Here’s Tom Garry’s report from Bromley.
Andrée Jeglertz, the City manager, spoke to Sky: “And I knew it was going to be like that. But at the same time, and even though that we could create the chances that we wanted, they were very good in transition that caused a couple of problems, but this group is finding a way to win. And I’m so happy about that.
“There is a lot of games left. We will play Arsenal, we have Patiency, we should we play Man United, we play Tottenham. we have all those teams. So, and seeing in this that all teams will find different ways how to challenge us. So there’s a lot of games, but being in this situation is fantastic. both for the team and for me also because we deserve it. We have done a great season so far. We just need to keep on going and being humble in this situation and people doing what we have done so far, take 11 day and one game at a time.”
The table: if City are in danger of running away with the title, then the focus turns to what looks a hot relegation battle after that Liverpool win.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City Women | 13 | 25 | 36 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 13 | 16 | 27 |
| 3 | Arsenal Women | 13 | 15 | 26 |
| 4 | Man Utd Women | 13 | 14 | 25 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 13 | -1 | 23 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 13 | 1 | 17 |
| 7 | Aston Villa Women | 13 | -6 | 16 |
| 8 | London City Lionesses | 13 | -8 | 16 |
| 9 | Leicester Women | 13 | -15 | 9 |
| 10 | Everton Women | 13 | -11 | 8 |
| 11 | West Ham Women | 13 | -19 | 8 |
| 12 | Liverpool FC Women | 13 | -11 | 7 |
Manchester City’s Kerolin speaks to Sky, as does Bunny Shaw:
“That feels amazing,” says Kerolin.
Shaw: “Yeah, it’s about just getting the job done, no matter how it looks. It was a difficult game today, but you know, we’ve shown throughout the season that, you know, we never give up and today was just an example of that.
Kerolin: “We need to keep doing what we’re doing. It’s amazing to be in this position, but it’s not done yet. So we have to focus in game by game, but for sure it’s like really amazing feeling.
Shaw: “We take it a game at a time and focus on ourselves because no matter what the result, whatever we do today is gonna be what the result is. So I think we came out here, knowing what we had to do and we got the job done.”
Full-time: Leicester 1-2 West Ham
Another result to stir the pot. A huge win for the Hammers, and the relegation picture is nothing like as clear.
Full-time: London 1-2 Manchester City
Nine points clear, and Sonia Bompastor’s claim the tirle race is over looks more then credible. All eyes on Manchester City v Chelsea next week. Bunny Shaw’s winner a vital goal, as London City had their chances to win the day.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham
A first win of the season, and Liverpool suddenly look to have a chance of getting out of the relegation hole.
Full-time: Aston Villa 1-4 Manchester United
Big win for United, with some clinical finishing in the second half.
Goal! Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham (Enderby, 90+5)
From the kick-off, Enderby breaks through, and scores another! Wild scenes in St Helens!
Goal! Liverpool 1-0 Tottenham (Enderby, 90+4)
Liverpool keep the ball alive from a free-kick, and the ball loops over to Enderby. Liverpool will win their first game of the season.
Updated
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
Bergstrom hits the outside of post, attempting to score from a narrow angle when a pass inside might have been more effective for her team.
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
Still goalless and into four minutes of added time. Neither team have looked too likely to score.
Leicester 1-2 West Ham
The unfortunate defender who scored that own-goal was Eva Nystrom.
Goal! Leicester 1-2 West Ham (Nystrom, 84, OG)
The Swiss striker is in the hunt, though that looks like and own-goal. Plenty of time left for Leicester to find an equaliser.
Updated
“The travelling Manchester City fans have gone wild, as Bunny Shaw leaps in delight in front of them. That’s one of the biggest goals of the season and the City players know it. If they win here today, after Chelsea’s result yesterday, it’s a huge pschological advantage ahead of next week’s head-to-head. “We are top of the league,” their fans are chanting. Nine points clear, to be precise.”
Goal! London City 1-2 Manchester City (Shaw, 86)
City keep the ball alive as the Lionesses try to clear the danger from a corner. Miedema’s delivery comes in, and Shaw bundles home from close range, forcing it home. Huge goal!
Aston Villa 1-4 Manchester United
Elizabeth Terland has the ball in the net, but it’s ruled out for what looks a debatable offside.
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
Still no goal in St Helens, where Beth England heads over a decent cross. It would have taken a great header to knock it in from there.
London City 1-1 Manchester City
Big chance for Man City, with Miedema creating the space for Bunny Shaw, who rues a bobble as the ball flies over the bar.
Goal! Aston Villa 1-4 Manchester United (Lundkvist, 79)
The new signing adds to the rout, played into an inside-right position, and smashed home.
Updated
London City 1-1 Manchester City
Nikita Parris is on, for Freya Godfrey, against her former club. Entering the last 10 minutes, these are vital moments approaching.
Aston Villa 1-3 Manchester United
Melvin Malard has landed two assists with those quickfire goals. United look to be climbing to fourth, with Tottenham being held at Liverpool.
