Manchester United advanced to an FA Cup final against Tottenham after holding out for an historic 2-1 victory over holders Chelsea at Leigh Sports Village.

In a rematch of last year’s final that they lost 1-0, Marc Skinner’s United went in front in the first minute through a Lucia Garcia header before doubling the advantage midway through the first half when Rachel Williams headed home.

Former United player Lauren James pulled a goal back just prior to the break and the visitors did most of the attacking thereafter but were unable to force extra time, with Mary Earps making a superb save to thwart James and substitute Catarina Macario hitting the bar.

The result is a first victory for United over Chelsea since the team’s launch in 2018 – and they now have a chance to secure a maiden piece of major silverware when they return to Wembley on May 12 to face Spurs, who beat Leicester in the other semi-final earlier on Sunday.

Chelsea, meanwhile, saw a trophy bid end for the second successive game, having lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the League Cup final last time out.

They remain in the hunt for the Women’s Super League – currently topping a table in which United lie fourth – and the Champions League, with a semi-final first leg in Barcelona to come next Saturday, as they seek glory in their final few games before boss Emma Hayes departs to take charge of the United States.

United made a dream start as they grabbed the lead in the opening few seconds, Chelsea full-back Eve Perisset being punished for losing possession with Leah Galton claiming the ball on the left and delivering a cross to far post, where Garcia headed in.

And after unsuccessful attempts at the other end from James and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, the hosts then extended their advantage via another header teed up from the left, Ella Toone this time providing the delivery and veteran forward Williams, brought into the starting XI for Nikita Parris, nodding past Hannah Hampton.

Williams had the chance to make it 3-0 soon after but could not get her shot on target, before James fired into the side-netting.

Chelsea subsequently exerted further pressure as the interval drew near, and following a header from Mayra Ramirez going wide and Earps doing well to turn one from James around the post, the latter halved the deficit as she fired in from Niamh Charles’ cutback.

Earps – who was dropped to the bench for England’s win over the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, with Hampton playing in her place – then pulled off an even better save to keep out another James header six minutes into the second half.

As Chelsea continued to hunt a leveller, Rytting Kaneryd’s claims for a penalty were dismissed after she struck the ball against Katie Zelem, and Earps was in action again to deny Erin Cuthbert and James.

The verdict was no penalty again after a Williams collision with Charles, and Chelsea were then inches away from equalising as Macario’s curling corner connected with the bar.

Stoppage time at the end saw a Parris strike saved by Hampton and fellow substitute Aggie Beever-Jones shoot into the side-netting as Skinner’s team sealed a ground-breaking triumph.

Martha Thomas’ 118th-minute header sent Tottenham into a maiden Women’s FA Cup final after a pulsating 2-1 win over Leicester after extra-time.

Spurs had switched this semi-final tie to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and an attendance of 18,078 was recorded, but the visitors threatened to be party poopers when Jutta Rantala smashed home in the 12th minute.

It looked like being the winner for a Leicester side heavily affected by off-the-field matters this season with Willie Kirk sacked in March and Jennifer Foster in interim charge, but Jess Naz forced extra-time with seven minutes of normal time left.

And Robert Vilahamn’s team produced a dramatic finale when substitute Thomas headed home for her 10th goal of the campaign to send Tottenham through to next month’s final and earn them a first trip to Wembley.

These teams had met last month in a low-key Women’s Super League encounter at Brisbane Road, but Spurs switched this fixture to the men’s stadium and it was given the big-match treatment.

Home fans waved flags as the players entered the pitch, but Leicester almost silenced an expectant crowd inside three minutes only for Sam Tierney to lob wide after she spotted Becky Spencer off her line.

Tottenham soon settled with Grace Clinton pulling the strings and she sent Celin Bizet away for two fine chances, but the Norway international was denied by the legs of Lize Kop before she lifted another effort over.

But it was the visitors who took the lead.

The ball broke for CJ Bott, who recycled possession out to Rantala and she cut inside and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from 18 yards past Spencer.

It was nearly 2-0 after 16 minutes when Deanne Rose burst down the left and crossed for Tierney, but her weak effort was saved by Spurs goalkeeper Spencer.

Chances were few and far between until Eveliina Summanen headed over from close range after an Amanda Nilden corner, but Leicester’s Lena Petermann had got a slight touch to the ball to put off the Finnish midfielder.

