By Catherine MacKenzie (11/04/2025)
Above: Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner with the FA Cup. Photo: Adam Davy/PA
On Sunday, FA Cup holders Manchester United face cross-city rivals Manchester City in a blockbuster semi-final at a sold-out Joie Stadium.
United’s FA Cup win last year was their first piece of major silverware, and the road to the trophy was not easy. They faced Chelsea in the semi-final, winning against the blues for the first time to progress to a final where they dominated Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, winning 4-0.
The FA Cup win offset a disappointing season in the Women’s Super League; after finishing second behind Chelsea the year before, they fell out of the Champions league spots in the 2023-24 season, ending up in fifth place.
Whilst the cup win was enough to see United head coach Marc Skinner receive a new contract, Manchester City come into Sunday’s game off the back of a recent change in leadership.
Long-serving City head coach Gareth Taylor left his post and previous City coach Nick Cushing returned to lead them ahead of a ‘quadrilogy’ of games against Chelsea; City won one and lost three of the games, seeing them lose the League Cup final and fall behind in the race for a top-three WSL finish.
Ahead of Sunday’s game, Skinner was asked about the changes Cushing has implemented at City, and the extent to which facing them will differ to their duels under Taylor:
“There are definitely signs of Nick’s influence on the team, however I’ve said this before; each manager of a Manchester City team adapts and evolves it slightly, but there is still a playing style, still a structure in the way that they play.” He added: “…for us it is about understanding his traits but also knowing that Manchester City do what Manchester City do”.
Skinner can rely on one of the league’s best defences; United have conceded nine goals across the season. This equates to an average of 0.56 goals conceded per match, compared to 20 goals conceded (1.25 goals per game) for Manchester City.
Whilst Skinner praised his entire defence for their role in the team’s defensive record, he highlighted goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who recently earned her first cap for the USWNT under Emma Hayes. The 28-year-old took over the reigns from the World’s Best keeper Mary Earps, who departed for PSG last summer:
“She [Tullis-Joyce] is a very intelligent woman, which is important. She is aware of what is needed to do the role…she is having to get used to what it is like being Man United’s no.1, but I don’t think there is any greater audition for her to win this year’s golden glove than what she has produced. I am so pleased with her performances.”
Focusing on what his team will need to win the game; Skinner also highlighted the importance of his attacking line. Although United have had a multitude of goal-scorers this season, their most prolific goal-scorer is Norway’s Elisabeth Terland.
Terland has scored nine goals for United in this WSL season, including a standout match against Crystal Palace in February 2025, where she scored twice in a 3-1 victory for United. She also scored a brace in a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in October 2024. On Terland, Skinner said:
“…she’s been incredible this season. I hope that continues of course in these next five slash six games. She’s hit the ground running here and I think she’s done a fantastic job.”
Manchester City vs Manchester United kicks off on Sunday at 3pm UK-time, and will be broadcast on BBC Two and streamed on BBC iPlayer. The winner will face either Chelsea or Liverpool at Wembley.
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