Fans have even penned a song to the goalkeeper who will have her hands full in the women’s FA Cup on SaturdayMary Earps is fired up for the third Manchester derby of the season, this time in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. “We just want to beat them and take them out of the game,” the United goalkeeper says of
Manchester City, with a grin. “The reality is they are great players but we have a great team too and we are more than capable of winning this game.”
Despite frustrations that the clubs’ regular encounters have watered down the magic of this tie there can be little doubt that the fans will be on form as each side push for a second win over their bitter rivals. United’s ‘Barmy Army’ have carved out a reputation for creating an adverse environment. Earps loves it, and is one of the few goalkeepers to have her own song. “When my family came [the Barmy Army] gave them a song sheet and they were very impressed it was in squad order,” she says. Told there is a PDF too, she quips: “Is there an ebook coming out?”