Manchester City Women

Georgia Stanway double as Man City Women inflict first defeat of the season on Arsenal

December 2, 2018 by Paul Chan

MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 2, ARSENAL WOMEN 0

Georgia Stanway scored twice in front of watching England manager Phil Neville as Manchester City’s women’s team ended Arsenal’s 100% winning record in the Women’s Super League with a confident 2-0 win at the City Football Academy.

Arsenal were without creative talents Jordan Nobbs and Kim Little and City took full advantage of their pace to unsettle the visitors.

Caroline Weir congratulates goalscorer Georgia Stanway on her goal for Manchester City Women against league leaders Arsenal in their WSL game on December 2, 2018

Stanway was the star of the show as City took the lead against the Gunners in the 18th minute after a strong start against the league leaders.

Demi Stokes delivered a cross from the left which was helped along by Nikita Parris into the path of Stanway who fired in from seven yards out.

Stanway had earlier missed twice when laid on by Parris minutes before and had an early deflected chance collected by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin after Katie McCabe’s header fell to her.

The England youngster wasn’t going to need a fourth invitation to score her eighth WSL goal of the season in front of national team manager Phil Neville.

Arsenal were stunned but they worked City hard and McCabe rattled the woodwork with a superb effort soon afterwards while Beth Mead forced a Ellie Roebuck into a save from her 30 yard dipping shot.

Danielle Van de Donk also tested City’s young goalkeeper while Steph Houghton and Jen Beattie, who had an effort cleared off the line from a City corner, had their work cut out defending from wave after wave of Arsenal attacks.

Nikita Parris was handed a golden opportunity to double City’s lead when a sliced clearance by Peyraud-Magnin fell to her but she snatched at the chance and sent it wide.

Caroline Weir replaced after injury knock in the first half

Caroline Weir had taken a knock in the first half and was replaced by Claire Emslie at half time and Arsenal came out and started the stretch City again – committing more players to attack.

Arsenal overcommitted after 64 minutes, though, and Keira Walsh’s long clearance found Stanway in space on City’s right flank. She skipped past the challenges of Dominique Bloodworth and Louise Quinn and beat Peyraud-Magnin from 12 yards out for her ninth WSL goal of the season.

Arsenal redoubled their efforts but found Houghton and Beattie in uncompromising mood and, as their heads dropped towards the end, Stanway was denied a hat trick by a save from Peyraud-Magnin.

Abbie McManus came on late on for Tessa Wullaert, joining Keira Walsh on 100 appearances for the Blues who shut up shop to make sure of the points as the Gunners were reduced to half hearted shots from range.

The result means that City have the only unbeaten record in the WSL now and lie poised just three points behind the Gunners with the return showdown on the last day of the season.

GOALS – Manchester City Women 2, Arsenal Women 0

Man City Women 1, Arsenal Women 0: 18. Georgia Stanway found herself in front of goal with the ball which fell nicely for her and she fired it in from seven yards out after Demi Stokes’ left wing cross found Nikita Parris who helped it along to her.

Man City Women 2, Arsenal Women 0: 64. Georgia Stanway scored her second of the game from an acute angle on the right after a long ball forward from Keira Walsh. Stanway skipped past Dominique Bloodworth and Louise Quinn and beat Peyraud-Magnin from 12 yards out.

MATCH STATS – Manchester City Women 2, Arsenal Women 0

Man City Women: Roebuck, Bonner, Houghton, Beattie, Stokes, Scott, Walsh, Wullaert (McManus 86), Parris (Beckie 76), Weir (Emslie 46), Stanway

Man City Women Subs not used: Bardsley, Jans, Morgan

Goals: Stanway 18, 64

Arsenal Women: Peyraud-Magnin, Evans, Williamson, Quinn, Gayle (Hazard 78), Mead, Bloodworth, Walti, van de Donk, Miedema, McCabe

Arsenal Women Subs not used: van Veenendaal, Mitchell, Kuyken, Grant

Booked: van de Donk, Williamson, McCabe, Mead

Attendance: 2149

Georgia Stanway’s screamer not enough to beat Reading as Manchester City Women fail to overhaul Arsenal

October 26, 2018 by Paul Chan

MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 1, READING WOMEN 1

Georgia Stanway was on the scoresheet again but Manchester City were pegged back by a Jade Moore header as they failed to overtake Arsenal at the top of the Women’s Super League.

