Khadija Shaw's record-breaking hat-trick fired Manchester City to a dominant 5-2 win over Tottenham on Saturday, allowing the Women's Super League leaders to maintain their seven-point cushion at the top with just four games to go. It took Shaw just 21 minutes from kick-off, and 13 minutes between goals, to net her treble, setting two new competition records, and that was added to by Kerolin's strike and an own goal from Amanda Nilden as City bounced back from last week's disappointing draw at Aston Villa.
It was just six days ago that City displayed that unusual slip-up, dropping points for just the third time all season in a goalless draw that threatened to open the title race back up. However, after Manchester United failed to take advantage in midweek, by drawing at West Ham, City looked back to their usual selves on Saturday afternoon, hitting Spurs for five before half time to ensure there would be no disappointment on their return to home soil.
It was a distant memory even by half time but, for a few minutes, there was actually some jeopardy in this game. After Shaw netted her first after only eight minutes, Spurs responded well and Drew Spence's clever ball over the top was pounced on by Olivia Holdt, who confidently finished beyond Khiara Keating to level the scores. How City responded to that setback, though, defined the game. Within two minutes, Shaw's towering header re-established her side's lead, then her third extended that advantage, while also putting her name in the history books as she surpassed Kelly Smith's previous record for a fastest WSL hat-trick, scored for Arsenal in 2014 in just 16 minutes. It was also Shaw's fourth successive treble in home games against Spurs in the league.
From there, City were in cruise control. Lauren Hemp cut the ball back for Kerolin to make it four and Miedema fortuitously watched her header bounce in off Nilden for five, allowing the hosts to take their foot off the gas in the second half. Spurs rallied, forcing Keating into a few decent saves and getting another back late on through Beth England, but it didn't stop them falling to back-to-back WSL defeats for the first time this season. City, meanwhile, remain seven points clear with just four games to go, with a third successive Golden Boot also likely to arrive in Manchester alongside that WSL trophy, with Shaw now on 18 goals - twice as many as anyone else in the division.
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