City leave it late at Leicester for ninth WSL win in a row

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s brace and Kerolin’s late strike helped City to a 3-0 Barclays Women’s Super League win over Leicester at the King Power Stadium.

Andrée Jeglertz’s side had to wait until 74th minute for the opener as our threat was often thwarted by committed Foxes defending coupled with the impressive shot-stopping ability of Janina Leitzig.

But the introduction of Kerolin, for her first appearance since September, with 20 minutes remaining injected attacking impetus into our performance and she provided Bunny’s first before the Jamaican headed home a second in the closing stages.

The Brazilian then added the gloss to proceedings when coolly slotting home in second-half stoppage time.

It means we’ve extended our winning top-flight streak to nine-straight matches and have our highest-ever tally after 10 WSL matches with 27 points.

WHAT HAPPENED

City arrived in Leicester chasing a ninth straight WSL win and we made a fast start in the East Midlands with both Shaw and Vivianne Miedema coming close in the opening five minutes.

The hosts, though, were defending valiantly in their watertight shape which was extinguishing the threat of the division’s top scorers.

But we perhaps should’ve taken the lead on 15 minutes when the ball fell kindly to Bunny inside the area before she uncharacteristically placed her effort off target.

The Jamaican, who entered the match on 97 goals for the Blues, came close again with 15 minutes remaining of the first half when directing a header onto the roof of the net as City remained patient against a stubborn Leicester defence.

And when the Foxes backline was breeched, they had Janina Leitzig to thank for keeping us out as she denied Miedema’s goalbound strike on the cusp of half-time.

The second 45 followed the pattern of the first with City knocking on the door, but Leicester standing tall.

And with 20 minutes remaining, Jeglertz shuffled his pack which saw Grace Clinton and Kerolin come onto the field and the attacking injection paid dividends as we finally broke the deadlock.

The Brazilian forward drilled the ball across the box and Celeste Boureille’s sliced clearance fell to Shaw who instinctively drilled low into the bottom corner.

And Bunny edged closer to a City century with her 99th goal when heading home from a corner, before she then turned provider in stoppage time for Kerolin.

The Jamaican threaded a pinpoint pass behind the defensive line where the Brazilian coolly slotted home.

ALL KNAAK-TION

Starting and playing the full 90 minutes at the centre of a back three, Rebecca Knaak was influential at the King Power Stadium in every third.

She often stepped into midfield to win aerial duels and brought the ball into engine room from deep which pushed Blues bodies forward.

As well as marshalling our backline, she also ignited attacks with precise diagonal balls into the wingbacks which forced the hosts into their defensive shape and caused a threat from City corners.

PATIENCE

The Blues refused to grow frustrated and maintained our professionalism and principles in search for that crucial goal, despite some dogged Leicester defending.

It highlighted the belief flowing through the squad that results and goals will come in the face of adversity in matches.

RETURN

The return of Kerolin to the pitch for the first time since September’s 5-1 away win over Tottenham Hotspur provides a huge boost for City – and she showed her quality during the 20-minute cameo.

She was at the heart of the opening goal when her pass caused chaos in the Foxes defence and she was a constant thorn in Leicester’s side with incisive, pacey running and a directness which opened up spaces.

And she was rewarded for her exciting display with goal which she expertly took in the closing stages.

HOW WE LINED UP

City XI: Yamashita, Rose, Knaak, Ouahabi, Casparij (C), Blindkilde Brown (Clinton 64’), Hasegawa, Hemp (Beney 89’), Fujino, Miedema (Kerolin 69’), Shaw.

Unused substitutes: Cumings, Coombs, Wienroither, Prior, Thomas, Murphy.

Leicester XI: Leitzig, Tierney, Boureille, Cayman (C), Ale, Eiriksdottir (Van Egmond 35’), Thibaud (Las 85’), Cain, McLoughlin (Ayane 85’), O’Brien (Goodwin 72’), Swaby

Unused substitutes: Clark, Kees, Wellesley-Smith, Keane, Sherwood.