Shaw brace keeps City’s WSL campaign perfect

Manchester City made it six wins from six in the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Brighton at the Joie Stadium on Sunday.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s clinical early brace, coupled with Niamh Charles’ first goal for City, put the hosts firmly on course for all three points within the opening 20 minutes.

Brighton, however, responded strongly, with Olivia Garcia and Caitlin Hayes finding the net before half-time to make it a contest.

The visitors, the last team to beat City, continued to press in the second half, but the hosts held firm to maintain their perfect start.

Andreas Jeglertz and his players will spend the week two points clear at the top of the WSL standings ahead of next Sunday’s highly anticipated Manchester derby.

It took City less than five minutes to break the deadlock on a chilly afternoon at the Etihad Stadium. Shaw cushioned home a Lauren Hemp cross from the left after a sweeping move from back to front.

Brighton goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie got a hand to the effort, but it was not enough to prevent the prolific Jamaican from scoring her sixth league goal of the season.

Shaw nearly doubled her tally moments later, but her powerful strike from 20 yards was tipped over the crossbar.

She would not be denied for long, attacking another Hemp delivery and powering a header beyond Nnadozie.

City’s momentum continued and the lead stretched to three almost immediately after the restart, with Charles surging forward from left-back, controlling the ball and firing a low shot from just inside the area.

The visitors responded when Garcia tapped home from close range despite Kerstin Casparij’s valiant block on her initial effort.

The Spaniard then forced Ayaka Yamashita into an excellent save, curling an effort towards the top corner only for City’s Japanese goalkeeper to produce a strong left-handed stop.

Yamashita was powerless to prevent Hayes’ header from the resulting corner, however, as Brighton clawed their way back into the match.

The tension persisted throughout the second half, with Brighton enjoying lengthy spells of possession and City repeatedly denied a fourth goal by an inspired Nnadozie.

Shaw twice came close to registering a seventh WSL hat-trick from the right channel, but saw her first effort saved before a second drifted just wide of the far post.

In the end, City’s three first-half goals proved enough.

mancity.com