Classy City cruise to Liverpool win | OneFootball

Manchester City signed off for the international break with a commanding 4-0 win over Liverpool in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Two clinical efforts from Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw had City in control before the break, with Jill Roord adding a third just after the hour.

Gracie Prior then opened her account for the Club on her first WSL start with ten to play when her cross found the top corner of the Liverpool net to complete the scoring.

The win moved City back to within two points of the WSL top three, and extended our winning run to three matches in all competitions.

What happened

City’s bright start soon warmed up the home support on a bitterly cold evening at the Joie Stadium.

Aoba Fujino, one of the Blues in-form players, was the first to go close when her deflected effort from close-range came crashing off the inside of a Liverpool post, with Yui Hasegawa then stinging Teagan Micah’s palms soon after.

The hosts had been on top, but Liverpool did carve out two big chances in relatively quick succession, the first seeing Leanne Kiernan fire into the side netting after stealing in on a Laia Aleixandri clearance.

Number two was much more of a let-off for City, with Rebecca Knaak clearing off the line from Sophie Roman Haug after Ayaka Yamashita had stopped Kiernan in her tracks.

Lack of goals aside, it had been an entertaining first 30 at the Joie Stadium, but that problem was soon rectified by a familiar source when Shaw, starved of any real goal action so far, took her first real chance with ruthless efficiency.

Mary Fowler was the spark, knocking an inch-perfect pass through the Liverpool defence to the Jamaican, who steadied herself and found the far corner.

And the duo would combine again just before half-time to give City some breathing space heading into the break.

Fowler’s dart down the left found Shaw alone in the box, with our forward plucking the ball out of the air and rifling a half-volley on the turn into the corner.

It was the fourth WSL game in a row where the Australian had grabbed at least two goal involvements, a league record, and Shaw's tenth goal in six games against Liverpool.

The forward almost completed her hat-trick inside two minutes of the restart when trying to get on the end of Fujino’s effort across goal.

City were starting to turn the screw as the hour mark approached, with Vivianne Miedema forcing Micah into another fine save after being fed by Fujino.

And a third would follow soon after, when Roord reacted fastest to her initial effort from the edge of the box being blocked, sending a vicious drive into the Liverpool net off the post.

The Dutch international then went close to her second and City’s fourth when she rose highest to meet a Leila Ouahabi cross but couldn’t quite get over the ball enough to divert the header on target.

Number four arrived with ten to play though when Prior capped off an already memorable evening with her first City goal.

The young defender burst down the right and looked to whip a cross into the far post, only to see her effort sail over Micah and into the top corner.

At the other end, Yamashita was determined to keep her clean sheet intact despite the win already being all but assured, pulling off two outstanding saves in quick succession from Taylor Hinds and Cornelia Kapocs.

But it was City who went closest to finding the net in the dying minutes, with substitute Kerolin Nicoli seeing a cleverly disguised effort come crashing back off the inside of the post in stoppage time.

Player of the Match: Jill Roord

A bundle of energy in the middle of the park, the Dutch international was a particular driving force for City in the second 45.

Her goal was just rewards for an assured display.

How we lined up

Gareth Taylor made three changes from the side who beat Leicester in the FA Cup.

Ayaka Yamashita’s goal was protected by Laia Aleixandri, Rebecca Knaak, Leila Ouahabi and, making her first WSL start, Gracie Prior.

Yui Hasegawa, Jill Roord and Vivianne Miedema made up the midfield three, with Aoba Fujino and Mary Fowler starting on the flanks.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw led the line at the Joie Stadium.

City XI: Yamashita, Prior, Aleixandri (C), Knaak, Ouahabi, Hasegawa (Oyama 81’), Roord, Miedema (Blindkilde Brown 72’), Fujino (Murphy 81’), Fowler (Kerolin Nicoli 81’), Shaw (Park 61’).

Subs: Keating, Layzell, Wienroither, Davies.

Liverpool XI: Micah, Fisk, Clark, Evans (Kapocs 73’), Parry (Bonner 80’), Hobinger, Kerr (Nagano 63’), Holland (Shaw 80’), Hinds (C), Kiernan (Enderby 63’), Haug.

Subs: Bernabe, Daniel, Laws.

What it means

The win moves City back to within two points of the WSL top three.

We currently sit fourth in the table with 28 points from 14 matches but are hot on the heels of Arsenal and Manchester United.

Up next

With the international break looming, City’s next match isn’t until Sunday 2 March, when we face Tottenham Hotspur.

Kick-off at Brisbane Road is set for 14:00 (UK).