Manchester City 0-3 Chelsea: Women’s FA Cup semi-final – as it happened

Will Unwin’s match report has arrived, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks very much for your company and emails - bye!

And here’s Emma Hayes

“That’s one of my favourite performances, because these people [the BBC pundits] know how hard it is after an international break. I thought our mentality was superb today - our pressing, our counter-pressing, our restarts; how we created chances was so efficient.

“Jess [Carter] had a job to do on Hemp today and I thought she did it really well. She’s world-class, Lauren Hemp, and you’re never going to contain her for 90 minutes, but we wanted to make it as difficult as possible for her.

“I love the FA Cup. It’s such a great competition to be in and I can’t wait for the final at Wembley. I’m so delighted with the performance today - we didn’t let the game turn into something it didn’t need to be. We’ve been giving away unnecessary goals so it was nice to keep a clean sheet.

“[Are you thinking of a domestic Treble?] Yeah, course I am! What do you think? I don’t get out of bed just to turn up. I’m here to win, the whole team’s here to win!”

The thoughts of Erin Cuthbert

“It’s always tough when you come up to City, especially on the back of an international break. You could see the aggression and hunger in the team: we all just wanted to get to Wembley and I’m glad we’ve done it. These games are never straightforward, no matter what people say. I’m sure we’ll watch the other semi-final on the bus home, but for now we have to park the final - next up for us is Villa in the league.”

90+2 min: What a save from Berger! Jess Park is denied a consolation goal by an extraordinary save from Ann-Katrin Berger. Park made a bit of space on the edge of the area and struck a fierce rising drive across goal. Berger flew to her right, strained every sinew in her left arm and just fingertipped the ball onto the post. One of the saves of the season.

90 min Three minutes of added time.

It was a simple, emphatic goal. Fleming broke down the right and lofted a deep cross towards England, who headed past Taieb with aplomb.

88 min City know it’s over. Even Lauren Hemp, City’s chief go-getter, looks resigned to defeat.

87 min The camera cuts to a phalanx of injured City stars in the crowd: Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze, Chloe Kelly, Ellie Roebuck...

84 min Cuthbert’s deep corner is headed towards goal by Bright and headed up in the air by Stokes. England is first to the dropping ball and cracks a low volley that goes straight at Taieb.

83 min The corner is headed on at the near post by England and scrambled clear by City.

82 min Fleming wins a corner for Chelsea off Beckie. City are running out of time, and hope.

79 min Chelsea make another change: Niamh Charles comes on for Fran Kirby, who played three or four delightful passes.

76 min Coombs’ mishit cross is too close to Berger. City have lacked quality in the final third.

74 min A double change for Chelsea: Jessie Fleming and Drew Spence replace Guro Reiten and Melanie Leupolz.

73 min This is a decent spell for City, their best since the first 15-20 minutes of the game.

72 min England runs onto a long ball forward, away from the City defence, but it drops awkwardly and her mistimed shot dribbles through to Taieb.

71 min A swirling long-range strike from Coombs is comfortably saved by Berger.

70 min Weir’s cross is headed away as far as Losada, 25 yards out. She hits a sweet half-volley with her left foot that deflects off her teammate Park and loops over the bar.

68 min A poor pass from Taieb goes straight to Reiten, who runs through Scott’s challenge and cuts the ball back towards England at the near post. Greenwood does really well to intercept.

67 min A change for City: the fit again Vicky Losada replaces Keira Walsh.

67 min After another good run by Hemp, Walsh shoots well wide from distance

63 min Hemp storms past Charles but then takes the wrong option, driving tamely wide from 20 yards when she had support from White and Park.

61 min A nice training-ground corner from City. Greenwood clips it to Weir at the near post; she cushions a volley back to the onrushing Hemp, who shins it well wide of the far post. It bounced a little awkwardly for Hemp but it was a nice routine.

59 min A change for Chelsea: Bethany England replaces Sam Kerr.

57 min Hemp slaloms thrillingly away from Charles and Leupolz on the left side of the area, but then overruns the ball slightly and can only poke a cross into the arms of Berger.

56 min City need something to get them going - a goal, even a near miss or a controversy. At the moment Chelsea are in total control.

52 min: Brilliant save from Taieb! Kirby runs onto a loose ball in the area and squares it to Cuthbert, whose low shot is superbly stopped to her left by Taieb. That’s her best save of the match; the ball was behind her by the time she got a hand to it.

49 min A speculative header forward from Coombs allows Hemp to scarper away from Bright, but Berger comes from her line to collect the ball.

48 min Beckie shoots over from distance.

46 min Peep peep! City begin the second half, having made a substitution at the break: Jess Park is on for Bunny Shaw.

45 min One minute of added time.

42 min Greenwood’s deep, angled free-kick is knocked back across goal by Scott, which leads to a bit of a scramble in the six-yard box before Chelsea are able to clear. The ball bounced awkwardly for Shaw, who couldn’t hook it towards goal.

41 min Taieb’s long goalkick is headed on towards the Chelsea penalty area. Nouwen starts to shepherd it back towards her goalkeeper, only to realise that Coombs is approaching her on the blindside. Nouwen does well to stretch and shovel the ball to safety.

39 min: Another good save from Taieb! City are hanging on desperately. Leupolz’s daisy-cutter is half blocked by the stretching Scott. Kirby collects the ball on the byline in the six-yard box, moves it onto her right foot and smashes a shot that is pushed over the bar by Taieb. The resulting corner pinballs towards goal and is scooped away desperately by Taieb. She’s made three vital saves in the last four minutes.

