Manchester City climbed to the top of the Women's Super League (WSL) table following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday. Khadija "Bunny" Shaw's powerful second-half header proved to be the difference between the two sides, securing City's seventh consecutive WSL win.
The match began with Manchester City asserting their dominance, aiming to capitalize on Arsenal and Chelsea's 1-1 draw the previous day. Vivianne Miedema, extending her record as the WSL's all-time top scorer with her 90th goal, broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. Miedema skillfully navigated through the Everton defense after receiving a precise pass from Iman Beney, calmly slotting the ball past Everton's goalkeeper, Emily Ramsey.
Despite City's early advantage, Everton posed a significant threat, particularly through Toni Payne on the wing. Payne's pace and skillful play led to Everton's equalizer in the 40th minute when she crossed the ball into the path of Kelly Gago, who executed a brilliant back-heel finish into the corner of the net.
The second half saw Manchester City emerge with renewed determination. Ten minutes after the restart, Leila Ouahabi's cross from the left flank found Khadija Shaw, who rose above the Everton defense to deliver a thundering header past Ramsey, restoring City's lead. Shaw's goal marked her as the joint top goalscorer in the league this season, alongside Melvine Malard, with five goals.
Although City continued to press for another goal, Everton remained resilient and created several opportunities of their own. Ayaka Yamashita, City's goalkeeper, made crucial saves, including a close-range stop from a shot by Kitagawa, to deny Everton an equalizer. The final minutes of the game were tense, with Everton threatening to snatch a late draw, but Yamashita's solid performance ensured City maintained their lead.
"At the end of the day the three points is all that matters and you could tell towards the end of the game we wanted to win and we wanted to just finish it off,” Shaw said. Shaw also emphasized the team's growing confidence and mentality, stating, "I think the more we win games, the more confident we get as a group". She added, "we don't care how we win now we just want to get the three points".
The 2-1 victory propelled Manchester City to the top of the WSL table with 21 points, surpassing Chelsea. The team has now won seven consecutive league games.
Manchester City's next challenge is the highly anticipated Manchester derby against their cross-city rivals at the Etihad Stadium. The match is scheduled to kick off at 14:30 (UK time).
The win against Everton highlights Manchester City's determination and resilience this season. With key players like Miedema and Shaw delivering crucial goals and a strong defensive effort led by Yamashita, City has established themselves as serious title contenders in the WSL.