Gemma Bonner and Steph Houghton rush to celebrate with goalscorer against Reading - Georgia Stanway — Gemma Bonner and Steph Houghton rush to celebrate with goalscorer against Reading – Georgia Stanway

Stanway, who is pushing for a call-up to the senior England side, was playing in front of England manager Phil Neville at the City Football Academy and made it six goals from her last three appearances.

Moore levelled things up at the start of the second half and Reading held on as City tried to get the winner but were thwarted by several saves by Grace Moloney and some tame finishing.

Nick Cushing may regret not making any substitutions to change the game as his side instead had to settle for a draw as they missed the chance to replace Arsenal at the top of the WSL table.

City lined up in a 4-4-2 formation again with Stanway partnering Nikita Parris upfront again and she had some early success against the visitors with able support from in-form Caroline Weir from the left flank.

It was Reading who had the more realistic chances early on but they were from range – a presentable 25 yard free kick by Fara Williams was wasted while Brooke Chaplen also scooped the ball over early on for the Royals and Remi Allen tested Ellie Roebuck with an early shot.

City were slow to get into the game, with sublime touches from Caroline Weir and Abbie McManus looking to create overloads by joining the attack City still looked a little slow to reach their recent heights with Reading actively pressing City.

Keira Walsh’s cross to Nikita Parris was almost good enough to gift City the lead as it was bundled towards the goal but the ball was blocked on the line by Natasha Harding and cleared by Jo Potter.

After half an hour, City’s patient build-up was starting to create chances with Stanway finally giving Grace Moloney something to save with a shot through a crowd from the edge of the area.

Encouraged, Stanway tried again from even further out and managed to intercept a headed clearance from a Reading defender, controlling it before unleashing another trademark rocket which beat the diving Moloney inside her left post from over 25 yards out.

It was a fully deserved seventh WSL goal of the season for Stanway and her sixth goal in three games for the Blues.

Three minutes later Parris squeezed between two defenders on the run into the box and saw the ball break kindly off a third but slipped as she tried to get back into shape to shoot.

And Parris’ sumptuous pass almost sent Stanway clean through for another chance but for a poor first touch.

Gemma Bonner made a goal line clearance from Williams’ chance just after half time as Reading came back into the game.

Jade Moore equaliser as Reading Women defy Manchester City Women

Jade Moore had replaced Charlie Estcourt at half time and scored five minutes after the restart with a header off Williams’ corner as the visitors made the most of set pieces.

Chaplen, celebrating 100 appearances for Reading, blazed over as City continued to struggle from Reading set pieces in the second half.

City tried to retake the lead and both Jill Scott and Parris sent Stanway clear but Moloney made relatively comfortable saves as well as twice off Gemma Bonner later.

Moloney also stuck out a leg to prevent Parris from rolling the ball home as City laid on the pressure but couldn’t find the breakthrough.

Parris slid in and made challenged Moloney for a ball into the area with 15 minutes to go and the Reading keeper bravely won a foul while trying to reach the ball before the City forward.

Stanway rippled the side netting with seven minutes to go and Parris forced a sharp save out of Moloney as she tried to shoot from the left.

Tessa Wullaert hit the bar with a 20 yard shot, Weir’s 20 yard free kick went over the bar, and Scott’s effort was saved by Moloney as City threw everything at Reading but the visitors held on for a point despite facing nine shots on target from City.

