Manchester City Three-Nil Man United: Lauren Hemp on target in Manchester City comfortable victory.

Much like the recent storm swept through the northern region the previous evening, City swept the visitors aside at the Etihad Stadium. It was a convincing 3-0 victory for their manager's side due to goals from Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp. It was a display that truly announced their championship potential as they strengthened their position at the WSL pinnacle.

Successive Losses for United

This result represented successive WSL setbacks for Marc Skinner’s side for the first time since last May, putting them a sizable gap off the top team with their championship aspirations in serious doubt.

The Red Devils' capability to manage league and European soccer with a small team has been a frequently analyzed issue since they earned a place in the European competition. Reviewing the calendar, it always seemed this was the week that would seriously challenge this fortitude. Regrettably for the visitors, they appeared tired all game, the landmark win against Paris Saint-Germain clearly having had an impact.

Lineup Adjustments

Marc Skinner had tried to rotate the squad with a handful of adjustments. Ella Toone, Terland, Janssen and Galton all brought freshness, although the dropping of the on-form Melvine Malard to the bench caused surprise.

The hosts, in contrast, have no similar fitness issues. Jeglertz made one adjustment from their most recent win over Everton with Hemp making her first start since recovering from a fitness issue.

Dominant First Half

The storm clouds started to gather for Skinner and his side from the opening minute. This was a exhibition of the strength from City whose dynamic forward line controlled and dismantled the opposition with a superb first half performance that saw them score three goals in just over twenty minutes.

This left the home team in a commanding position and saw the visitors all at sea. Prior to this encounter, the away side had let in just few in this domestic competition but they fell apart in the wake of the hosts' offensive ingenuity.

Initial Opportunities

The warning signs came soon when Vivianne Miedema used her power to push Zigiotti off the ball, only to pull her shot off target. Lauren Hemp was at the center of everything in the beginning, taking advantage of the room left by Jayde Riviere down United’s right side. Her crosses were causing problems and led to an chance for Yui Hasegawa that Anna Sandberg kicked off the line.

The Red Devils had multiple sorties forward, their long-ball tactic giving them options in the wings but they could not test the City goalkeeper. Manchester City, in the meantime, controlled the ball, teasing their opposition and trying to pull them out of their structure.

Scoring Spree

They turned chances into goals with almost the first period played when Aoba Fujino won the hosts a set-piece. A delivery to the back post was directed across goal by Shaw for Knaak to head in. It was City’s 7th header of the season.

They increased their lead with another pair of goals just before the half-time. When Jade Rose was able to advance through the middle from the back, the play opened up for City. The prominent Kerstin Casparij collected the pass on the right before sending a pinpoint ground pass for Bunny Shaw to tap home. A short time later, they had a additional score after a quick change in possession saw Lauren Hemp given the opportunity to strike a effort home from distance.

After the Break

The clearest substitution came from the United manager at the break as Melvine Malard entered for Terland but by this time it was ineffective to alter the outcome of the game. Ex- Manchester City player Jess Park came closest, striking the upright, but the visitors were lacking in ideas and were unable to register a single shot on goal.

The home side, on the other hand, could have extended their lead when a superb Miedema through ball sent Bunny Shaw away only for her to fluff her lines but it did not affect the result to the winning team. Previously unable to overcome any side who finished above them in the prior term, the manager's side now have victories against the Gunners and Manchester United to put them in a favorable position after the opening fixtures.