Leicester had penalty appeals waved away when Rose tangled with Ashleigh Neville in the area before the lively Foxes attacker fired wide as it remained 1-0 at the break.

The second period was seconds old when Rantala found Petermann inside the area, but Spurs defender Luana Buhler made a vital block.

Tottenham responded with captain Bethany England and Nilden firing off target before a corner by the latter set up an opportunity for Summanen, but she blazed over from six yards.

Vilahamn had seen enough and introduced top goalscorer Thomas with 23 minutes of normal time left before Kit Graham was also sent on.

The final roll of the dice by Vilahamn was a triple substitution in the 77th-minute and six minutes later they levelled.

It was a moment to forget for ex-Spurs midfielder Josie Green who failed to clear England’s long ball forward and Naz showed supreme composure to slot into the corner.

That goal sparked a dramatic finale with Leicester substitute Shannon O’Brien denied by Spencer, but that was bettered by Kop, who produced an excellent finger-tip save to thwart Tottenham’s Thomas deep into stoppage-time.

Extra-time was required and the visitors were inches away from a second when Rantala’s 99th-minute free-kick rattled the crossbar after a key Spencer save.

It proved decisive as with minutes left, substitute Matilda Vinberg’s whipped cross was flicked on by Buhler for Thomas to head home and spark wild celebrations in Tottenham.

Emma Hayes has insisted Chelsea’s motivation to reach another Women’s FA Cup final is not driven by her imminent exit.

It was revealed last November that the Blues boss will end her trophy-laden 12 years club at the conclusion of this campaign to take over as United States manager.

Hayes has entered the home straight of her time at Chelsea and missed out on silverware two weeks ago when Arsenal beat them 1-0 in the Women’s League Cup final.

The highly decorated Hayes courted controversy afterwards when she appeared to shove Arsenal counterpart Jonas Eidevall, but ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United, the 47-year-old played down the impact of her summer departure.

She told a press conference: “I’m absolutely committed to doing everything I possibly can to help the team achieve these goals and I’m looking forward to the games.

“The team want to win for themselves. They want to win for the football club. They want to win for the families. They want to win because they’re winners.

“They’re sick to death of what they need to do for me and that’s fair, it’s not about me.

“It’s about them and us as a collective making sure we maximise the situations we are in.

“There are three pieces of silverware up for grabs and I’m very grateful to be in the position to be competing for them.”

While Chelsea eye Women’s Super League, FA Cup and Champions League success this season, United’s focus is purely on the domestic cup after an inconsistent campaign.

Marc Skinner led United to last season’s final where they lost 1-0 to Chelsea at Wembley and he knows the size of the task at Leigh Sports Village.

“I think their success over the past seasons and beyond is something that everybody wants to replicate,” Skinner acknowledged.

“It’s a tough, tough ask. Everybody goes, ‘you’ve got to beat Chelsea’… well not many teams do.

“I think, from our perspective, we have to give everything in this game and I believe on our day and when we have our qualities and we work hard, we can beat anybody.

“If we do that, then I believe we’ll be in a position to progress into the final of the FA Cup.”

The winner of Sunday’s other semi-final between Tottenham and Leicester will reach a maiden FA Cup final.

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Spurs switched the fixture to their men’s 62,850-seater stadium and boss Robert Vilahamn is desperate to reach Wembley in his first season in charge.

Vilahamn said: “We started our meeting with the journey we are on and that it ends at Wembley hopefully, but then everything else goes back to normal.

“I think if we have a good performance we have a good chance to win and go to Wembley.

“I just hope we can bring so many fans to stadium and make sure we do this together.

“We play for them, we don’t play for ourselves. We want to make sure we have a lot of fans at the stadium and make them proud.

“If we’re going to reach the final, we need them because they give us that extra energy.”

Meanwhile, ninth-placed Leicester will be boosted by the return of goalkeeper Janina Leitzig, who has not played since February due to a shoulder injury.

The Foxes have endured a difficult season with Willie Kirk suspended in March and subsequently dismissed weeks later, which has resulted in Jennifer Foster stepping up on an interim basis.

Foster revealed: “Janina is back at 100 per cent.

“Lize (Kop) has been playing well but it’s good to have both senior goalkeepers back in contention again to push each other.”

Ange Postecoglou has praised the “outstanding” job of Tottenham Women boss Robert Vilahamn ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final with Leicester.

