by Staff Writer
Monday, 18th May 2026
West Ham United Women suffered a difficult end to their Women’s Super League season on Saturday as they were beaten 4-1 by newly crowned champions Manchester City Women at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
West Ham United Women suffered a difficult end to their Women’s Super League season on Saturday as they were beaten 4-1 by newly crowned champions Manchester City Women at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
City arrived in East London already confirmed as league winners and showed exactly why they had dominated the campaign, controlling possession for long spells and punishing West Ham whenever space opened up. Despite the scoreline, the Hammers continued to compete throughout and produced moments of quality, particularly in attack during the second half.
Manchester City started brightly and took the lead after 13 minutes when defender Jade Rose scored her first goal for the club. West Ham initially defended well, with Kinga Szemik making a number of important saves to deny Lauren Hemp and Mary Fowler, but City’s movement and passing caused constant problems. West Ham attempted to respond through counterattacks led by Viviane Asseyi and Riko Ueki, while Katie Zelem tried to bring calmness and control in midfield. However, the visitors maintained most of the possession and deservedly carried a 1-0 lead into the break.
The second half began with City increasing the tempo, and their pressure paid off in the 57th minute when Khadija “Bunny” Shaw doubled the advantage with a composed finish. Just as the game looked to be slipping away from West Ham, the hosts produced a positive response only a few minutes later. Seraina Piubel finished confidently to pull a goal back and briefly lift the atmosphere around the stadium, giving the Hammers hope that they could fight their way back into the contest.
Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Manchester City quickly reasserted control. Shaw grabbed her second goal of the afternoon in the 72nd minute after another slick attacking move, underlining why she has been one of the league’s most dangerous forwards this season. City added a fourth late on through Laura Coombs, who marked the final appearance of her professional career with a goal. The experienced midfielder received a warm reception from both sets of supporters as City celebrated in style.
Although West Ham continued to push forward late in the game, they were unable to reduce the deficit further. Szemik produced more saves to prevent additional goals, while Piubel and Asseyi remained the home side’s brightest attacking threats. Ultimately, Manchester City’s quality and clinical finishing proved too much for the Hammers, who ended the season in 10th place. For City, the victory completed a memorable title-winning campaign and provided the perfect ending to an outstanding season.
The defeat meant West Ham finished 10th in the WSL table, while Manchester City celebrated their first league title in a decade.
Team Sheet
West Ham United: Szemik, Morgan (Bose 78), Endo, Nyström, Cascarino (Zadorsky 66), Belloumou (Hanshaw 78), Siren (Gorry 83), Zelem, Piubel (Wandeler, Ueki, Asseyi
Subs not used: Walsh (GK), Hansen, Tennebø, Martinez
Goal: Piubel 62
Manchester City: Cummings, Rose, Greenwood © (Prior HT), Fowler, Shaw, Hemp (Kerolin 28), El Ouahabi, Blindkilde Brown (Lohmann HT), Fujino (Coombs 62), Beney (Wienroither 81), Hasegawa
Subs not used: Keating (GK), Clinton, Casparij, Murphy
Goals: Rose 13, Shaw 57, 72, Coombs 80
Booked: Fujino
Referee: Grace Lowe
Player Ratings
Kinga Szemik 6.5: Made several strong saves and prevented an even heavier defeat.
Yu Endo 5.5: Worked hard defensively but struggled against Hemp’s pace.
Eva Nyström 5.5: Battled physically but City’s movement caused problems.
Estelle Cascarino 5: Had a difficult afternoon against Shaw.
Inès Belloumou 5.5: Offered energy going forward but left exposed defensively.
Oona Siren 6: Showed composure in midfield and tried to break up play.
Katie Zelem 6.5: West Ham’s best midfielder; distributed well and fought throughout.
Ffion Morgan 5.5: Had a few lively moments but faded after the break.
Seraina Piubel 7: Took her goal well and remained West Ham’s main attacking threat.
Viviane Asseyi 6: Carried danger on the counter and worked tirelessly.
Riko Ueki 5.5: Isolated for large spells but linked play reasonably well.
Shelina Zadorsky – 5.5: Added some physicality in defence but struggled to slow City’s attacking momentum.
Ruby Bose – 5.5: Showed energy after coming on and tried to press high up the pitch.
Lelia Wandeler – 5: Had limited involvement and found it difficult to influence the game.
Verena Hanshaw – 5: Worked hard defensively but was largely pinned back by City’s pressure.
Katrina Gorry – 5.5: Brought composure in midfield and attempted to steady possession late on.
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