Manchester City Three Goals to Nil Man United: Lauren Hemp on target in City comfortable victory.
Similar to bad weather hit the north-west the night before, City swept United aside at the Etihad. It was a statement 3-0 victory for the City coach's side thanks to goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Hemp. It was a performance that truly announced their title credentials as they strengthened their position at the WSL pinnacle.
Successive Setbacks for Manchester United
This result represented back-to-back Women's Super League losses for Marc Skinner’s side for the maiden instance since last May, leaving them a sizable gap off the league leaders with their title hopes hanging by a thread.
The Red Devils' ability to balance domestic and continental football with a small roster has been a frequently analyzed topic since they secured entry to the European competition. Reviewing the fixture list, it always felt like this was the period that would seriously challenge this capability. Unfortunately for the away side, they looked weary throughout, the landmark win against the French side clearly having taken a toll.
Tactical Shifts
The United manager had sought to freshen things up with a a few alterations. Ella Toone, Elisabeth Terland, Janssen and Leah Galton all brought vigor, although the omission of the high-performing Malard to the sidelines raised a few eyebrows.
Manchester City, in comparison, have no similar fitness worries. The City coach made one change from the previous win over Everton with Hemp making her initial starting appearance since recovering from a physical setback.
Dominant First Half
The storm clouds started to build for Skinner and his team from the kickoff. This was a demonstration of the strength from Manchester City whose potent offense controlled and dismantled the opposition with a sublime first half performance that saw them put three past the keeper in under half an hour.
This put the hosts firmly in control and saw the visitors disorganized. Before this encounter, United had let in just a handful in this WSL season but they collapsed in the wake of Manchester City's attacking flair.
Early Chances
The warning signs came quickly when Miedema used her power to muscle Zigiotti off the ball, only to drag her shot past the post. Lauren Hemp was at the core of everything from the start, using the room left by Riviere down the visitors' wing. Her deliveries were posing a threat and led to an opportunity for Hasegawa that Anna Sandberg cleared off the line.
The Red Devils had a number of attacks forwards, their straightforward approach giving them alternatives in the wide areas but they could not test Yamashita. Manchester City, meanwhile, dominated the ball, taunting their opposition and trying to draw them out of their defensive shape.
Scoring Spree
They converted their dominance with almost the first period played when Aoba Fujino won the hosts a set-piece. A delivery to the back post was directed across goal by Shaw for Knaak to head in. It was Manchester City's seventh headed goal of the term.
They increased their cushion with two more goals just before the break. When Rose was allowed to advance through the center from defense, the play became spacious for the hosts. The key Casparij picked the ball up on the wing before delivering a precise ground pass for Shaw to bundle home. Shortly later, they had a additional score after a rapid turnover in possession saw Hemp afforded the opportunity to drive a effort home from range.
After the Break
The clearest adjustment came from the United manager at the half-time as Melvine Malard was introduced for Terland but by this time it was ineffective to change the course of the game. Ex- Manchester City player Park came most likely to score, rattling the woodwork, but the away team were offensively poor and failed to produce a single shot on goal.
The home side, on the other hand, could have added to their lead when a delightful Vivianne Miedema through ball sent Shaw away only for her to fluff her lines but it was insignificant to the hosts. After failing to defeat any side who ended above them in the prior term, City's side now have successes against the Gunners and Manchester United to position them in a favorable position after nine matches.