Postecoglou’s side are away at Newcastle in the Premier League this weekend, which opened the door for the women’s team to play at the men’s 62,850-seater stadium for only a second time this season.

Spurs have already made history during Vilahamn’s debut campaign after they sealed a maiden FA Cup semi-final appearance last month, but they have been backed to go further and reach Wembley by the men’s boss.

“I think Rob and the girls have been outstanding this year,” Postecoglou said.

“You’ve got to remember that they’ve had a disappointing year last year. Rob has come in and he’s changed a lot of things in terms of their football. I can see that they’re building some real belief.

“It’s the semi-final of a cup and it’s great that it’s at the stadium. I’m sure the girls will get plenty of support and they’ve had a great deal of belief to get to this point.

“You need that for a cup run and hopefully that comes out again at the weekend and they get through to a final, which would be great for them and great for our club.”

A penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester City on March 10 sent Spurs into the FA Cup semi-finals.

Vilahamn added: “I didn’t really realise it when we won the quarter-final that it is huge in this country to be the semi-finals for the first time and I am proud of it.

“The girls this year have been great. We are taking some big steps and also making sure we put Tottenham on the map for women’s football to make sure we are up there competing. I love that.

“When the board told us we could play the game there (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium), I was so happy because we want to be there and they want us to play more and more games there.

“It’s the perfect match this game because it’s a big game and we are feeling that we can perform even better in that stadium.”

A trip to Wembley is within touching distance for Tottenham and Jess Naz, but the forward knows better than most not to take anything for granted.

Spurs host Women’s Super League rivals Leicester at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final and the winner will play at the national stadium for the first time on May 12.

Tottenham won last month’s league meeting between the sides, but the long-serving Naz is determined to ensure the squad’s unwavering belief does not turn into complacency.

“The excitement was there when we got through, but we’ve got to hone down and make sure we turn up on the day,” London-born Naz told the PA news agency.

“It’s one more step to the final. Playing at the stadium will be great. In front of the fans, it will give us another source of energy to go out there, play our football and hopefully win.

“We have got the quality to win a trophy this season. The FA Cup would be a great way to start and then we’ll grow in the league.”

It has been a dramatic cup journey for Spurs, which mirrors the career of Naz given she recently made her 97th appearance for the club but has also fought back from a serious knee injury in 2019.

Tottenham were two down to Sheffield United in round four before scoring a stoppage-time winner. Charlton, another Championship opponent, were narrowly negotiated next before they faced title-chasing Manchester City for a fourth time this season.

After three previous losses by a 10-0 aggregate score, the odds were stacked against Spurs, but captain Bethany England hit a stoppage-time leveller before Becky Spencer’s penalty shootout heroics secured a semi-final berth.

It means Tottenham are one win away from playing at Wembley, something that has always been a dream for Naz – although one that has felt far away at times.

Born into a football-mad family, some of the earliest memories Naz has of the sport are being forced to watch her brothers play from the touchline after she was denied the chance to join in with their team.

Everything changed aged eight when she caught the eye of Tottenham scouts before she spent her teenage years in Arsenal’s academy.

The decision to return to Spurs paid off when she scored the goal to fire them into the WSL in 2019, but disaster struck when she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament and missed the whole of the 2019-20 campaign.

“At the time, I didn’t even know what ACL or MCLs were until I did it,” Naz said.

“I had just come back from the Under-19 Euros so was on a high. It was pre-season, we had just got promoted and it was a dream come true but then it came crashing down.

“It was a long, long recovery but the belief I had – and with the staff helping – got me through.

“There has been ups and downs along the way still with injuries, but I think this season I’ve been in a really good place.

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“I feel confident, which is the best thing for me because when I feel confident I play my best.”

Naz has eight goal involvements from 25 appearances this season, form which puts her in contention for an England call-up.

She added: “Going through the age groups from under-15s all the way through to under-23s, it would be a great honour to represent England.

“I’ll just keep pushing and hopefully it comes.

“When you are younger, going to FA Cup games or watching England play, it is definitely a dream place to play. It would be great to play there one day.”

Jamaican international Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw played a pivotal role in Manchester City’s FA Cup quarter-final clash against Tottenham, setting up one goal before succumbing to injury in the 70th minute.

Despite Shaw’s early assist to Mary Fowler, City failed to secure victory, ultimately losing in a penalty shootout.

