And here’s our report from Leigh Sports Village. That’s all from me – thanks for reading!
Full-time! Manchester United 1-4 Manchester City
City makes their way once again into United territory through the elegant Weir, but United recover the ball and spring one last attack through Hanson, who cuts in from the left and flashes a right-foot shot over Roebuck’s bar. And that’s that – City head into the quarter-finals after a second-half display of the utmost authority.
90 mins: Blakstad is denied a goal by the referee’s whistle. She turns the ball home after Shaw’s shot is parried but the referee blows up for a foul by Raso on on Batlle, who was rushing in to clear and got a cheeky shove from the City attacker.
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86 mins: City are playing out the final stages with composure, Raso and Bronze linking up well on the right before Hemp’s low cross is cut out by Earps.
83 mins: Booking for Stanway, who left a foot in on Ona Batlle, but Zelem’s delivery is no good and easily claimed by Roebuck.
Goal! Manchester United 1-4 Manchester City (Shaw 79)
And 39 seconds after coming on, the two subs combine immediately for City fourth. Blakstad makes her way down the left and into the United box before unleashing a shot across the face of Earps’ goal which the keeper can only palm out towards the waiting Shaw, who slot into an open goal.
77 mins: Roebuck shows her (over)confidence with the ball at her feet, attempting to pick her way past a couple of United attackers inside her own box. Her dribble isn’t a success, and having been tackled she collapses on to the ball and picks it up. Double change for City: Hemp and White for Blakstad and Shaw.
73 mins: Zelem’s dinked free-kick causes chaos, with Roebuck coming to claim but not getting there and the ball getting lost in a forest of legs. Eventually it breaks to Toone on the edge of the box, but she has to lift a hurried shot over a crowd of players and the ball sails just over the bar.
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72 mins: Galton carries the ball forward again, laying off to Zelem before the attack fizzles out down United’s right. Bronze boots the ball up to White, who is isolated and fails to hold it up. United recover the ball and attack through Hanson, who wins a soft free-kick in the corner after an apparent foul by Stokes.
69 mins: Raso clatters Galton, who gets up and feeds the overlapping Blundell. Her looping cross doesn’t quite find the head of Bruun, but that’s better from United.
66 mins: The first decent attack of the half from United as Galton scampers up the left, cuts inside and drift an angled cross towards Russo, who’s flicked header skips just wide. That’s Russo’s last involvement: United bring on Bruun and Hanson for her and Thomas.
64 mins: United need to gather themselves. They are still trying to play their way out from the back but are finding it hard to beat the City press, and can’t really get out of their half. City meanwhile are playing with time and space.
Goal! Manchester United 1-3 Manchester City (Weir 60)
Another City goal, another United error. City attack down the left via Hemp, who picks out Weir, lurking in the corner of the United box. Her left-footed shot is struck well enough but it’s straight at Earps, who allows the ball to squirm under her and inside the near post. Two in two minutes for City, who look home and dry.
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Goal! Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City (White 58)
It’s a horrible moment for Hannah Blundell. The left back is running back towards her own goal, chasing an awkwardly bouncing long ball, and opts to head back to her keeper from about 20 yards out. But she doesn’t put enough power on it, and the alert Ellen White gets there ahead of Earps, rounds the keeper and slots home.
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55 mins: United relieve the pressure and win a free-kick in the City half, but Zelem’s lofted delivery is easily cleared. City break with a flowing move that ends with Raso arrowing the ball across the box, but her cross has no taker.
52 mins: City continue to turn the screw, Stanway’s floated cross well caught by Earps amid a horde of bodies. Earps spots a runner upfield and looks to spring a quick counterattack but White knocks the ball out of her hands and collects a booking.
Goal! Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City (Hemp 50)
City are level and the half-time changes have made an instant impact. This time it’s Raso: she’s charging down the right flank and is picked out by picked out by Walsh. She reaches the byline and puts in a low cross which White, in the six-yard box, completely misses … but Hemp is waiting at the back post and slots home right-footed.
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46 mins: We’re back under way. Two half-time changes for City: Raso and Weir come on for Park and Losada. And Weir is involved immediately, meet ing a deep cross with a back-post header gathered by Earps.
A bit of half-time reading:
Half-time! Manchester United 1-0 Manchester City
An impressive defensive display from Manchester United is the main thing to take from that 45 minutes of action. City have been restricted to the odd one or two half-chances. Which is impressive considering their array of attacking talent. Katie Zelem’s goal, direct from a corner, has given United the edge.
I’ll be off now and will hand you over to my colleague, Alex Hess, for the second half.
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45 min + 2: City’s Losada has gone down injured. She hobbles off for treatment. City pump a free-kick towards the United goal, but it bounces harmlessly out, and the half-time whistle goes.
44 min: “This would be a horrific time for City to concede,” says the BBC co-commentator after Man Utd win a free-kick in a dangerous area. Steady on. Man Utd try a sneaky free-kick routine with a low ball into the near post but Roebuck gathers. Horror is averted.
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42 min: Losada hits a low corner in from the City right. Bronze kills it with a lovely first touch and hammers a right-footed shot which is rising, and would nestle in the top corner, but it flashes just wide of the post! That is one of the best opportunities City have created. Is it going to be one of those days for Gareth Taylor’s side?
39 min: The Man Utd goalie Mary Earps claims a City delivery well, but then immediately coughs up possession with a kick from hand. United are exposed and White tries to head goalwards after a ball from the left wing. She can only get minimal contact on it, taking the ball away from Park who is lurking beyond her at the far post.
