by Staff Writer
Sunday, 21st December 2025
West Ham United Women endured a challenging afternoon as they were beaten 5–1 by Manchester City Women in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
Against one of the division’s strongest sides, the Irons showed moments of quality and resilience, but were ultimately undone by City’s ruthlessness in front of goal.
The visitors made a fast start and opened the scoring in the 9th minute, capitalising on early pressure with a close-range finish inside the box. West Ham struggled to clear their lines and were punished again in the 18th minute, as City doubled their lead with a powerful strike from distance.
Despite the early setback, the hosts continued to compete and looked to exploit space on the counter.
West Ham were given a lifeline in the 27th minute when Riko Ueki reacted quickest to a loose ball in the area and finished confidently to reduce the deficit to 2–1, lifting the home support and briefly shifting momentum.
However, City restored their two-goal advantage just before the break, scoring in the 44th minute after working space down the flank to make it 3–1 at half-time.
The second half proved difficult as City dominated possession. A fourth goal arrived in the 56th minute, following a slick passing move that cut through the West Ham defence.
Goalkeeper Kinga Szemik was kept busy and produced several important saves to prevent the scoreline from becoming even more severe.
Manchester City completed the scoring in the 78th minute, capitalising on a defensive mix-up to make it 5–1. Despite the heavy scoreline, West Ham continued to show commitment until the final whistle, with substitutes adding energy and physicality in the closing stages.
Speaking after the match, temporary manager Steve Kirby said: “We were punished by a top side today. There were moments where we showed we can compete at this level, but against teams like City, mistakes are costly. We have to learn quickly and respond with a stronger performance next time.”
And his co-coach Verena Hanshaw added: “It’s obviously a tough result to take, but we never stopped fighting. We know the standard we have to reach and it’s on us to stick together, keep working, and show a reaction in the next game.”
West Ham Utd: Szemik, Denton, Endo, Tysiak (c), Hanshaw (Nyström 61), Siren, Csiki (Houssein 67), Morgan, Ueki (Brasero 76), Asseyi (Wandeler 61), Martinez (Piubel 61)
Unused subs: Walsh, Belloumou, Paví, Cemal
Goals: Ueki (26)
Booked: Tysiak, Hanshaw
Man City: Yamashita, Casparij (c), Rose, Knaak (Prior 84), Ouahabi (Greenwood 46), Hasegawa, Blindkilde Brown (Coombs 65), Kerolin (Beney 65), Clinton, Hemp, Shaw (Murphy 84)
Unused subs: Cummings, Miedema, Wienroither, Lohmann
Goals: Kerolin (3), Hemp (8), Clinton (42), Shaw (55), Coombs (75)
Player Ratings
Kinga Szemik (7) Busy afternoon and made several strong saves to keep the scoreline respectable. Little chance with most of the goals.
Yu Endo (6) Worked hard defensively against relentless pressure. Found it difficult to contain City’s wide threat.
Amber Tysiak (6) Battled well at centre-back but was often exposed by City’s movement and pace.
Eva Nystrom (6) Tried to stay composed on the ball but the defensive line struggled under sustained pressure.
Verena Hanshaw (7) One of West Ham’s brighter performers. Continued to push forward and deliver from wide areas despite the scoreline.
Oona Siren (6) Put in a disciplined shift in midfield, breaking up play where possible against top-class opposition.
Katrina Gorry (c) (7) Led by example, showing determination and energy throughout. Never stopped working even as City took control.
Ffion Morgan (6) Showed flashes of pace and intent on the counter but was limited by City’s defensive organisation.
Riko Ueki (7) Scored West Ham’s goal and remained a threat whenever space opened up. Her work rate and movement stood out.
Viviane Asseyi (6) Carried the ball well in transition and tracked back diligently, though opportunities were limited.
Shekiera Martinez (6) Worked hard up front but found chances hard to come by against a dominant City defence.
Substitutes
Anna Csiki (6) Added physicality and presence off the bench and competed well in the box.
Anouk Denton (6) Brought energy and commitment late on as West Ham looked to regain control.
Seraina Piubel (6) Positive in possession and willing to drive forward when introduced.
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