City leave it late to topple Liverpool

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Manchester City F.C.

·13 octobre 2024

City leave it late to topple Liverpool

A stoppage time Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw strike saw City come from behind to beat Liverpool and return to the WSL summit.

The Jamaican grabbed hers and City's second goal when finding the roof of the net with a vicious 92nd-minute strike.

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The hosts took the lead when Olivia Smith fired home from distance just before half-time at Anfield.

But City drew level just before the hour when Shaw headed home Lauren Hemp’s cross before her dramatic winner, moving us back to the top of the WSL table and extending our unbeaten start to seven matches in all competitions.

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What happened

Fresh from perhaps one of the finest nights in our professional history against Barcelona , City faced another tough assignment against an unbeaten Liverpool side at Anfield.

Gareth Taylor had suggested that Matt Beard’s side were capable of a title push this season, and they had the first real chance of the game when Olivia Smith forced a smart save from Ayaka Yamashita after being sent in behind the City defence.

The Blues were dominating possession, but Liverpool continued to hold firm, with former City defender Gemma Bonner heading over from a free-kick.

Gareth Taylor’s side were far from under the cosh though, with Bunny Shaw just unable to sort her feet out in time to convert a Leila Ouahabi cut back as we began to dial up the pressure.

Shaw was involved again soon after, playing a delightful give and go with Lauren Hemp, who dinked just beyond the far post from a tight angle as the half-hour mark approached.

But it was the hosts who would grab the lead before the break.

Against the run of play, a ball over the City defence found Smith, who cut inside and rifled a vicious low effort into the bottom corner of the Blues’ net.

The goal had sparked Liverpool into life, and they started the stronger after the break with Bonner glancing a header just wide of the far post early on.

At the other end, Jill Roord dragged an effort wide of the post after being sent through by Park but otherwise the visitors had little to show until the hour mark.

That was until Hemp and Shaw combined to draw us level.

The England international had been one of City’s best players, and was pivotal in the equaliser, racing past Marie Hobinger and floating an inviting ball into the Jamaican.

Shaw duly did the honours, with her header having just enough on it to trickle past Rachael Laws and into the Liverpool net.

The tide was turning, with Hemp curling just the wrong side of the post after cutting inside from the left on the counter attack.

Mary Fowler was next to go close, with a left-footed effort on the turn whistling just wide of the upright with 15 to play.

But the biggest chance to grab the winner came in the 83rd minute when Shaw rounded Laws and fired towards goal, but a crucial touch from the Liverpool stopper diverted the ball onto the post.

The onslaught continued with Alex Greenwood hooking an effort wide of the mark after the ball fell invitingly to her from a corner.

And finally that pressure told when Shaw was too strong for her marker, picking up Laia Aleixandri's ball in behind before smashing in a dramatic late winner.

It was just rewards for City, whose patience was rewarded. It might not have been as pretty as our Barcelona win, but the Blues got the job done.