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36 min: Leah Galton pulls off the latest bit of accomplished defending for the hosts as City break down the right. City immediately come again down the same wing, Bronze hitting an intelligent ball to the edge of the penalty area, but again there is no clear sight of goal for City.
33 min: Greenwood hits a fine raking pass to the right wing, for Park. Park fires a cross to the far post. City win a corner but again United clear their lines.
30 min: After a defensive slip, there is a glimmer of a chance for City’s Ellen White, who advances into space and into the Man Utd penalty area. Thorisdottir, however, is on hand to shepherd the England forward away from goal, a really assured piece of defending. Lauren Hemp then makes a dart down the City left but is double-tackled. Yet more good defending by Manchester United.
27 min: With United on the front foot again, Toone tries to turn two defenders in one hit with a lovely piece of skill in a central position, but is eventually crowded out of it. Toone then feeds her teammate Thomas, who finds space and shapes nicely for a low right-footed shot from the edge of the box. Roebuck dives to her left and saves comfortably enough.
24 min: Stokes and Hemp link down the City left. United’s defence is all present and correct and they repel the danger. At this rate Gareth Taylor, the City manager, is going to shake things up at half-time or soon after.
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20 min: Perhaps surprisingly, City are yet to create a clear-cut chance. Which is a testament to how well United are defending. Thorisdottir in particular looks up for the challenge today and is a commanding presence in the centre of the Man Utd defence as they look to press high. The manager, Marc Skinner, did say he wanted his players to be more aggressive without the ball today. But can they maintain this level of pressing for the whole match?
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17 min: City now win a corner. Greenwood bends a good delivery towards the back stick. It’s knocked back towards goal by a City head, but Earps claims it safely. There is plenty of noise from the home fans, delighted to see their side in front in Manchester.
Goal! 13 min: Man United 1-0 Man City (Zelem)
Following that superb save by Roebuck from the snap shot by Toone, Zelem bends a corner in again, from the United left ... and it curls straight in at the far post!! United lead and they deserve it on the balance of play so far. They’ve been on the front foot following a good first five minutes for the visitors. Roebuck won’t be happy with the defending, though, or indeed her own positioning as she let that ball drop straight into the net.
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12 min: A cracking effort by Ella Toone, from an angle for Manchester United! Roebuck tips it over the bar, an incredible save!
9 min: Man United win a corner. Zelem hits an excellent ball into the danger area from the United left. City’s Lucy Bronze flicks it with her head at the near post – and Maria Thorisdottir is there for United at the far post as the ball arrives there, and heads goalwards but over the crossbar. Ellen White did just enough, in defence, to put her opponent off, although perhaps Thorisdottir would have hoped to do better.
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6 min: The referee has a pointed chat with Katie Zelem after full-blooded challenge from the Manchester United player.
Arsenal have flown into a 3-0 lead away at Liverpool in one of today’s other ties, which kicked off at 12pm. Goals from Katie McCabe and Caitlin Foord and an OG by Rhiannon Roberts.
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4 min: Ellen White hits a fairly speculative early shot for City which is straight at Mary Earps in the United goal.
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2 min: With the team pushing up the pitch, Caldwell nearly gives the ball away in defence for United, but manages to recover the situation. City come again, and Demi Stokes races down the left wing. But United deal with the danger. City have settled into this quicker, however, and are passing the ball around with authority.
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First half kick-off!
The players take the knee – there is no room for racism – and the game begins. Who will book their passage into the last eight of the women’s FA Cup?
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Ellen White, the City captain, is wearing a yellow armband instead of white, to show solidarity with Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
The teams are out and we’re ready to go. It’s a cold and clear day and definitely on the breezy side in Manchester.
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Marc Skinner, the Man Utd manager, speaks to the BBC: “It’s the mindset of today that’s going to be most important ... we needed to be more aggressive without the ball [in that recent WSL loss].”
Skinner’s counterpart Gareth Taylor is asked if that 1-0 WSL win two weeks ago will make any difference: “It gives us confidence ... for us it’s about reinforcing what we did really well ... confidence-wise, I think it helps us.”
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Team news
Man City are unchanged from that 1-0 win two weeks ago. For Man Utd, Leah Galton, Martha Thomas, Jackie Groenen come into the side with Hayley Ladd, Vilde Risa and Signe Bruun drop out.
🔴 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 🔴
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) February 27, 2022
Marc Skinner's Reds for the Manchester derby ✊#MUWomen | #WomensFACup pic.twitter.com/WNtsamC92s
Your derby day line-up! 🔵🔴
— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) February 27, 2022
XI | Roebuck, Bronze, Kennedy, Greenwood, Stokes, Walsh, Losada, Stanway, Park, Hemp, White (C)
SUBS | Keating, Weir, Shaw, Beckie, Raso, Angeldahl, Blakstad#ManCity | @HaysTechnology pic.twitter.com/jpwnA4GDCA
The Women’s FA Cup offers a chance to dream for players and fans of smaller clubs. We are following the journey from the first round proper to the final and ahead of the fifth round, we bring you photographer Judie Tingle’s visit to the City Ground for Nottingham Forest’s game against three time FA Cup winners Manchester City
Preamble
Caroline Weir’s magnificent late chip settled the WSL meeting between these sides a fortnight ago, as Manchester City edged to a narrow home win against their city rivals.
A quirk of the fixture schedule means the two Manchester giants immediately meet each other again in the fifth round of the women’s FA Cup – albeit after a two-week break for international matches, and victory for Sarina Wiegman’s England in the Arnold Clark Cup.
Manchester United may sit fourth in the WSL table with Manchester City fifth, but league form naturally goes out of the window in any derby cup clash. It should be every bit as hard-fought as that recent WSL encounter: team news and pre-match reading coming up.
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