City’s unbeaten start continues with West Ham win

Gareth Taylor’s side carried strong momentum into the clash at the Joie Stadium having recorded victories over Paris FC (two) and Brighton and a draw with Arsenal across our opening 2024/25 assignments.

After a bright start by the visitors, Lauren Hemp broke the deadlock with her first Barclays Women’s Super League goal of the season which represented the only in the first half. 

She was then joined on the scoresheet by Mary Fowler following the interval as we recorded back-to-back home league successes. 

It means we have seven points after our opening three WSL matches of the term. 

WHAT HAPPENED 

West Ham entered the fixture buoyed by their strong 6-1 League Cup win over Portsmouth four days before and they thought they had made the perfect start in Manchester.

The visitors won possession in the final third before the ball was slid into the path of Viviane Asseyi whose deflected effort trickled past Ayaka Yamashita, but the Hammers forward had strayed into an offside position and the goal was chalked off.

That seemed to take the sting out of City’s intensity, but we clicked into gear soon after when a neat passing move saw Mary Fowler find Lauren Hemp, who had ghosted into the box, before the winger dropped her shoulder and slotted the ball home.

It represented the England international’s first league goal of the season, but West Ham showed they still packed quality aplenty shortly after the opener.

A dangerous cross from the right was met by a towering, free Dagny Brynjarsdottir header which flew just wide of the goal with Yamashita rooted to the ground.

As the encounter unfolded, chances were at premium midway through the first half but the returning Leila Ouahabi, who had recovered from a groin injury to start the Joie Stadium, saw a stinging goalbound effort heroically headed off the line.

The Spanish fullback’s opener in our 5-0 win over West Ham in our previous meeting with the Londoners was her first for the Club and she was desperately unlucky not to add to her overall tally in the first half.

Jill Roord was also returning to the starting line-up for her first inclusion from the off since her January ACL injury which had kept her on the sidelines for eight months. 

She completed another 45 minutes as she works back to full fitness before being replaced by Vivianne Miedema at the break after the former’s appearance against Brighton in the closing stages the week before.

City then came close to doubling our lead shortly after the interval with back-to-back Hemp attempts.

The skilful winger’s thunderous effort was tipped onto the bar well by Kinga Szemik before the 24-year-old curled just over after she was found unmarked at the back post by Chloe Kelly.

We were almost made to rue those missed chances, though, when a diagonal ball found Asseyi whose looping header was well held by Yamashita who maintained her concentration.

Regardless of West Ham’s valiant rearguard action, we didn’t allow ourselves to grow frustrated as Hemp was denied again by Szemik when the goalkeeper thwarted our forward’s close-range header after good work from Fowler to pull the ball back. 

With City playing Barcelona in our opening Champions League group game on Wednesday, Taylor shuffled his pack with 20 minutes remaining to preserve fitness and inject freshness into his side against West Ham.

This saw Khadija’ Bunny’ Shaw replace Chloe Kelly which immediately paid dividends when the Jamaican’s press allowed her to win the ball inside the box before she remained composed to chip the towards Fowler who headed home.

The hosts kept our foot on the accelerator and struck the bar once again when Ouahabi’s rocket from just inside the area crashed against the woodwork. 

City continued to push and carve out attacking openings but the scoreline remained 2-0 as we recorded back-to-back WSL home victories. 

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: LAIA ALEIXANDRI 

City’s win over West Ham represented our third straight clean sheet in all competitions and Laia Aleixandri played a crucial part in another shutout. 

Not only did she produce a number of well-timed and crucial tackles, she was her usual composed self on the ball when starting attacks from deep. 

Her partnership with Alex Greenwood at the heart of our defence is a joy to watch. 

HOW WE LINED UP

Gareth Taylor made five changes from the team who started in our 1-0 win over Brighton the week before.

Leila Ouabai returned from injury to start at left-back in a defence also containing Kerstin Casparij, Laia Aleixandri and Alex Greenwood.

Those four protected Ayaka Yamashita in goal who was joined in the starting XI by Japan international colleague Yui Hasegawa who anchored our midfield.

Jill Roord made her first start since January alongside Laura Blindkilde Brown in the engine room.

And Mary Fowler led the line with Lauren Hemp on the left and Chloe Kelly on the right.

City XI: Yamashita, Casparij, Aleixandri (Kennedy 78’), Greenwood (C), Ouahabi (Layzell 77’), Hasegawa, Roord (Miedema 46’), Blindkilde Brown, Kelly (Shaw 69’), Fowler, Hemp (Fujino 69’).

Unused substitutes: Keating, Coombs, Thomas, Murphy.

West Ham XI: Szemic, Tysiak, Ueki, Brynjarsdottir (Pavi 70’), Harries (Piubel 46’), Zadorsky (Cooke 77’), Saez, Denton, Asseyi (Siren 56’) Gorry, Mengwen.

Unused substitutes: Walsh, Bergman Lundin, Houssein, Morrison. 

WHAT IT MEANS

Following the victory over West Ham, we now have seven points after three matches and extended our unbeaten start to the campaign to five straight games.

As a result, we currently sit at the division’s summit albeit with an extra game played than Chelsea and Manchester United. 

WHAT’S NEXT

City lock horns with Barcelona in our next assignment which is set to be an enthralling night at the Joie Stadium.

Gareth Taylor’s side host the reigning European champions on Wednesday 9 October, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 (UK).