MATCH STATS – Man City Women 1, Reading Women 1

Man City Women: Roebuck, Bonner, Houghton, Beattie, McManus, Wullaert, Walsh, Scott, Weir, Parris, Stanway

Man City Subs not used: Stenson, Jans, Lawley, Nadim, Beckie, Morgan, Emslie

Goal: Stanway 33

Reading Women: Moloney, Jane, Pearce, Potter, Hearding, Bruton, Williams, Allen, Furness, Estcourt (Moore 46), Chaplen

Reading Women Substitutes not used: Pacheco, Bartrip, Davison, Laws, Woodham

Bookings: Pearce 68, Allen 90+3

Goal: Moore 50

Attendance: 1,015

West Ham Women blitzed by seven goal Manchester City Women

October 14, 2018 by Paul Chan

MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 7, WEST HAM WOMEN 1

Caroline Weir scored after two minutes and a Nikita Parris scored within the first 17 minutes but that was only the first half as after the break Georgia Stanway also scored twice with Steph Houghton and Tessa Wullaert rounding off the scoring as Manchester City Women routed West Ham Women to go second in the Women’s Super League.

Caroline Weir celebrates her goal for Manchester City Women against West Ham on Sunday, October 14, 2018

Karen Bardsley, Lauren Hemp, Mel Lawley, Demi Stokes, Megan Campbell, and Pauline Bremer were all on the sidelines as City’s injury list lengthened and Nick Cushing opted for a 4-4-2 line-up with Nikita Parris and Claire Emslie playing as a fast front pair with Caroline Weir and Tessa Wullaert providing width for City.

And City got off to a great start with three goals in 17 minutes, and Caroline Weir had a hand in all three.

Weir struck first for City with a stunning volley from the edge of the West Ham area after a looping ball fell to her less than two minutes into the game.

The Scottish attacking midfielder started the move which ended with City’s goal after seven minutes. Weir’s left wing cross was headed back into the mix by Jill Scott, and Ria Percival’s miskicked clearance was pounced on by Nikita Parris whose inventive back header looped into the net with Rebecca Spencer wrong-footed.

And when Weir came inside she found the space to thread a ball through to Parris who skipped past Spencer and stroked the ball into an empty net from 6 yards out after just 17 minutes.

Weir’s corner was headed wide by Scott five minutes later as City kept up the pressure on the Hammers.

Nikita Parris celebrates Man City Women's second goal against West Ham on Sunday, October 14, 2018 — Nikita Parris celebrates Man City Women’s second goal against West Ham on Sunday, October 14, 2018

City’s defence held up well to any attempts by West Ham to get into shooting positions, blocking and intercepting incursions before they became dangerous.

City become more expansive with a 3-0 cushion, with the full backs pushing up more and both Weir and Tessa Wullaert coming inside to create overloads but this allowed West Ham chances to get back into the game.

Julia Simic and Alisha Lehmann saw efforts go wide for the Hammers and former City striker Jane Ross found herself one on one with Ellie Roebuck shortly after the restart but the England youngster raced off her line to clear the ball after Ross’ first touch.

Simic sent an effort well over the bar after Ross’ cut back as City continued to cruise in the second half and Brianna Visalli forced a save out of Roebuck to tip her shot wide as West Ham started to play their way into the game.

Wullaert and Gemma Bonner crosses caused Spencer some nervy moments while Georgia Stanway almost wriggled free of Gilly Flaherty on a break and would have had a free run on the West Ham goal had she done so.

Manchester City’s second half goal storm sweeps West Ham away

No need to wait though, as a poor clearance by Spencer fell to Parris and she skipped over the challenge of Brooke Hendrix and produced a fine cross for Stanway to tap in from 3 yards in the 71st minute.

Ellie Roebuck made another save to retain the clean sheet but the game was well and truly up in the 76th minute when Weir’s free kick was met by the head of captain Steph Houghton who made it 5-0.

Stanway scored her second of the match to make it 6-0 with 10 minutes to go after skipping the challenge of Flaherty and slotting past Spencer after a great through ball by Wullaert.

West Ham had their consolation goal with 8 minutes to go, when one of their attacks finally paid off with substitute Esmee De Graaf beating Roebuck from a narrow angle after a fine pass by Ross.

But City’s goal deluge wasn’t over as Wullaert’s 25 yard shot was spilled by the luckless Spencer into her own goal.

