It took an 89th-minute winner to get there, but Manchester United have reached their first Women’s FA Cup final.
Saturday night saw Manchester United and Brighton serve up a 3-2 encounter that was thrilling for the neutral, but perhaps a touch concerning for United’s hopes of pulling off a surprise league and cup double.
Marc Skinner’s side were heavy favourites for this semi-final, sitting top of the WSL league table and 32 points ahead of bottom-placed Brighton — and having defeated them 4-0 in their last match.
Brighton came into Saturday mired in a relegation battle and on their third permanent manager of the season. Yet, when things kicked off at Leigh Sports Village, they played with an energy that belied their status.
This week, new manager Melissa Phillips spoke to The Athletic about changing Brighton’s style of play. Here we saw a team that defended in two compact banks of four, allowing United to have sustained spells of possession before pressing on loose touches and then countering quickly.
If Phillips’s side can continue the good habits displayed on Saturday through to the season’s end, Brighton might avoid relegation from the WSL. If United do not erase the bad habits they displayed in the first…