After assisting Fowler’s close-range finish in the sixth minute, Shaw endured missed opportunities on both sides of the halftime break, including a chance created by Filippa Angeldahl’s cross just before halftime and a header over Laura Hemp’s cross shortly after the resumption of play.

However, Shaw’s contributions were cut short when she suffered a shoulder injury midway through the second half, forcing her to exit the match.

City manager Gareth Taylor conceded that his team did not deserve to win, citing a lackluster performance following a promising start to the game. Despite their early lead, City’s wastefulness in front of goal proved costly, allowing Tottenham to equalize in stoppage time and ultimately secure victory in the penalty shootout.

With the defeat, Manchester City failed to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, as Tottenham advanced to join Chelsea, Manchester United, and Leicester City in the final four.

Substitute Catarina Macario scored three minutes after her second-half introduction to send Chelsea through to the FA Cup semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Everton at Walton Hall Park.

The United States international was still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament issue when she signed for the Blues last summer but made an emphatic first impression when she scored on her debut in last week’s Women’s Super League victory over Leicester.

Emma Hayes made six changes from Thursday’s Conti Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City, but Chelsea failed to find an opener in a cagey first half, coming closest with a crossbar-clipping header by Nathalie Bjorn before the centre-back was forced off and replaced by Niamh Charles in the 14th minute.

The Toffees had their chances, Kathrine Kuhl forcing Zecira Musovic into a good save with a sharp effort but could not make anything of a series of set-pieces.

Chelsea wasted their best chance to take the lead before the break when Jelena Cankovic curled wide from a promising position following some good work by Johanna Kaneryd to release the Serbia international.

Macario, one of four second-half substitutions for Chelsea, finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when she swept home Aggie Beever-Jones’ cut-back.

Katja Snoeijs was inches away from squaring things up, but Chelsea clung on to keep alive their chances of becoming just the second English side in history to secure a quadruple, with Arsenal having done so in 2007.

WSL leaders Chelsea, who will find out their FA Cup semi-final opponents in Tuesday morning’s draw, face Ajax in their Champions League quarter-final this month before taking on Arsenal for the Conti Cup on March 31.

Women’s Super League giants Arsenal and Manchester City have been drawn together in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.

The two clubs currently sit third and second respectively in the league table, with the Gunners narrowly getting the better of their most recent meeting in November.

Leaders Chelsea, looking to sign off the Emma Hayes era with a fourth straight crown, have been drawn at home to Championship Crystal Palace.

Wolves, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition who beat Reading in round four, have been handed a home draw against WSL strugglers Brighton.

Championship leaders Birmingham will travel to Leicester while in-form Charlton, currently second in the second tier, head for a London derby at Tottenham.

Championship Southampton host Manchester United, Nottingham Forest face Everton and London City Lionesses, in the fifth round for the first time, have been drawn at home to Liverpool.

Katja Snoeijs scored a second-half brace to help Everton book their place in the last 16 of the FA Women’s Cup with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at the Bescot Stadium.

Everton broke the deadlock just before the hour mark when Hanna Bennison found Karoline Olesen inside the box and she unleashed a first-time effort which crashed in off the crossbar.

The visitors made it two with 10 minutes to go following a breakaway, Snoeijs on hand to tuck into the far corner.

Everton added the cherry on the cake three minutes from time as Snoeijs was brought down by Anna Patten inside the area and stepped up to dispatch the penalty down the middle.

If there is one thing about Jamaican international and Manchester City striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, it is the fact that she is never shy to give credit where it is due, especially when it comes to her career success.

So, it comes as no surprise that Shaw has now hailed compatriot, retired sprint legend Usain Bolt, whose advice, she said has inspired her current vein of form in front of goal.

Shaw, who currently leads the Women's Super League (WSL) Golden Boot race with nine goals in as many games, and was named the Player of the Month for December, explained how the world's fastest man and many-time World and Olympic champion has helped her this season.

“He [Bolt] has always been supportive. We speak about my progress, and we have a good relationship. When he’s in town he lets me know and we will link up,” Shaw said in a recent interview with Manchester Evening News.

“In certain aspects, when I’m struggling, whether that means strength work, I’ll reach out to him. We had a really good conversation in March, and he told me some things I could work on where I could get an edge over defenders and stuff like that. It's just the little things, and he always says the little things matter the most,” she revealed.