And in the middle of all that there had been time for Wullaert’s shot to come off the post but Parris missed the chance of a hat trick with her follow up.

There could have been an eighth for City in added time when Stanway pumped a ball into the area but Houghton flicked the ball wide.

GOALS – Manchester City Women 7, West Ham Women 1

Man City Women 1, West Ham Women 0: 2. Caroline Weir with a stunning volley from the edge of the area, left footed after West Ham failed to clear their lines.

Man City Women 2, West Ham Women 0: 7. A miskicked clearance by Ria Percival was pounced on by Nikita Parris whose back header looped into the net with Rebecca Spencer wrong-footed.

Man City Women 3, West Ham Women 0: 17. Nikita Parris rounded Spencer and slotted into an empty net after a defence splitting pass by Caroline Weir.

Man City Women 4, West Ham Women 0: 71. Substitute Georgia Stanway had a tap-in from 3 yards after Nikita Parris intercepted Rebecca Spencer’s clearance, skipped over Brooke Hendrix’ challenge and her cross from the right was laid on a plate for the young City forward.

Man City Women 5, West Ham Women 0: 76. Caroline Weir’s free kick from the left was attacked by Steph Houghton whose header flew in past Spencer.

Man City Women 6, West Ham Women 0: 80. Georgia Stanway is supplied by Tessa Wullaert from the right, skips the challenge of Gilly Flaherty and scores.

Man City Women 6, West Ham Women 1: 82. Esmee De Graaf scored a consolation goal from a narrow angle on the right as West Ham finally got on the scoresheet after a fine pass by Jane Ross.

Man City Women 7, West Ham Women 1: 86. Tessa Wullaert’s 25 yarder was spilled by Rebecca Spencer into her own net.

MATCH STATS – Manchester City Women 7, West Ham Women 1

Man City Women: Roebuck, Morgan, Beattie, Houghton, Bonner, Scott (Park 86), Walsh, Wullaert, Weir, Parris, Emslie (Stanway 69)

Man City Women Subs not used: Stenson, Nadim, McManus

Goals: Weir 2; Parris 7, 17; Stanway 71, 80; Houghton 76; Wullaert 86

West Ham Women: Spencer, Percival, Simon, Hendrix, Flaherty, Lehmann, Ross, Simic (De Graaf 69), Rafferty, Longhurst (Sampson 90+1), Visalli (Kmita 77)

West Ham Women Subs not used: Moorhouse

Goal: De Graaf 82

Player of the Match: Nikita Parris

Attendance: 1245

Manchester City Women dumped out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid

September 26, 2018 by Paul Chan

MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 0, ATLETICO MADRID 2 (Atletico Madrid Win 3-1 on aggregate)

After reaching successive semi finals in the Women’s Champions League the Blues fell to a Spanish masterclass by Atlético Madrid and went out at the first stage of this season’s competition.

First half goals by Silvia Mesegeur and Ludmila da Silva left City facing a mountain to climb after escaping Madrid with a 1-1 draw from the first leg of the Round of 32 but, despite hitting the woodwork several times and having a late goal ruled out for offside, City could not respond to Atlético Madrid.

Manchester City Women line up for the Champions League game against Atletico Madrid

The visitors were nominally behind on the away goals rule at the start of this game but soon turned up the heat in the City Football Academy Stadium with a first half masterclass of Spanish football.

City were already on the back foot when Angela Sosa’s right wing cross evaded the statuesque City defence and was converted by Mesegeur after just 4 minutes.

City captain Steph Houghton had extended treatment for an injury shortly after that blow but that proved only a brief respite from Atleti’s all action game.

City had found themselves being pressed high by the visitors who pressed hard from the start.

Amanda Sampedro shot wide when teed up by the excellent da Silva when city lost the ball in their own area – not the first time nor the last time that City players were second best on the night.

Atlético looked fitter, faster, stronger and bigger than City, cutting down passing angles without the ball and hunting the home side in packs.

Their incisive passing meant that City were chasing shadows and when they had the ball Nick Cushing’s team simply could not create many clear chances – limiting them to tame set pieces and long shots which – granted – might have gone in on another day.

