Key events
45 min: There’s head shaking from Shaw, and her day could be done. She leaves the field rubbing her neck. Three minutes added on.
44 min: Bunny Shaw is down, and looks dazed after a collision with Buurman.
43 min: Oof, something of a slice from Hannah Hampton but she gets away with it. At the other end, a James shot is deflected behind.
41 min: James fires over and isn’t happy that the ball she hit didn’t have enough purchase on it.
40 min: Chelsea hold on the ball rather than adopt their previous wildcat attacking strategy. Then, patience almost pays off as Sam Kerr gets space, though that’s closed down.
38 min: Good save from Hampton following a deflected shot by Blindkilde Brown. Chances coming at both ends.
36 min: Hampton’s long ball from goalkeeper causes real problems, and as Kerr lurks, it takes a Greenwood intervention to stop what looked a certain goal. Chelsea look dangerous on every attack but then again so do City on their more rare excursions.
34 min: But, after a move started by Grace Clinton, the ball is headed over by Shaw. City are not done yet, by any measure.
33 min: Thompson is in the mood, her cross aimed at Kerr, but just headed over. Chelsea are back in the ascendancy.
32 min: What a run from Alyssa Thompson, dancing feet, like Ricky Villa, and it takes a well-timed tackle from Rose to stop her. Rose hurt herself in the act but plays on.
31 min: Kerr darts into the area, before the ball is cleared rather hurriedly.
30 min: Carpenter gets to the byline again but the ball is overhit this time. That disallowed second goal feels a while ago now.
28 min: Millie Btight pictured in the stands, hood up. It’s cold out in London today. Cold in, too. Considering putting the heating back on.
27 min: A sighter for Shaw, laid up for her by Kerolin but the striker can’t get over the ball and misses the target. Think everyone expected better there.
25 min: A brief lull in play but Lauren James soon sets off one of her runs, only to lose her footing. The contest has evened out after that early blitz.
24 min: Thompson has been lively for Chelsea, and is robbed by Rose after shaking off Alex Greenwood’s close attentions.
23 min: Clinton makes a fine run forward, and lays up Karolin for a shot on goal; it goes wide. That could have been far better.
22 min: James zips in a shot, and it takes another deflection, this time drifting wide. So much firepower out there today.
20 min: Sonia Bompastor can be heard issuing terse instructions to her team, they have surrendered their early dominance.
18 min: Shaw slides the ball wide to Hemp, and the shot is blocked but the FWA player of the year is growing into this game.
17 min: Sam Kerr has been lively. It’s possible, of course, that Khadija Shaw will replace here as the Aussie great is out of contract this summer.
16 min: City have to up the tempo and are doing so, Shaw finding space down the inside left, and it takes a fine Buchanan tackle to stop her.
15 min: A City corner causes a modicum of trouble for Chelsea before Hannah Hampton climbs up to claim the ball.
13 min: First involvement from Shaw against her prospective employers, and Hemp zips a shot wide.
11 min: City need to ride the luck they’ve just been handed. That was not great from the officials. We may hear more later. Kerr gave the assistant the wagging finger. And it was justified.
Sam Kerr has goal disallowed
9 min: Sam Kerr has the ball in the net, and it’s ruled out. The assistant referee said the ball was out when Carpenter crossed from the byline. Replays show the ball was not out….no VAR so Chelsea denied there.
Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City (Cuthbert, 8)
A Kerr flick lays up Thompson, and Cuthbert’s low drive comes off City’s Rose and goes in.
7 min: City at least getting out of their half but Chelsea still full of energy. Ellie Carpenter has to come across to stop a Hemp run.
5 min: Sarina Wiegman is looking on, lots of Lionesses on view, with Grace Clinton of City among the players she is running the rule over. Another, Lauren Hemp, skids a ball across goal, Hasegawa just fails to connect.
3 min: Powerful run from Lauren James and a booming shot just wide. Chelsea have gone from the b of the bang.
2 min: Chelsea on the attack already, Thompson forces a fine save from Keating, the City keeper. The corner causes problems but is finally knocked behind for a goal kick.
Away we go in the second FA Cup semi
1 min: A reminder there’s no VAR here. Who will make it to Wembley?
Millie Bright is in the stadium, the Chelsea legend having retired last month.
Gordon gets in touch: “I am wondering if the Chelsea players will give their opponents today a guard of honour after City became WSL champions?”
Let’s see, perhaps that would only happen in an actual WSL match.
The Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz on TNT on Khadija Shaw: “There has been speculation about our players for a long time, and her especially. They are used to handling that. We don’t speak about it inside of the group. She’s here today to play for us and win the game for us. It has not affected us.”
The big news is Khadija Shaw starts for City, as would be expected. Missing is Rebecca Knaak, with a shoulder injury sustained scoring the goal against Liverpool that placed one hand on the WSL title.
For Chelsea, Lionesses in Hannah Hampton and Keira Walsh come in though Lucy Bronze is benched.
The teams
Chelsea: Hampton, Carpenter, Buurman, Buchanan, Charles, Walsh, Nusken, Cuthbert, James, Thompson, Kerr. Subs: Peng, Spencer, Baltimore, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Bronze, Potter, Beever-Jones, Sarwie
Manchester City: Keating, Rose, Greenwood, Clinton, Shaw, Hemp, Kerolin, Ouahabi, Casparij, Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa. Subs: Cumings, Coombs, Fowler, Wienroither, Fujino, Lohmann, Beney, Prior, Murphy.
The former Chelsea player Fran Kirby of Brighton has beem speaking after that Brighton win: “Absolutely. I don’t know. It would be great to play some of the girls I’ve played with over so many years. But, you know what, may the best team win.”
Brighton will the opponent for whomever wins at Stamford Bridge in this game.
They have beaten Arsenal and now Liverpool to get to Wembley.
And Tom’s story on Shaw’s departure:
On the champions of England, from the excellent Tom Garry.
Nineteen of City’s 58 goals have been scored by Shaw, who has been the star of the show. The focal point of the attack, she has looked unstoppable and will surely be named as the WSL’s player of the season. City have also had great weapons down the flanks, with the England winger Lauren Hemp on one side and the Netherlands right-back Kerstin Casparij surging forward on the other. They are lethal from set pieces, too, aided by the deliveries from Greenwood, whose career total of 19 WSL assists from set pieces is a record.
Preamble
It’s been a big week for Manchester City’s women’s team, crowned champions when Arsenal failed to beat Brighton, and then the news that key player Khadija Shaw will be heading elsewhere once the season is over. That Chelsea are the favourites to sign Shaw only adds to the heady mix of this cup semi; City are going for the double. Chelsea are attempting to rescue a disappointing season in the WSL and Champions League by adding the FA Cup to the League Cup. This is massive, frankly.
Kick-off is at 3.30pm UK time. Join me.