The towering striker has been a goalscoring machine ever since she joined Manchester City in 2021. Last season she scored 20 goals in 22 WSL games, 31 across all competitions, and in the process became the first Jamaican to be nominated for the Ballon D’or award.

For this year, the 26-year-old is aiming to fire Gareth Taylor's side to a first WSL title since 2016. Manchester City are currently second on the WSL table, three points behind leaders Chelsea.

“I think for me the sky’s the limit. I think there’s a lot more room to improve, especially when I watch back my videos. It’s about keeping my head down, working hard on the pitch, building good relationships with my teammates and just keep pushing on," Shaw declared.

After enjoying a winter break, Shaw and her City teammates will return to action on Sunday when they take on Durham in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Their WSL title charge will resume with a home clash against Liverpool next weekend.

“We just have to keep pushing, keep improving, just focus on what we can control, and we’ll see. It’s about being consistent as we’ve had some really good results but let ourselves down in other games. Now we’re in a good place, it’s about just keeping the confidence high within the group,” Shaw noted.

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes feels her side are fully prepared to kick off their FA Cup title defence without prolific striker Sam Kerr, who scored the winner in last year’s Wembley final.

The Australia captain on Thursday underwent surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Women’s Super League-leading Blues first have to find their way past West Ham, who have already been active in the transfer window with the signings of Shelina Zadorsky, Katrina Gorry and Kerr’s fiancee Kristie Mewis, while Chelsea have added defender Nathalie Bjorn from Everton.

Hayes, whose trophy cabinet already includes five FA Cups, said: “I know Sam would expect me to say nothing less. Our focus has got to be on the players that are fit and a good challenge for me is to find those solutions.

“I trust in the squad that we have and we’ve added to that as well.”

The competition’s overall prize pot has been doubled to almost £6million this season, with a minimum £54,000 for fourth-round winners while the losing clubs receive £13,000 – up from £15,000 and £3,750 respectively.

West Ham boss Rehanne Skinner said: “The cup is an incentive in itself but the prize money is a huge incentive, because it’s a significant amount of money when you’re talking about players and making additions.

“Increasing the prize money is really important in helping the growth of the game.”

Fifth-tier Luton are the lowest-ranked team remaining and will face WSL competition for the first time when they host Brighton.

Albion head coach Melissa Phillips said: “The FA Cup is such a special event, the history of the tournament, the magic as they say and what a fantastic match-up we have, a tier-five team and a top-tier team. They’ll certainly be up for the game.”

Phillips’ side were beaten in last year’s semi-final by Manchester United, who take on National League Northern Premier Division leaders Newcastle with over 1,000 Magpies fans preparing to make the trip to Leigh Sports Village.

United boss Marc Skinner confessed last year’s 1-0 loss in the final “feels like yesterday” and vowed his side “want to go one better than we did last year”.

Newcastle striker Katie Barker insisted her side are brimming with confidence, saying: “No matter who we play, we always play a game to win and we’ll do everything we can to win the game.”

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall vowed to take the competition seriously, beginning against Watford. He said: “There’s no excuse for not being able to field your best teams in these competitions.”

Durham’s meeting with Manchester City, selected for broadcast on the BBC, will mark the first time the Championship side have been televised.

Durham midfielder Lauren Briggs told the club website: “It’s something we all dream of, a great opportunity, and we’ve worked really hard for this.”

Bristol City host Liverpool in an all-WSL match-up while Championship Sheffield United travel to Tottenham and tier-three Derby welcome top-flight Leicester.

Sunderland face Southampton, Blackburn make the trip to Crystal Palace, Plymouth face Nottingham Forest and Ipswich meet Charlton.

Tier-three Burnley play Championship leaders Birmingham, Reading take on Wolves and London City Lionesses play Moneyfields.

Chelsea will back up their FA Cup success with more glory in the Women's Super League.

That is the view of their former goalkeeper and three-time WSL winner Carly Telford, as the top-flight season reaches a thrilling conclusion.

Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in front of a world-record crowd for a domestic women's match of 77,390 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, winning the FA Cup for a third straight season.

A record-extending sixth WSL crown is also in their sights, with United also serving as their main rivals in that competition.

United lead the WSL table by one point, but Chelsea have three games left to play this term, as opposed to the Red Devils' two.

