Mary Earps threw down her gloves and let out a roar that banished the frustrations of a disappointing season, for an afternoon at least. Manchester United had finally beaten Chelsea, earning revenge for last season's Women's FA Cup final defeat to Emma Hayes's side to book their return to Wembley.
Before then, as a season teetered on the brink, the holders threw everything they had at United and Earps was forced to pull off a string of brilliant saves, twice denying Lauren James, dragging United through. There were wild celebrations at full-time, but also relief and vindication. "This season has been so hard," Earps revealed. "It's been mentally brutal."
Clearly, that was not the plan. United have regressed dramatically in the Women's Super League this campaign, falling from second to fifth, from title challengers to 12 points off the Champions League places. It has brought scrutiny and dissent towards the manager, Marc Skinner, who is out of contract at the end of the month and has hardly shown that he merits a new one, with United set to be replaced by Liverpool in the top four.
The FA Cup has therefore come to represent an all-or-nothing quest for United. They will be favourites when they take on firsttime finalists Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley tomorrow, but that comes with additional pressure, too. United's season will be a failure should they lose, it will be saved if the club lifts its first trophy, six years on from the formation of the women's team.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 11, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 11, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Real deal sees Mbappe join 'club of my dreams' Madrid
Kylian Mbappe has finally signed for Real Madrid, bringing one of modern football's longest transfer sagas to an end and adding even more talent to the champions of Europe.
The £50bn stock market deal mired in controversy
After many months in which the narrative has been dominated by the London Stock Exchange's best companies heading to Wall Street in search of new investors and higher ratings, the City appears to have lured a bright new bauble.
Gay adoption tale will have you reaching for the tissues.
'Lost Boys and Fairies' deals with heavy themes including HIV, homophobia and grief, but writer Daf James infuses it with a playfulness that offsets the darkness
INSIDE STORY
Top immersive theatre group Punchdrunk have ditched their multiple-storyline style in favour of an audio storytelling tour voiced by Helena Bonham Carter. Helen Coffey removes her shoes (it's mandatory) and takes a trip into 'Viola's Room'
Here's how tedious comedy panel shows can be saved
Statistics show that TV's 'willy-waving machismo' still hasn't come to terms with the gender imbalance. Might that be why the genre is feeling so clapped out, asks Katie Rosseinsky
DATING DISCREETLY
Forget 'hard launching' a new partner on Instagram, today it's all about the 'no-launch', and keeping your relationship as offline as possible. It's a change that Olivia Petter welcomes
How can my grandchildren make a French connection?
Q Can my granddaughters, aged 13 and 15, fly together, unaccompanied from Edinburgh to and from France? And do you recommend it?
Bash Street comp beats the snobbish parade all ends up
My posh friends were horrified I sent my two sons to state schools, writes Rowan Pelling, but I'm having the last laugh
MI6 recruited workers from China as spies, says Beijing
Beijing has accused Britain's MI6 of recruiting Chinese state employees as spies as the two countries traded allegations of espionage.
Mexico's new president is a woman and a tough boss -
Claudia Sheinbaum's victory comes more than 70 years after women in the central American country first got the vote and the election was a violent one