City lacked the movement off the ball to present options and Atlético hunted the ball down in packs, passing it crisply around City who by their own high standards kept giving the ball away.

They were limited to set pieces and a 23rd minute shot by Georgia Stanway that was palmed against her own bar by Dolores Gallardo.

Second goal for Atletico Madrid kills off Manchester City Women

The visitors got a deserved second goal when Da Silva finally got the goal her work rate had deserved after running onto a flicked header and racing deep into the city half.

Da Silva had been a threat all night and skipped a challenge by Stanway and raced past Houghton before smashing the ball past Karen Bardsley in the City goal.

City now needed three goals to progress and Tessa Wullaert replaced Melissa Lawley after the break.

Gemma Bonner headed wide from Stanway’s corner as City started the second half well but soon lost Lauren Hemp to injury and Jill Scott was also taken off as Cushing sent on Nadia Nadim and Caroline Weir.

Atlético came close to putting the game beyond City when Jennifer Hermoso’s free kick was palmed against her own bar by Karen Bardsley – one of few chances by the visitors who were less adventurous in the second half having exhausted themselves putting City off their stride.

Stanway and Parris saw their long range shots from outside the area tipped over by Gallardo and hit the bar respectively as Atlético tired but despite no lack of application there were few better chances for City to get back into the game.

Jen Beattie thought she had equalised with a header off Weir’s corner only for it to be ruled out for offside and Parris’ shot was blocked by Gallardo while Houghton and Nadim saw header go wide and Weir hit the crossbar for good measure as City exited the Champions League battling till the end.

In the end, the better team won the tie and City will have a job on to qualify for next season’s Champions League with a tough visit to second placed Birmingham City coming this weekend.

MATCH STATS – Man City Women 0, Atletico Madrid 2 (Atletico win the tie 3-1 on aggregate)

Man City Women: Bardsley, Bonner, Houghton, Beattie, McManus, Walsh, Scott (Weir 59), Stanway, Parris, Hemp (Nadim 57), Lawley (Wullaert 46)
Man City Women Subs not used: Roebuck, Jans, Emslie
Booked: Stanway, McManus

Atlético Madrid: Gallardo, Robles, Aleixandri, Lingard, Kaci, Sosa (Tounkara 89), da Silva (Garcia 77), Sampedro (Gonzalez 84), Menayo, Meseguer, Hermoso
Atlético Madrid Subs not used: Rodriguez, Silva, Calligaris, Falcon
Booked: Aleixandri
Goals: Mesegeur 4, Da Silva 45

Attendance: 1,178

Steph Houghton’s last gasp goal secures a point for Manchester City Women

September 23, 2018 by Paul Chan

MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 2, BRISTOL CITY WOMEN 2

It has been a difficult week for Manchester City’s Women’s team captain Steph Houghton, but she put her troubles behind her for 90 minutes to score a last minute equaliser after it seemed for long periods that Bristol City women would be recording a shock win at the City Football Academy Stadium.

Danique Kerkdijk celebrates after scoring for Bristol City Women

Danique Kerkdijk and Juliette Kempii scored for Bristol City’s Women after mistakes by Karen Bardsley but a late Nikita Parris penalty gave Manchester City hope before captain Steph Houghton curled in an equaliser at the end.

Only a week earlier, Manchester City had beaten Bristol City 3-0 away in the Continental Tyres Cup but they were wasteful in front of goal back at the City Football Academy and looked off the pace after Bardsley’s errors left City 2-0 down until the 83rd minute.

The visitors sat back on their lead with a deep lying defence, inviting pressure from City, but had their own goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley to thank for keeping a first half clean sheet despite being under intense siege from City.

Although City had started impressively, it was Bristol City who had the better chances with Ella Rutherford twice breaking free after intercepting loose balls but Bardsley wasn’t overly troubled.

Karen Bardsley mistakes almost condemn City to defeat

It all changed after just 16 minutes following a free kick routine by the Bristol City players. With the sun in her eyes, Bardsley dropped Ella Rutherford’s high looping ball in front of her and Kerkdijk was well placed for the tap-in.