The Blues are away to West Ham on Wednesday, with potentially decisive matches against Arsenal and Reading to follow.

"Yeah, I think it will be Chelsea," Telford told Stats Perform when asked who would edge the dramatic title race.

"I just think it comes down to a huge weekend because you have got the United v City derby, and then you have got the Arsenal v Chelsea derby as well. 

"It could go either way at the minute, but I think the good thing is Chelsea have kind of kicked on and have shown that in the past couple of weeks. 

"They have really shone and a lot of teams have started struggling a little bit. 

"Again, it comes to this time of year and you can't write off Chelsea as they have done it so consistently. 

"I think United might drop points next week in the derby, if I'm honest, though they have just been one of those teams that seem to be grinding out results. You can't break them off. 

"But yeah, I'm going Chelsea."

Following their FA Cup win, Chelsea boss Emma Hayes dedicated her side's triumph to supporters after a year in which she felt the wider club has "suffered".

Former England keeper Telford retired in March, having left Chelsea for the second time in January 2022.

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes praised striker Sam Kerr as she dedicated her side’s third consecutive FA Cup victory to Blues fans in a year in which she feels the wider club has “suffered”.

Kerr struck the winner past England goalkeeper Mary Earps to fire Chelsea to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in front of a crowd of 77,390 at Wembley, a new world record for a women’s domestic club fixture.

It was the fifth time in nine years Chelsea have triumphed in the showpiece and another game-changing moment from Australia international Kerr, who latched on to substitute Pernille Harder’s pinpoint pass to steer home the winner in the 68th minute.

“I’ve never coached a player like her,” said Hayes. “For a player to have such convictions, such confidence, such courage, the way she attacks everything.

“What I love about Sam is she is willing to take responsibility for the team at the top end of the pitch, but I think it’s important to mention Pernille Harder, because without Pernille Harder she wouldn’t have got that goal.

“So congratulations to the team, the squad. It will bug me if I don’t say this – I’m a football fan and I’ve watched how much my club has suffered this year.

“We’ve had ownership changes, the men’s team hasn’t been brilliant, Chelsea fans this is for you. I hope we had a little bit of joy tonight. I hope we gave you something where you can smile about it this year. The whole club, owners included.”

It ultimately came down to fine margins for Marc Skinner’s United side, who had reached a major final for the first time since their promotion from the Championship in 2019.

They started brightly and largely controlled a first half in which they had a goal chalked off for offside and a penalty appeal by Nikita Parris turned down, officials ultimately determining she had been brought down by Niamh Charles outside the area.

Second-half substitutions saw Chelsea spring back to life after a first period that led Hayes to agree with assistant manager Paul Green, who branded it the “worst first half of FA Cup football we’ve ever had”.

Her mood had shifted by the time the final whistle blew and the Prince of Wales draped a medal around her neck.

She said: “I think our team has been in transition, with six different players in the starting line-up to last year’s final. My big thing is, ‘How can we still keep winning while transitioning?’

“So this year of trying to get as many players as many opportunities and keep developing their experiences in all areas of the pitch and to win knowing we’re in that stage, this is far and away my most memorable FA Cup final.”

Skinner’s side still lead the Women’s Super League, although second-placed Chelsea, with a game in hand, are just one point behind.

It has been a year of firsts for his team, who are tantalisingly close to clinching a first ever Champions League berth.

Skinner said: “I’m not going to stop and this team’s not going to stop. If anyone thinks we’re going away, we’re not going away.

“These are just moments you have to win and we haven’t done that today, but we’ve got a really good account of ourselves and we’ll be back, no doubt about that.

“We know how special our club is and how we need to be synonymous with success. Along the way you get a few bumps and today is one of them.”

Sam Kerr’s second-half strike was all it took to win the FA Cup for Chelsea as they beat Manchester United 1-0 in front of a world record crowd of 77,390 at Wembley.

The sold-out fixture smashed the previous best tally for a women’s domestic club match, 60,739, set when Atletico Madrid hosted Barcelona in 2019.

United, who started brightly, were hoping to win their first major silverware, but the Blues instead made it three consecutive victories in the 439-club competition.

Emma Hayes’ second-placed Women’s Super League side, who have a game in hand over league leaders United, are now well-placed to do the double when the campaign concludes this month.

