United Women: Five games to go in 2022/23
Manchester United Women are very much at the business end of what could prove to be a very special season.
After completing a league double over Arsenal on Wednesday evening, just five games remain across all competitions for Marc Skinner’s side.
We have four remaining league fixtures between now and the end of May - with the Reds in the hunt for an inaugural WSL title - along with the not-so-small matter of an FA Cup final sandwiched in between them.
Wembley here we come!
GalleryPhotos of a fantastic, history-making afternoon as United Women book a spot in the FA Cup final.
Before the team makes its maiden appearance in a major final during a first-ever outing at Wembley, we’ll take on both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL. Then, on Sunday 14 May, Chelsea are the opposition as we play for the right to lift the Women's FA Cup.
The Reds will then close out the season with back-to-back league games against two of our biggest rivals: Manchester City and Liverpool. The latter of those, as confirmed earlier on Monday, will now get under way at the earlier time of 14:30 BST.
As of right now, the league title is in Chelsea’s hands as Emma Hayes’s team sit four points behind us with two games in hand, but there is still a long way to go before deciding who gets silverware and who qualifies for the Champions League; the latter also being a feat we've yet to achieve.
Ahead of a tantalising stretch of matches, two of our writers have had their say on which of the upcoming clashes is the biggest for Skinner’s side...
Courtney Hill: Everything about the Women’s FA Cup final feels colossal. The stage, the opponent, and what it means: it will undoubtedly be one of the most important fixtures in our short history. Since reforming, we’ve never beaten the Blues. Incredibly, at the time of writing this, we have only lost three of our last 26 WSL games – all of which have come at the hands of the London club. With that in mind, the idea we could finally get our first win over Chelsea and earn our first major trophy feels incredibly significant. Much like potentially breaking into the top three to play Champions League football for the first time, and the potential of lifting our first-ever WSL title, a win against Hayes’s side for one of the most prestigious competitions in English football would signify a real turning point for this team.
When will the Women's FA Cup final kick off?
ArticleFind out what time our Wembley meeting with Chelsea will get under way on Sunday 14 May.
Joe Nelson: Of course, the FA Cup final will be a monumental and historic day for United Women, whatever the result, but the home derby against Man City on the penultimate weekend of the league campaign could be equally as important in our season. The Reds and the Citizens drew at the Etihad Stadium in the reverse fixture, but with there likely to be no room for error for either side in the fight at the top end of the table, I expect this one to be tense. With just an away trip to Liverpool to follow for United after the derby clash, this match is massive. City will, of course, have a vested interest in triumphing - either to close in on the title themselves, strengthen their hopes of European football for next season or to derail United's chance of lifting the trophy at the end of May.
UNITED’S RUN-IN
Here's what's still to come for the Reds in the remaining weeks of the 2022/23 term.
APRIL
Friday 28 April: Aston Villa (A), 19:15 BST
MAY
Sunday 7 May: Tottenham Hotspur (H), 12:30 BST
Sunday 14 May: Chelsea (N), 14:30 BST*
Sunday 21 May: Manchester City (H), 12:00 BST**
Saturday 27 May: Liverpool (A), 14:30 BST
*Women's FA Cup final, all other games are WSL.
**Date and time to be confirmed.