Goal! Aston Villa 1-3 Manchester United (Park, 75)
Jess Park on a trademark solo run, and with a drop of the shoulder she opens up the space to shoot, and score. United look to have completed the job.
Updated
Goal! Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United (Terland, 71)
That was a well-created goal, headed on by Malard and smashed in on the knockdown. Could Roebuck have saved it? Very probably.
Updated
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
From a corner, Tottenham’s keeper, Kop, has to claw away danger as Jenna Clark gets to the ball.
Goal! London City 1-1 Manchester City (Godfrey, 69)
A counter move, Godfrey breezes past Alex Greenwood and clatters the ball into the near post and in. What a goal, and what does that mean for the title race?
Updated
Goal! Leicester 0-2 West Ham (Martinez, 63)
That’s a hell of a strike from Martinez, from distance.
Leicester 0-1 West Ham
Ashleigh Neville, recently signed from Tottenham, clanks the ball into the back of the stand. And apologises to her new Leicester colleagues.
London City 0-1 Manchester City
The Bromley band are currently playing a version of the Spice Girls’ Motown-lite Stop.
“The Barcelona star Alexia Putellas is in the crowd watching this match, with friends and team-mates, we’re told. As it’s January, though, that’s bound to set off a few rumour mills...”
Updated
London City 0-1 Manchester City
Braving the Bromley breeze, Michelle Kang is sat in the stands. Her team have given a decent account of themselves in the second half.
Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
Spurs go on the counter, and Gaupset is through, just the keeper to beat but the Liverpool keeper, Falk, makes a fine save.
Updated
London City 0-1 Manchester City
Ooof, Freya Godfrey goes close for the Lionesses, and then Asllani fails to keep her shot down. Manchester City are under real pressure here.
Leicester 0-1 West Ham
The Leicester v West Ham game had a lengthy first half, so they are slow to get the second half underway.
London City 0-1 Manchester City
London City have an early penalty claim as Asllani looks to be baulked in the box.
Back underway in the WSL….
Half-time scores in the WSL
London City 0-1 Manchester City
Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester United
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
Leicester 0-1 West Ham
Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester United
There were 118 seconds between those goals, Zigiotti Olme, the scorer of that goal from the corner, goes close for United.
London City 0-1 Manchester City
Manchester City are looking to kill this off but Isobel Goodwin has had her chances for the Londoners. This has been nothing like easy street for the leaders.
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
Just this game without a goal thus far. Tottenham have had just one shot and just three touches in the Liverpool area.
Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester United (Hanson, 37)
Villa hit back and against her old club, United’s defence leaving her in space and the finish is good and true.
Goal! Aston Villa 0-1 Manchester United (Olme, 35)
It came straight from a corner, whipping in and landing in the net. Villa’s defenders and keeper let that fly in.
Updated
Goal! Leicester 0-1 West Ham (Hanshaw, 35)
A free-kick, from the edge of the box. Left-footed, and that’s a beauty.
Updated
So, 30 minutes in, and just one goal in the WSL Sunday kick-offs. It’s a big one, though, with Kerolin putting Manchester City into the lead.
London City 0-1 Manchester City
Oof, big big chance in Bromley. Ayaka Yamashita makes a fine save, the ball coming off the post, Isobel Goodwin had burst through the defence.
Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United
United’s usual tormentor, Rachel Daly, is missing from the Villa squad, which will be of some relief. United have been dominating possession but are finding chances relatively hard to come by.
“We now have a little brass band playing ‘We will, we will rock you’ in the home end. The trumpet player sounds particularly good. Wow. I’m not so sure about the rest, to be honest with you. But fair play to them all, for braving this cold weather.”
London City 0-1 Manchester City
The leaders seem determined to get this job completed, with Kerolin to the fore, and Bunny Shaw looking to add to her goal tally.
Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United
Jess Park goes on a solo run, only for Lucy Parker to slide in to prevent a goal. Parker accepts the congratulations of her teammates.
Leicester 0-0 West Ham
In the battle of the relegation worriers, it’s pretty even, with neither team managing a shot on target as yet.
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
Aurelie Csillag, the new signing, has been heavily involved while Fuka Nagano has gone close in this rather decent Liverpool start.
London City 0-1 Manchester City
Manchester City look so full of attacking option with Kerolin, Shaw, Hemp and Miedema.
“Lately, Kerolin has looked more confident than ever before in a Manchester City shirt and I think almost everybody in this stadium felt certain she would score as she raced through on goal, there. You could almost sense it in her body language.”
Goal! London City 0-1 Manchester City (Kerolin, 11)
The Brazilian continues her form, with a great finish, lovely pass from Miedema, the finish even better.
Updated
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
Liverpool continue to be impressive and positive. Good signs under the management of Gareth Taylor.
London City 0-0 Manchester City
Oof, Khadija Shaw has just missed what has to be described as a sitter, the chance created by Kerolin’s cross. To be polite, there did look to be a bobble.
Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United
United, who reached the League Cup final this week, look to steal a march on that top three situation.
Updated
Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham
At St Helens, Liverpool make a bright start, with Alice Bergström (Liverpool Women) hitting the bar with a left footed shot.
Updated
London City 0-0 Manchester City
Michele Kang, the London City Lionesses owner, is here in Bromley for this chilly and gloomy-looking Sunday under thick grey grounds, barely 48 hours after hosting a press conference in sunny Los Angeles. But this is a game clearly not to be missed. The visitors have been the best team in the league so far this season and they have a chance to go nine points clear at the top today. The travelling fans I spoke to outside of the ground this morning were all in a buoyant mood after Chelsea’s defeat yesterday, and the Manchester City fans are chanting ‘City, City, City’ - a highly original tune and set of lyrics, it has to be said - in the early stages of this game.
London City 0-0 Manchester City
Asllani has a shot on goal, the first effort of the game. London City have started well.
We are go in the WSL, four matches to look after. At London City, the home team pass the ball around.
It’s a chilly day in Bromley, slate grey skies as the teams take to the field.
Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz spoke to Sky Sports: “We have a great opportunity but at the same time, we play a very strong team today. They will challenge us 100% and we need maximum effort to get that result.”
Liverpool v Tottenham teams
Liverpool: Falk, Shimizu, Clark, Fisk, Woodham, Nagano, Bergstrom, Kapocs, O’Sullivan, Holland, Csillag. Subs: Kirby, Parry, Evans, Enderby, Lundgaard, MacLean, Bonner, Bernabe, Trueman.
Tottenham: Kop, Rybrink, Koga, Hunt, Amanda Nilden, Spence, Summanen, Hamano, Holdt, Gaupset, England. Subs: Heeps, Bartrip, Wijk, Blakstad, Vinberg, Ahtinen, Matilda Nilden, Gunning-Williams, Tandberg.
Aston Villa v Man Utd teams
Aston Villa: Roebuck, Maritz, Patten, Parker, Wilms, Staniforth, Taylor, Deslandes, Mullett, Hijikata, Hanson. Subs: D’Angelo, Jean-Francois, Salmon, Sallaway, Nighswonger, Maltby, Round, Lea.
Man Utd: Tullis-Joyce, Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg, Miyazawa, Zigiotti Olme, Wangerheim, Park, Malard, Schuller. Subs: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Lundkvist, Turner, Awujo, Griffiths, Naalsund, Drury, Terland.
Leicester v West Ham teams
Leicester: Clark, Ale, Mayling, Neville, Swaby, McLoughlin, Tierney, Williams, Jansson, Cain, O’Brien. Subs: Keane, Kees, Thibaud, Payne, Van Egmond, Goodwin, Mouchon, Ayane, Lehmann.
West Ham: Szemik, Endo, Nystrom, Cascarino, Martinez, Gorry, Siren, Hanshaw, Wandeler, Ueki, Asseyi. Subs: Walsh, O’Hanlon, Belloumou, Bose, Brasero Carreira, Houssein, Cemal, Piubel.
Updated
Manchester City v London City teams
MCFC: Yamashita, Rose, Knaak, Greenwood (C), Casparij, Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa, Hemp, Kerolin, Miedema, Shaw. Subs: Keating, Clinton, Coombs, Ouahabi, Coffey, Lohmann, Beney, Prior, Murphy.
LCLFC: Starting XI: Lete, Fernandez, Pattinson, Perez, Corrales, Asllani, Godfrey, Roddar, Goodwin, Sangare, Kennedy. Subs: Orman, Goldie, Kumagai, Van De Donk, Linari, Franssi, Parris, Brown, Geyoro
Here’s the reason Manchester City have to win at Bromley today.
Preamble
After Arsenal defeated Chelsea on Saturday, this becomes a huge Sunday for leaders Manchester. A win in the capital will stretch out their lead at the top of the WSL to nine points, and mean the title is surely headed to the Etihad Campus. Tottenham can climb into the top three reckoning by beating bottom club Liverpool. Same goes for Manchester United at Villa. West Ham can do themselves a favour by winning at Leicester.
Aston Villa v Manchester United
London City v Manchester City
Leicester v West Ham
Liverpool v Tottenham
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City Women | 12 | 24 | 33 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 13 | 16 | 27 |
| 3 | Arsenal Women | 13 | 15 | 26 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 12 | 1 | 23 |
| 5 | Man Utd Women | 12 | 11 | 22 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 13 | 1 | 17 |
| 7 | Aston Villa Women | 12 | -3 | 16 |
| 8 | London City Lionesses | 12 | -7 | 16 |
| 9 | Leicester Women | 12 | -14 | 9 |
| 10 | Everton Women | 13 | -11 | 8 |
| 11 | West Ham Women | 12 | -20 | 5 |
| 12 | Liverpool FC Women | 12 | -13 | 4 |