36 min: Fine save from Taieb! She’ll feel a bit better now. Kirby slides a gorgeous through pass to Kerr, who takes the shot first time on the run with her left foot. Taieb gets down smartly to her right to save, and then springs to her feet to claim Cuthbert’s mishit follow-up. The first save was terrific.

35 min It wasn’t just Taieb who was at fault for the second goal. Weir’s challenge on Leupolz was pretty woolly, which allowed Leupolz to have a shot in the first place.

34 min City started well but the two goals have flattened their morale. At the moment Chelsea are well on top.

33 min Carter has had an outstanding game against Hemp. You can never keep Hemp completely quiet but Carter has done as well as could be expected.

32 min Carter gives Hemp a taste of her own medicine, surging away from her on the right. Hemp pulls her back, right on the edge of the area, but the referee gives nothing. It was certainly a foul though probably not a penalty.

30 min You have to feel for Karima Benameur Taieb, whose head must be all over the place after those two goals. City are without a couple of keepers, Karen Bardsley and Ellie Roebuck. It’s cruel, but if I was a Chelsea player I’d be shooting from all angles between now and half-time.

A Chelsea throw-in was headed away to the edge of the area. Leupolz beat Weir to the loose ball, chested it infield and hit a speculative left-footed shot from 20 yards. It bounced up a little awkwardly and went through the hands of Taieb as she dived to her left.

26 min Kirby robs Walsh and Chelsea break. Walsh, attempting to make up for her error, brings Kirby down and is fortunate not to be booked.

24 min Taieb probably should have done better on the goal, though it was a ferocious strike from Cuthbert.

Reiten clipped the corner towards Cuthbert on the edge of the area. She controlled it on the thigh, away from Coombs, and hammered the bouncing ball towards goal. It went straight through Taieb and into the net.

22 min: Great tackle from Scott! Leupolz clips a delicious pass over the defence for Kerr, who scurries into the area from the right. Her touch is slightly heavy, and that allows Scott to slide in and make a goal-saving tackle.

21 min Beckie’s flat cross is headed well wide by White, lurking on the edge of the area. That was an exceedingly optimistic attempt.

19 min Leupolz turns Beckie cleverly on the left and clips a cross that just evades the leaping Cuthbert at the near post. Chelsea are having a decent spell.

18 min: Chaance for Nouwen! Cuthbert takes the resulting free-kick, floating it towards the six-yard line. It drops onto the head of the unmarked Nouwen, who flicks it wide of the far post. That was a terrific opportunity.

17 min Stokes is booked for an agricultural challenge on Erin Cuthbert.

16 min Hemp runs through Carter’s challenge, then zips away from Bright in the area and clips a low cross towards the near post. White gets across Eriksson but can only divert the ball wide of the near post. It was a pretty sharp chance.

15 min City are swarming Chelsea and have won the ball in dangerous areas on a few occasions.

14 min City continue to dominate possession. Beckie (I think) drives a beautiful pass over the defence to Weir, who just fails to control it on the run. Maybe she could have taken it first time on the volley.

11 min These are the revised formations, by the way.

Manchester City (4-3-3) Taieb; Beckie, Scott, Greenwood, Stokes; Coombs, Walsh, Weir; Shaw, White, Hemp.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1) Berger; Bright, Nouwen, Eriksson; Carter, Leupolz, Ingle, Reiten; Cuthbert, Kirby; Kerr.

10 min Hemp’s cross is headed behind by Nouwen. City have made a really encouraging start to the game. Beckie’s inswinging corner is headed away.

8 min Carter’s cross is bravely claimed by Taieb, diving in front of Kirby.

7 min: Kirby misses the first chance! Eriksson, on the left, curls a dangerous cross towards the unmarked Kirby, who heads well wide from 12 yards. In her defence the ball was swirling a bit, but it was still a poor effort.

6 min Carter is a little fortunate to avoid a yellow card for pulling back Hemp, who already looks City’s biggest threat.

6 min City have started promisingly. Shaw’s driven cross from the right ricochets off Bright and then White before going behind for a goalkick.

5 min Hemp swerves away from Kirby and lifts a dangerous cross that beats everyone in the middle. It’s collected on the far side by Beckie, whose cross is well claimed by Berger.

3 min Nothing much to report so far. I’m still trying to work out the formations; I think Chelsea are playing with a back four as well, with Jess Carter at right-back. I feel cheated.

2 min City are actually playing with a back four, with Demi Stokes at left-back. Their official website said they were playing with wing-backs. If you can’t trust an official site for tactical information, well what then? What then?

1 min Peep peep! Chelsea, in dark blue, kick off from left to right. City are in their usual sky blue strip.

It’s a sunny, blustery day in Manchester, which could make like difficult for the goalkeepers. The players stroll onto the field and line up for the pre-match niceties. It’s time for the latest chapter in this brilliant rivalry.

Some interesting team news on both sides. It looks like City will play with Janine Beckie and Lauren Hemp as wing-backs. Hayley Raso and Vicky Losada are back among the substitutes.

Pernille Harder isn’t in the Chelsea squad, having picked up an injury on international duty. The inclusion of Aniek Nouwen could mean a switch to a back four, though I’ve put their formation as 3-4-2-1 for now.

Manchester City (possible 3-1-4-2) Taieb; Scott, Greenwood, Stokes; Walsh; Beckie, Coombs, Weir, Hemp; Shaw, White.
Substitutes: Pilling, Losada, Park, Angeldahl, Raso.

Chelsea (possible 3-4-2-1) Berger; Nouwen, Bright, Eriksson; Carter, Ingle, Leupolz, Reiten; Kirby, Cuthbert; Kerr.
Substitutes: Musovic, England, Ji, Fleming, James, Charles, Spence, Andersson, Fox.