Manchester United boss Marc Skinner is drawing on his side’s previous experiences in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup heading into this weekend’s showdown against Chelsea.
The Reds – the competition’s defending champions – ran out 4-0 winners over Tottenham Hotspur in last season’s showpiece at Wembley, having lost out to Chelsea the previous year in 2023.
And Sunday’s game is a repeat of that Final, although Skinner and his players are hoping for a different outcome this time around.
“The great aspect is that this United team has been here and done it before,” noted Skinner. “In the last two years we’ve won an FA Cup Final and we’ve lost one, so we all have a comparison point.
“The players know now what’s expected of them while we, as staff, know how to prepare them.
“From the 2023 Final against Chelsea, we all learnt that you can’t play the magnitude of the game, you have to play the actual team on the grass in front of you. Although that destroys the romance of the Final, it’s the reality, as we found when beating Spurs here last season. To perform your best you’ve got to learn from those little things.
“To me, it feels a little bit different coming into this Final because when I look at these players, I can see the nous and experience they’ve picked up along the way.”
Equally, it won’t be an easy feat, as he explained. Skinner’s team face an in-form Chelsea who already have two trophies under their belt, having secured the WSL title and lifted the League Cup. Nevertheless, the Reds are up for the challenge.
“Chelsea will, of course, be a constant threat,” explained Skinner. “They’re perennial winners and we know that, but if you want to be the best then you have to beat the best.
“We did that against them in last year’s semi-final and we have that experience behind us. Chelsea will also be well aware that in every moment we can be very dangerous, as we showed in our recent BWSL meeting, when we should really have taken more than we did from the game.”
Addressing the fans, the United head coach emphasised just how important the support can play when his side march on Wembley this weekend with a rallying cry.
“This team still has a way to go in its evolution, but to me it feels like the team I most wanted to put out when I first came here: one that can’t be beaten purely on physical qualities; one with balance; one that plays with aggression and excitement,” said Skinner.
“Now we have that balance of not just being a possession-based team – we’re about invasion, full-throttle, the best pressing team in the country. We’ve got the best team spirit, the best togetherness and when you put that with players who are growing together, they can be an unmovable force.
“Beyond that, they also have the best fans in the world behind them. We see and hear you everywhere we go and we know you’ll play your part at Wembley this afternoon. You breathe life into these players when they need you and we all appreciate the crucial role you play.
“We know we can beat anybody when we play on the edge, with fearlessness, and with our experience and your backing, there is no reason at all for us to have any fear going into any game.”
You can read the full interview with Skinner in the official matchday programme for the 2025 Emirates FA Cup Final, which can be purchased at Wembley or online by clicking here.
Find out how you can tune in to watch the Final around the globe by clicking here.