Perhaps what was most noteworthy about the roar that erupted as the team banners were unfurled – under the watchful eye of Football Association president the Prince of Wales – was that it was beginning to feel like a regular occurrence – a packed-out Wembley for a women’s football match in England.

United thought they had gone ahead inside the first minute through Leah Galton, but it was chalked off for offside without turning to VAR – also available for the first time for a Women’s FA Cup final.

Marc Skinner’s side were in control throughput the opening 15 minutes and benefitted from a sloppy turnover in midfield that set up Nikita Parris for another chance but Ann-Katrin Berger was alert to her effort from Ella Toone’s backheel.

Both sides settled in but created few chances until United captain Katie Zelem sent a free-kick into Chelsea’s area. A scramble ensued, the ball eventually landing at the feet of Millie Turner, who twisted and forced a good diving save from Berger to keep out the deflected effort.

Galton skied an attempt before Chelsea looked to get something started, which they nearly did when Lauren James’ long-range header came within inches of turning into an opener but was instead tipped away by England goalkeeper Mary Earps, the ball catching the left post before it went out.

It remained level at half-time, despite a late free-kick awarded to Skinner’s side after Niamh Charles brought down Parris, who had appealed for a penalty.

Zelem’s resulting delivery was headed over the top by Turner.

Kerr, the competition’s leading scorer, called Earps into action at the start of the second half before United quickly replied on the counter as Alessia Russo shot straight at Berger.

The Blues then had one of their best chances to break the deadlock when Kerr drove down the left and squared to substitute Pernille Harder, in space inside the area, but the Denmark international rolled her effort straight to the waiting Earps, who denied her again moments later.

The momentum, which favoured United for so much of the opening period, began to shift the Blues’ way as Harder sent a pinpoint cross to Kerr, who fired in the 68th-minute opener.

Skinner’s side had their chances to level but were frustrated by a determined Chelsea back line.

United staged an onslaught in the final seconds of stoppage time, but Berger somehow managed to survive the scramble with two saves to seal victory.

Marc Skinner insists Manchester United’s “rebels” are closing the gap on Chelsea going into the Women’s FA Cup final on Sunday.

Wembley is expecting a 90,000 sell-out crowd – a record for a women’s domestic club match – for the showdown between the top two teams in the Women’s Super League.

United hold a one-point lead over Chelsea but Emma Hayes’ side have a game in hand and, with three WSL matches to play, are favourites to win a fourth consecutive title.

Chelsea also have a firm hold on United with six successive victories against the Red Devils, including a potentially decisive 1-0 home win in March – the only time Skinner’s side have failed to score in 28 games this season.

Skinner said: “We are getting closer. We remember the Chelsea game last time and I’m absolutely convinced – and we have got VAR this time – we should have had two penalties and you might be talking about the title race differently.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that if you want to pick a favourite then Chelsea should be put on that mantle because they’ve done this before.

“But the reality is we have a team of rebels and that might not be the fact on Sunday.

“Single game, single focus, and we will try to accept all the psychological challenges and manage and adapt the best we can. We are there to try and win it.”

Chelsea have been in fine form since bowing out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage to Barcelona.

They have beaten Liverpool, Everton and Leicester to narrow the gap on United and scored 15 goals in the process.

“I’m sure the coaches of Leicester and Everton will be disappointed with the mistakes in those games that made it a little bit easier for Chelsea to score those (13) goals,” said Skinner, who has labelled Blues top scorer Sam Kerr a “machine”.

“But they did score them and they are deadly. We’ve got to make sure we keep that to a minimum.

“Chelsea create chances in every game they play, so we’ve got to hurt them at the other end.

“If we do that, and play to that mentality, then it’s going to be a really exciting game.

“We know we can beat Chelsea and that’s not saying we’re going to beat Chelsea because we know how difficult that is. We’ve got to trust our process of play.”

The United team were only formed in May 2018 and this is their first final.

But England Euro 2022 heroes Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Mary Earps, as well as Norwegian midfielder Vilde Boe Risa, have won every single final they have played in.

Toone also scored against Brazil in the 2023 Women’s Finalissima last month, which England won on penalties with Earps proving a shoot-out heroine.

Asked if United had practised penalties ahead of Sunday, Skinner said: “Absolutely. It would be remiss not to do that. We’ve been doing it over the last few weeks.

“Mary’s experience will be massive, but we can’t win this on individuals’ experience. We have to do it as a collective, because we’re going to have to suffer.”