Manchester City Women 4, West Ham Women 0
Abby Dahlkemper made her Manchester City debut and Aoife Mannion returned from injury as Manchester City hit struggling West Ham for four.
Goals by Caroline Weir, Georgia Stanway, Ellen White, and Rose Lavelle put City in full control while Mannion completed her comeback from a 15 month injury layoff when she replaced Weir in the 77th minute.
City’s American contingent returned from international duty and new signing Dahlkemper made her debut partnering Steph Houghton at the centre of defence.
With Sam Mewis out of the squad after sustaining an injury against Colombia, Rose Lavelle was on the bench alongside Mannion who sustained an ACL injury in City’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid in October 2019.
City were off to an early start as they predictably dominated the early exchanges and were rewarded with a 9th minute opener when Caroline Weir converted Chloe Kelly’s cross from the right.
The hosts were in full control although clear chances were rare against a packed Hammers defence.
West Ham briefly rallied and gave City something to think about before sloppy defending allowed Stanway to stab home the loose ball in the 39th minute after they failed to clear the ball after City flooded the West Ham box.
They could have extended their lead just before the break when Greenwood’s low free kick was just beyond Steph Houghton’s reach and bounced wide.
City were frustrated by resolute Hammers defending in the second half – Hemp went close with a cross/shot which struck the crossbar at the hour mark.
Stanway and Kelly went close as City won a series of corners as they chased a third goal.
The pressure eventually told in the 64th minute when the fourth corner in a row was flicked inside the back post by Ellen White’s header from an Alex Greenwood corner.
Aoife Mannion makes long awaited return to the pitch
Lauren Hemp and Lucy Bronze were then replaced by Rose Lavelle and Laura Coombs.
Both subs immediately put the Hammers on the back foot with chances inside their box.
And in the 71st minute Lavelle curled in City’s fourth, taking full advantage of the loose ball after Maz Pacheco slipped.
And Lavelle pressurised Gilly Flaherty into an error which created a chance for Weir who shot wide – and there was applause from her team mates and the City coaching staff as Aoife Mannion replaced the Scotland midfielder to make her first appearance for the club since her serious knee injury.
City made another change with 7 minutes to go, bringing on Millie Davies for Kelly – her third appearance from the bench in successive games for the youngster – as the home side comfortably saw out the victory.
GOALS – Manchester City Women 4, West Ham Women 0
Man City Women 1, West Ham Women 0: 9. Caroline Weir swept City in the lead after meeting Chloe Kelly’s right wing cross during a period of City pressure.
Man City Women 2, West Ham Women 0: 39. Georgia Stanway was first to react to the loose ball after City flooded the Hammers box.
Man City Women 3, West Ham Women 0: 64. Ellen White extended the lead with a flicked header from Alex Greenwood’s in-swinging corner that went inside the back post.
Man City Women 4, West Ham Women 0: 71. Rose Lavelle pounced when Maz Pacheco slipped and the American reacted first to put the Hammers out of the game with a curling strike.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City Women 4, West Ham Women 0
Man City Women: Roebuck, Bronze (Lavelle 65), Houghton, Dahlkemper, Greenwood, Stanway, Walsh, Weir (Mannion 77), Hemp (Coombs 65), White, Kelly (Davies 83)
Man City Women subs not used: Bardsley, Window
Goals: Weir 9; Stanway 39; White 64; Lavelle 71
West Ham Women: Arnold, Fisk, Flaherty, Vetterlein, Redisch Kvamme, Joel (Barker 71), Longhurst, Pacheco, Svitkova (Cissoko 81), Leon (Mustafa 85), van Egmond
West Ham Women subs not used: Brosnan, Thomas, Dali
Referee: Jane Simms