“The title race is over.”
At least according to lead-chaser Sonia Bompastor it is.
Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at home to Arsenal opened the door for Andreé Jeglertz’s Manchester City to extend the gap at the top of the table to a daunting nine points with only nine games left in the WSL season.
Making the trip to Bromley to take on London City Lionesses, the league leaders were made to toil but, like all good champions, they found a way to win 2-1 in a dogged display.
Kerolin Nicoli’s first-half strike was pegged back by Freya Godfrey’s superb solo effort. But, in the dying embers of the match, the inevitable Bunny Shaw smashed home from close range to send all three points back to Manchester.
The loss leaves Eder Maestre still without his first win as London City Lionesses manager after taking over in December, but there were plenty of positives to take from the afternoon. And, with rumoured signings Beth Mead, Patri Guijarro and twice Ballon D’Or winner Alexia Putellas in attendance, the performance showed glimpses of an ever-improving side with a potentially bright future.
Jeglertz wasn’t used to losing. That was until a 1-0 defeat to the Blues in the Subway Women’s League Cup in midweek dragged up a feeling that had long been buried. His only other loss, and only blemish on an otherwise perfect league record, came against Bompastor’s Chelsea on the opening day of the WSL season.
Usually, a 100% losing record against the six-time defending champions would condemn the Cityzens to a second or third-place finish, a position they have so often found themselves in recent times.
However, there is a different feeling about this season.
Time and time again, Chelsea have been able to reel in the league leaders, be it Arsenal, Manchester United or Manchester City, but City are showing no signs of letting up their league momentum.
“If the players are very happy, I need to be balanced,” Jeglertz said. “If the players are very disappointed, I need to be balanced. And that’s the coach’s job, to find the balance all the time.”
And it’s this balanced approach that has allowed the Manchester City juggernaut to roll on; never blowing too hot, and never blowing too cold.
They stamped down their authority early against LCL. Only eight minutes in, Kerolin, who tormented both opposition fullbacks throughout the afternoon, got to the byline on the right-hand side and dug out a cross to the back post.
Talisman Bunny Shaw was free with the goal at her mercy to add to her tally of 12 WSL goals for the season. But fortune favoured the Lionesses as the ground gave way beneath her, and the chance went begging.
Nevertheless, the opportunity was forgotten three minutes later as Kerolin took matters into her own hands.
A perfectly timed run and ball through the home side’s defence from Vivienne Miedema sent the Brazilian one-on-one with Elene Lete, and she made no mistake, sliding the ball into the bottom-left corner.
While the visitors continued to dominate possession, Eder Maestre’s side looked dangerous on the counterattack in equal measure.
Isobel Goodwin was their brightest spark. It seemed the striker did everything but score.
First, she capitalised on Manchester City’s high line to bear down on Ayaka Yamashita after 28 minutes. But the goalkeeper made herself big to tip her goal-bound effort onto the right post.
Ten minutes before the half, Goodwin then crashed the bar, heading a dinked cross no more than six yards out. Wassa Sangare got to the follow-up first, but was unable to sort out her feet quickly enough to see the league leaders go into the break with a slender 1-0 lead.
The second half began with LCL on top. Godfrey spurned a golden chance draw the home side level as she ballooned her effort over the bar in the 51st minute.
As time ticked on, Godfrey found more and more space down the LCL right, and it wasn’t long before the pressure told.
Isolated against Alex Greenwood, the young England starlet jinked onto her right foot to blast past Yamashita to give her team what was, at the time, a deserved equaliser with a little over 20 minutes left to play.
City pushed for a late winner, but for a long time it seemed victory would escape them.
But with only four minutes of normal time remaining, a goal-line scramble pinballed around the London City penalty area before falling to Shaw, who finally got her trademark goal to maintain her goal per game record in the WSL, sending the away fans into raptures.
It wasn’t a vintage performance from Manchester City by any stretch, but one indicative of champions. It may be curtains for the chasing pack.
Paul Edwards
Paul, often known as Eddie, is the Editor-in-Chief for the Sports Gazette, as well as a keen football enthusiast. As a sports freak, he can often be found ranting about how his lookalike, Lewis Hall, should be in the England squad or how Rehan Ahmed is criminally overrated. Paul publishes his projects on Substack (@pauledwards123) as well as writing for Hampton and Richmond Borough FC. His passion for sport is palpable, and he is excited for the opportunity to write about the ups and downs of high-level sport. Contact him via [email protected].
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