Karen Bardsley shielding her eyes against the sun

Encouraged, Kemppi tried her luck from range while City tried to get back into the game with a good header by Nadia Nadim testing Sophie Baggaley following a left wing cross by Caroline Weir.

Weir’s corner was headed towards goal by Jill Scott as City kept up the pressure with Baggaley again making the save while Tessa Wullaert’s shot was deflected over the bar, Claire Emslie’s header from Parris’ cross went wide, Weir’s shot was saved by Baggaley and captain Steph Houghton was also off target with a close range shot.

Weir tried another low shot from range which Baggaley tipped away while Nadim was wasteful with a turn and shot and Houghton saw a free kick deflected for a corner.

Keira Walsh curled one towards the top corner after collecting Weir’s corner but was thwarted again by a great save by Baggaley.

Sophie Baggaley kept Bristol City Women in the game

Baggaley was immensely brave to dive down to block a certain goal by a sliding Nadim who was reaching for a ball into the area.

Wullaert tested Baggaley before the break but found 21 year old equal to her low drive.

Juliette Kempii celebrates her goal for Bristol City Women against Manchester City Women

The Vixens hit City on the break, just 5 minutes into the second half, when Bardsley came out of her area to collect a loose ball, lost out to Kemppi and could only watch helplessly as the Finnish striker lobbed the ball 40 yards into the empty net.

Cushing threw on Georgia Stanway and Jess Park – sacrificing Nadia Nadim and Jill Scott – as City searched for a way back into the game but found themselves running into a red wall at every turn.

City become sloppy in the second half, seeing key passes blocked by the Bristol defenders as they tried to pick their way through.

Frustration spilled over as Stanway was booked for a foul on Alicia Johnson.

But Johnson was responsible for a way back into the game for City after she tripped Nikita Parris in the area and Parris duly buried the resulting penalty to give City renewed hope.

Stanway fired over the bar as City closed in on an unlikely equaliser but it duly came at the end of regulation time when Emslie’s cross was laid off to Houghton by Stanway and the City captain curled the ball 20 yards into the net beyond the dive of Baggaley.

City laid siege to the Bristol goal, going close several times in injury time, but the visitors clung on for a point after managing to repel a final attack by Parris, who had earlier celebrated 100 appearances for the club, despite looking likely to take all three for most of the match.

The result leaves City in third, four points behind the WSL pace setters Arsenal Women and Birmingham City Women, after three rounds of the new league season.

GOALS – Manchester City Women 2, Bristol City Women 2

16. A free kick routine by the Bristol City players caught City cold. With the sun in her eyes, Karen Bardsley dropped Ella Rutherford’s looping free kick in front of her and Danique Kerkdijk was well placed for the tap-in.

48. Karen Bardsley came well out of her area to collect a loose ball, lost out to Juliette Kemppi, and could only watch helplessly as the Finnish striker lobbed the ball 40 yards into the empty net.

83. Nikita Parris buries a penalty after being tripped by Alicia Johnson in the Bristol area.

90. Claire Emslie’s cross was laid off to Steph Houghton by Georgia Stanway and the City captain curled the ball into the net from outside the area beyond the dive of Baggaley.

MATCH STATS – Manchester City Women 2, Bristol City Women 2

Man City Women: Bardsley, Weir, Houghton, Beattie, McManus (Bonner 46), Walsh, Scott (Stanway 55), Wullaert, Parris, Emslie, Nadim (Park 55)

Man City Women Subs not used: Roebuck, Mie Leth Jans, Lawley, Morgan

Booked: Stanway

Goals: Parris 83 pen, Houghton 90

Bristol City Women: Baggaley, Dykes, Evans (Johnson 73), Brown, Kerkdijk, Pattinson (Woolley 90+4), Humphrey, Kemppi, Rutherford (Payne 68), Graham, Biesmans

Bristol City Women Subs not used: Cummings, Rood, Ayane, Wilson

Goals: Kerkdijk 16, Kempii 50

Attendance: 1,338