Manchester United and Chelsea will make women's football history this afternoon during a sold-out FA Cup final at Wembley.
Emma Hayes' and Marc Skinner's sides go head-to-head as just one point separates the teams in the Women's Super League, with Chelsea rapidly closing in on United with their games in hand following the UWCL.
But with Chelsea dominating the fixtures in the league so far this season, United are yet to win against them this season, while even Mary Earps is yet to keep a clean sheet against them.
The Reds have endured a nail-biting cup run but have scored 13 goals in the four games that have taken them to the final, while rivals Chelsea have faced top-flight opponents throughout their entire FA Cup run, netting nine goals in four games, conceding just three.
The question on everybody's mind seems to be, can Manchester United stop Sam Kerr?
Here, our women's football writers discuss who they think will be lifting the FA Cup trophy.
Megan Feringa - Chelsea
It’s an old argument, but it's stood the test of time for a reason. When the pressure mounts and the oxygen grows thin, it’s experience that eclipses the margins. And Chelsea know this territory better than most in recent memory.
Of the last 10 Women’s FA Cup finals, Chelsea have competed in six. Of those six, they’ve claimed four for themselves. Chelsea’s acumen for winning within England’s boundaries has become near routine, almost unnervingly innate by this stage.
Sam Kerr is the obvious embodiment of this. As Chelsea made their return to Wembley Stadium, it was Kerr who led the charge: a hat-trick over Liverpool, a goal against Arsenal, the winner against Aston Villa. An appraisal of Chelsea’s big-game moments since the Australian’s arrival in 2019 would inevitably be smothered in Kerr’s fingerprints.
Halting Kerr will need to be the MO if Manchester United are to announce themselves as the league’s newest big dog. Marc Skinner’s side have been the (welcomed) surprise of the season, shaking up the threateningly stale status quo at the WSL’s top and reconfiguring the dynamics.
But there’s a reason United are still having to look over the shoulder as the Blues lay a late but predictable siege on their WSL title crown. However wobbly a start they might endure, the DNA in this Chelsea squad is simple: win.
Whether United’s fresh buoyancy and vim can offset that DNA will be the ultimate litmus test for United’s title credentials. United’s road to Wembley was conspicuously kinder than that of Chelsea, forced to only weather one WSL side in relegation-threatened Brighton & Hove Albion.
Chelsea have continually knocked back tough opponents, but United will be their most vicious yet. Victory on Sunday would mark a strident statement of intent from United, but a loss could signal a huge psychological blow as Chelsea continue to press harder on the WSL summit.
Louise Wilkes - United
Manchester United really could have the edge here. They’re hungry, they’ve put themselves in a position to win it all and make history - which is more than most other clubs can say this season.
At the tail end of the campaign Marc Skinner has full squad availability, bar one. Goals are coming from literally everywhere and everyone all over the field. They’ve learned to use a loss to transition and come back stronger tenfold; their energy is palpable.
But, let’s get one thing straight, Chelsea are such WSL giants that I don't think it's possible to count them out of anything at any point. Especially going toe-to-toe with the best side in the world in their Nou Camp fortress and being deemed unlucky to lose… That being said, the return to domestic duty looked a little complacent for me, and United could capitalise.
The thing is, Chelsea can win pretty and win ugly. A sensationally hard feat to counteract for Skinner and his Red Devils. But step by step they’ve undoubtedly closed that gap this season alone.
When they hosted the Blues it was a walkover, United looked scared and let Chelsea take charge but at Kingsmeadow it was a different story. United had control, they had the ball, the shots, and the edge, just not the penalty calls needed to turn that game around. Now we're approaching third time lucky and United are ready for it.
Leah Galton is on fire and so is Alessia Russo, they will be a handful for any back line. Hannah Blundell and Ona Batlle have developed into sensational wing backs to pile on the pressure and any battle with Batlle will take some strategy.
Does Lauren James or Guro Reiten have it in the locker to shake off the Spaniard? I’d question it, especially with Hayley Ladd and Maya Le Tissier in tow. United know how to suffer, they're learning to win and do so even from going behind.
What is paramount, is the service to Sam Kerr - and that’s for both sides. She’s a nuisance for splitting the centre-backs and successfully got the better of Le Tissier and Turner last time out. Her run was met with a ball over the top which she nudged over Mary Earps and into the back of the net. Can Chelsea repeat it? How have United learned?
The key may be stopping Kerr, but that’s like catching smoke with your bare hands.
Nevertheless, I don't think you’re going to find a better contender than a full-force Manchester United and I back them to lift that trophy for the first time, ever .
Beth Lindop - Chelsea
There have been times this season when it seemed like Chelsea ‘s aura of infallibility was beginning to evaporate.
The shock opening day defeat to newly-promoted Liverpool, the drab showing away to Manchester City and the subpar display in the Conti Cup Final all bore hallmarks of a side whose unyielding appetite to win was perhaps starting to wane.
But if there were any question marks hanging over Chelsea’s ability to clinch yet another domestic double this term, Emma Hayes’ side have batted them away with complete insouciance in recent weeks.
Despite a Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona, the Blues look stronger than ever heading into Sunday’s showpiece fixture. In their last two games, Chelsea have scored 13 goals without reply and that penchant for ruthlessness - coupled with plenty of experience on the Wembley stage - might just be enough to see them over the line.
That said, if there is any side capable of toppling this brilliant blue monolith, it’s Marc Skinner’s Manchester United.
While the Red Devils have emerged empty handed from both of their WSL encounters with Chelsea this season, they have the air of a side in the ascendency, on the cusp of exploding into a European football superpower.
While their maiden trip to Wembley was born from an indubitably kinder cup run than that of their opponents, United have reached the club’s first major Final with all the vim and vigour of a side hell bent on stocking up their trophy cabinet.
With that in mind, a close encounter is likely on Sunday afternoon but, when the margins get tight, who better to have in your attacking arsenal than Sam Kerr?
The Australian - fresh from being crowned women's footballer of the year by the Football Writers' Association - seems to thrive on the grandest of stages, and her eye for the big occasion is likely to be a decisive factor in who takes home the trophy.
