Manchester City made it nine straight wins at the Joie Stadium this season with a superb 4-0 WSL triumph over Leicester.
Gareth Taylor’s side entered the meeting from the international break looking to return to winning ways in the league following a narrow defeat to Chelsea.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s precise header inside two minutes ensured we made the perfect start to proceedings before the Jamaican powered home another ahead of the interval.
Second-half strikes from Jess Park and Mary Fowler then helped secure three points in Manchester, with youngster Eve O’Carroll also coming on to make her senior debut.
It means we are yet to drop a single point at home so far this term in all competitions and keeps the pressure on first-place Chelsea.
WHAT HAPPENED
Sunday 8 December marked the 10th anniversary of the Club’s state-of-the-art City Football Academy training base opening – and it was the hosts who made a high-class start at the Joie Stadium.
The ball was fed into the path of Kerstin Casparij on the right side of Leicester’s box who then crossed into the area where Bunny was able to rise highest and plant a header into the bottom corner inside two minutes.
It was a deserved lead for Gareth Taylor’s side and the first example of us perhaps using the windy conditions to our advantage as Storm Darragh swept across the United Kingdom this weekend.
Regardless of the harsh weather, we stuck to our principles of maintaining the ball while looking to carve out opportunities, and it almost paid dividends again when Fowler saw a shot blocked from the edge of the area.
The Foxes entered the clash having only scored twice in the WSL, but also conceding just eight times – with Taylor noting their strong rearguard action in his pre-match interview.
And Leicester weathered City’s storm well after our opener – limiting us to efforts from acute angles and from range as Casparij smashed the outside of the post from the touchline and Park sent a stinging effort into the grateful gloves of Janina Leitzig.
Amandine Miquel’s side’s touch-tight marking meant chances were at a premium as time ticked past 25 minutes, but a slick City moved carved them open again for our second of the afternoon.
Aoba Fujino teed up Leila Ouahabi who darted past a defender before whipping in a cross which was met by a bullet Bunny header – sending the ball crashing into the net.
On the cusp of half-time, though, Leicester almost caught City cold at a corner when former Blues midfielder Ruby Mace’s goalbound nod struck her team-mate and went wide.
Although the temperatures continued to plummet at the Joie Stadium, City’s intensity continued to heat up, and we extended our lead shortly after the interval.
It came after some typically intricate play in the City midfield, with Jill Roord sliding the ball into Park’s path before the England international took a touch on the edge of the area and superbly fired past Leitzig.
That advantage was soon extended again when Ouahabi played a teasing ball into the box which was only half-cleared – allowing Fowler to meet it with a sweet volley which found the top corner.
Following our fourth of the afternoon, Taylor made changes which saw Laia Aleixandri – who was making her first appearance since October - replaced by Alanna Kennedy as City managed the Spaniard’s return from injury.
There was also an outing for Laura Blindkilde Brown, who made her senior England debut during the break – helping the Lionesses to a 1-0 win over Switzerland.
Ahead of the final whistle there was further positivity as O’Carroll made her senior bow, with Lily Murphy and Codie Thomas entered the field fresh from signing their first professional contracts.
Murphy even went close to adding a fifth, darting in behind before firing over the bar in stoppage time.
But City would have to settle for a 4-0 win as we returned to winning ways in the WSL.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: YUI HASEGAWA
City’s midfield metronome once again dictated the tempo against the Foxes and was at the heart of strong defensive and attacking play.
There often thwarting Leicester moves before igniting our own, Yui’s impressive passing and tackling range was on show at the Joie Stadium.
HOW WE LINED UP
City were boosted by the return of Laia Aleixandri from an injury which had kept her out since October’s win over West Ham.
She played at centre back and completed a back four also containing Kerstin Casparij, Alex Greenwood and Leila Ouahabi – who protected Khiara Keating in net.
Yui Hasegawa was at the base of our midfield with Jill Roord and Jess Park completing our engine room lieutenants.
Our front line was spearheaded by Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw with Aoba Fujino operating on the left and Mary Fowler playing on the right.
City XI: Keating, Casparij, Aleixandri (Kennedy 59’), Greenwood (C), Ouahabi (Thomas 72’), Hasegawa (O’Carroll 72’) , Roord, Park (Blindkilde Brown 59’), Fowler, Fujino, Shaw (Murphy 72’).
Unused substitutes: Yamashita, Startup, Prior.
Leicester XI: Leitzig, Bott, Cain (Rose 62’), Cayman (C) (Pelgander 70’), Goodwin (Las 70’), Howard, Mace, Momiki, Nevin (Thibaud 70’), Swaby, Takarada (Sherwood 82’)
Unused substitutes: Kees, Kop.
WHAT IT MEANS
The win at the Joie Stadium keeps us second in the Barclays Women’s Super League table and moves us to 22 points after nine matches.
WHAT’S NEXT
City’s next assignment is the visit of St Polten in the Champions league on Thursday 12 December.
Kick-off at the Joie Stadium is scheduled for 20:00 (UK) and, as ever, there will be comprehensive coverage on mancity.com and our official app.
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