Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw netted two goals as her team exerted pressure on league leaders Chelsea in the Women’s Super League title contention, achieving a decisive victory over Leicester.
Shaw opened the scoring for the hosts just two minutes into the match, converting a header from Kerstin Casparij’s cross, which was set up by Yui Hasegawa. She then doubled the lead in the 29th minute with another powerful header, this time connecting with Leila Ouahabi’s delivery into the box.
In challenging weather conditions, City extended their lead with a goal from Jess Park in the 49th minute, followed by a stunning close-range volley from Australian striker Mary Fowler just nine minutes later.
This emphatic win served as an ideal rebound for the hosts following their previous 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, leaving them five points adrift of the reigning champions after Chelsea’s victory over Brighton later that day.
Shaw stuns again
Shaw once again demonstrated her exceptional talent for City. The 27-year-old currently leads the division in scoring, having achieved an impressive tally of seven goals across her last four matches in all competitions.
City manager Taylor praised her composed and effective style in front of goal, stating that Shaw embodies the qualities of a complete striker, contributing significantly to the team’s performance beyond just her goal-scoring.
The atmosphere at Joie Stadium was electric, with fans on the edge of their seats whenever Shaw touched the ball in the attacking zone.
Her nickname, ‘Bunny,’ was echoed throughout the stands with chants urging the team to “feed the Bun and she will score.” A chant well-deserved, as Shaw has netted 59 goals since her WSL debut in September 2021, outpacing all other players in the league during that timeframe.
Despite having several chances to secure a record-extending seventh WSL hat-trick, Shaw narrowly missed two opportunities in the second half. She was substituted in the 74th minute as City confidently moved towards their 12th home league victory out of 13 matches.
While a late injury to Jill Roord posed a concern, Taylor noted it was a precautionary measure.
Gareth Taylor’s team secured a victory that brought his total wins in the competition to 72, matching the record set by former City manager Nick Cushing. This win also maintains City’s position in second place with 22 points, trailing league leaders Chelsea by five points.
City is set to face St Polten in the Champions League on Thursday, followed by a match against Everton in the WSL on Sunday.
Featured image courtesy of Manchester City FC.