Manchester City bounced back from successive cup defeats to secure a 4-1 win against Brighton at the Broadfield Stadium on Sunday and draw level with Chelsea at the top of the Women’s Super League. Gareth Taylor’s side completely dominated the match with Lauren Hemp, Yui Hasegawa and Laura Coombs all influential.
On Friday, Chelsea gained a three-point lead against City after defeating Arsenal 3-1. However, the gap has now disappeared as the two teams are only separated by goal difference. After City’s victory, Taylor emphasized focusing on one game at a time. He stated, “Our focus is just on the next game. We try to keep things simple and focus on what we can control.”
“It’s frustrating that if we don’t let up and score one goal at the end, we would be at the top of the league,” stated the manager of Manchester City. He made this comment after his team moved on from losses in both the FA Cup against Tottenham and the Continental Cup against Chelsea. “We were at the top of the league at the beginning of this season but then fell behind by six points. In just two games, the team has made a remarkable effort to bring us back to where we are now.”
Hemp was the first to break the tie in the 27th minute thanks to a remarkable pass from Jess Park, which caught the Brighton defense off guard. City’s lead was increased just before halftime when Mary Fowler took advantage of ample space in the box.
Khadija Shaw and Coombs scored goals after the break, leading Manchester City to dominate the hosts. Despite a late consolation goal from Lee Geum-min, the hosts were outplayed and the final score reflected this.
The temporary coach of Brighton, Mikey Harris, was eager to highlight the good aspects of the game after it ended. One of these was the first appearance of 16-year-old Grace McEwen. Harris expressed his satisfaction with her WSL debut, stating that it will be a memorable experience for her. Facing off against Shaw was a valuable experience for her as she continues to develop in her journey.
![Lisa Naalsund scores Manchester United’s opening goal against Bristol City.](https://californiaminorityalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/manchester-city-score-four-goals-against-brighton-in-wsl-to-stay-in-line-with-chelsea.jpg)
Manchester United clinched a 2-0 win against Bristol City at Leigh Sports Village, Lisa Naalsund scoring twice with United’s only two shots on target. United struck early but the visitors held Marc Skinner’s side to the one-goal advantage for most of the match. Jamie-Lee Napier’s second yellow card and dismissal in the 82nd minute, proved to be a turning point. Naalsund subsequently struck again in added time to seal the win.
Liverpool emerged victorious with a 3-1 triumph over West Ham. Leanne Kiernan scored the first goal in the 41st minute, followed by Missy Bo Kearns who extended the lead after half-time. Sophie Román Haug sealed the victory with a skillful shot from a short distance, but West Ham managed to score a consolation goal late in the match through Riko Ueki.
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Matilda Vinberg, a football player from Sweden, scored the lone goal of the game for Tottenham against Leicester. She found the back of the net with a well-placed header off of a cross from Jessica Naz just two minutes into the match.
Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chelsea Women | 16 | 34 | 40 |
2 | Man City Women | 16 | 32 | 40 |
3 | Arsenal Women | 16 | 17 | 34 |
4 | Man Utd Women | 16 | 15 | 28 |
5 | Liverpool FC Women | 16 | 4 | 28 |
6 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 16 | -7 | 22 |
7 | Aston Villa Women | 16 | -11 | 19 |
8 | Leicester Women | 16 | -10 | 16 |
9 | Everton Women | 16 | -15 | 14 |
10 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 16 | -16 | 14 |
11 | West Ham Women | 16 | -16 | 12 |
12 | Bristol City Women | 16 | -27 | 6 |
Source: theguardian.com