VIDEO: Mary Earps somehow denies Lauren James with unbelievable acrobatic save to protect Man Utd's 2-1 lead over Chelsea in FA Cup semi-final - before bellowing X-rated message to team-mates

The Red Devils raced into a two-goal lead against the defending WSL champions in their semi-final encounter at Leigh Sports Village. Lucia Garcia opened the scoring inside the opening minute, before Rachel Williams doubled that advantage.

James did pull one back for Chelsea in first-half stoppage-time, with the Blues given hope that they could rescue the game and keep themselves in the hunt for more major silverware. They threw everything at United in pursuit of a leveller, but couldn't get past Earps, and Marc Skinner's side held out for a 2-1 victory to reach the showpiece event.

Lionesses star James thought she had restored parity when rising highest to nod goalwards from 10 yards out. She was, however, to see Earps spring to her right and miraculously claw the ball to safety with a remarkable one-handed save.

After keeping James’ effort out, Earps – who became famed for her crude response to saving a penalty for England in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final – delivered an X-rated message to her team-mates in a bid to ensure that their concentration was not allowed to drop. United will face Tottenham in the FA Cup final on on May 12, with Spurs having won their semi-final tie against Leicester City 2-1.