think about how they’ve got to play football, then you can disrupt their team cohesion, it changes and it adapts.”
The team news is here. Manchester United bring Nikita Parris back into the line-up after she was benched against Chelsea.
Manchester United:
Grace Clinton will miss the FA Cup final and today’s match as she can’t face her parent club.
Tottenham:
Preamble
Hello and welcome back to our Women’s Super League coverage. First up today we have Manchester United v Tottenham in what is the first of two times the sides will play each other in the next few weeks.
The two clubs will face off in the Women’s FA Cup final on 12 May where the competition will have a new winner. That means this week not only will the teams be looking to get three points to aid their league ambitions but they will also be sussing out the opposition who stand in the way of silverware.
In the WSL United are fifth and a win today would see them jump into the top four once again. The club’s hopes of Women’s Champions League football are most likely gone but finishing in the top four will be their target now.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are in sixth and the three points would edge them closer to overtaking United in the table. We will have a look at what has been said in the build-up to this one shortly but first let’s take a look at the team news.
