🔗 Share this article

Just as bad weather tore through the north-west the previous evening, Manchester City blew the visitors aside at the Etihad. It was a emphatic 3-0 victory for Andrée Jeglertz’s side thanks to goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp. It was a display that firmly established their title credentials as they strengthened their standing at the league summit.

Successive Losses for Manchester United

This scoreline represented consecutive league losses for Marc Skinner’s side for the maiden instance since spring 2024, putting them a sizable gap off the top team with their trophy ambitions in serious doubt.

United’s capacity to balance league and continental soccer with a small team has been a widely debated issue since they qualified for the UCL. Considering the fixture list, it always seemed this was the week that would truly test this fortitude. Sadly for the visitors, they looked tired from start to finish, the memorable win against the French side clearly having left its mark.

Team Changes

Marc Skinner had tried to freshen things up with a several adjustments. Toone, Elisabeth Terland, Dominique Janssen and Galton all provided vigor, although the exclusion of the on-form Malard to the substitutes caused surprise.

The hosts, in comparison, have no such loading concerns. Andrée Jeglertz made one change from the previous win over the Toffees with Hemp making her initial starting appearance since returning from injury.

Dominant First Half

The pressure started to accumulate for Skinner and his squad from the first whistle. This was a exhibition of the power from Manchester City whose potent forward line manipulated and pulled the visitors apart with a sublime opening period display that saw them net a trio in under half an hour.

This placed City firmly in control and left United struggling. Before this match, the away side had conceded just six in this league campaign but they fell apart in the presence of Manchester City's offensive ingenuity.

Early Chances

The omens came quickly when Vivianne Miedema used her strength to muscle Zigiotti off the ball, only to send her shot off target. Hemp was at the core of everything in the beginning, using the room left by Riviere down United’s right side. Her crosses were creating danger and led to an attempt for Hasegawa that Anna Sandberg scrambled off the line.

United had a number of sorties forwards, their straightforward approach giving them alternatives in the flanks but they could not test the City goalkeeper. Manchester City, on the other hand, commanded the ball, probing their opponents and trying to lure them of their structure.

Scoring Spree

They turned chances into goals with almost the first period played when Aoba Fujino won the hosts a corner. A ball to the back post was nodded across goal by Bunny Shaw for Knaak to score. It was City’s seventh headed goal of the campaign.

They added to their cushion with another pair of goals just before the half-time. When Jade Rose was allowed to advance through the midfield from central defence, the field opened up for City. The prominent Casparij collected the pass on the right before providing a pinpoint driven ball for Shaw to bundle home. Shortly later, they had a additional score after a swift change in possession saw Lauren Hemp allowed the room to fire a shot home from distance.

Final Period

The primary adjustment came from the United manager at the half-time as Malard came on for Elisabeth Terland but by this time it was too late to alter the outcome of the match. Ex- Manchester City player Park came closest, striking the post, but the away team were offensively poor and failed to record a solitary shot on target.

The hosts, in contrast, could have increased their advantage when a superb Miedema pass sent Bunny Shaw away only for her to miss the chance but it mattered little to the winning team. After failing to defeat any side who placed above them last season, Jeglertz’s side now have wins against Arsenal and Manchester United to position them in a commanding position after nine games.