Hampton howler gifts Stanway winner for Manchester City
Manchester City pulled level on points with Arsenal at the top of the WSL, albeit having played a game more, as a calamitous error from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton gifted the home side a win over Birmingham.
The Birmingham manager, Marc Skinner, blamed a poor start for his side’s loss but maintained that the Blues can challenge: “The first 10 minutes were woeful, not good enough. If you’re going to play the way we player you’ve got to be sharper and quicker to the ball and in the first 10 minutes we weren’t that and that’s what has killed us in the game.
“I thought we gave a more than good account for ourselves throughout the game, and we were in it. To come to Man City and be in the game shows how far Birmingham City have travelled.”
With Birmingham still waiting on the return of England striker Ellen White and forward Rachel Williams they lacked the creativity and squad depth of their opposition: “On the field I know we can get close to them, off the field is another matter.
“If you want to play transition football against City, they can bring three or four internationals off the bench, I can bring on a 10-year-old, that’s the difference.”
Manchester City began with confidence. Just two minutes in, pressing high, Nikita Parris robbed Meaghan Sargeant before teeing up last weekend’s two-goal hero Georgia Stanway but enough yellow shirts got back to quell the threat. The early warning was not enough though and more lazy defending with Man City continuing to harass up high led to the home side taking the lead on 14 minutes. A slow backpass put goalkeeper Hampton under pressure, with Parris closing Hampton rolled the ball weakly towards Aoife Mannion but Stanway read the move, intercepted, and raced past Hampton to fire into the empty net from a tight angle.
The visitors were unfazed, and pressed for the leveller. A flurry of set pieces provided their best chances. A long corner was chested down by Lucy Quinn before she turned and fired past Ellie Roebuck but over the bar. Another corner minutes later was lashed across the face of goal but this time Quinn was too slow and it dipped wide.
With 60 minutes on the clock, Hampton looked to redeem herself. Parris freed Weir down the right but her cross was hooked over by Harriet Scott. From the resulting corner Hampton saved excellently from Abbie McManus’s close-range volley.
The Manchester City manager, Nick Cushing, said there was still room for improvement. “Half of the performance was good because we were good with the ball,” said Cushing. “We used the ball well, we created some clear chances that we didn’t take but the other side of the game we gave up a little too much space and that allowed Birmingham to pass the ball and play the game that they wanted to play.”
The manager praised the depth of his squad going into the Christmas break as “really important. To win the league you have to have a competitive squad that is enthusiastic and motivated to do their part and we’ve got that at the moment,” he said. Suzanne Wrack
Updated
So that’s your lot from the Academy Stadium. Georgia Stanway was the star, scoring the tenth goal of her season to settle this second-versus-third clash. Manchester City have moved joint top of the WSL as a result, level with Arsenal on 27 points, having played one game more. We’ve got a title race!
England manager Phil Neville has been chatting away too. Louise Taylor reports from Paris.
Nick Cushing speaks! “I think we gave Birmingham too much space. But I thought we defended well. If we’d got the second goal, we would have settled the game down. We have to look at our performance and look at why we put Ellie Roebuck under so much pressure that she had to make several saves. Georgia Stanway’s work ethic and mentality are her greatest attributes. She’s a great footballer too, but she’s prepared to work hard. She’s playing really well, and we want to make sure she continues to improve because she’s got so much potential. Going top, we’ve given ourselves a chance.”
Steph Houghton talks! “We knew Birmingham would be a tough test. But as soon as Georgia got the goal, we knew we would be difficult to break down.”
Georgia Stanway adds: “We had to be aggressive, that’s where the goal came from. The World Cup is in my mind, but I want to focus on playing well for Manchester City and win trophies.”
FULL TIME: Manchester City 1-0 Birmingham City
And that’s it! Nick Cushing’s team go level on points with Arsenal at the top of the WSL! They’ve both got 27 points, though Manchester City have played a game more. Georgia Stanway was today’s hero, capitalising on Anna Hampton’s fresh-air kick to score her tenth goal of the season.
90 min +4: A game of head tennis on the edge of the Manchester City box. The ball eventually drops to Wellings, who sends a weak shot straight down the throat of Roebuck. City go up the other end, Beckie nearly breaking clear down the left, but she’s denied by a fine sliding tackle from Harriet Scott.
90 min +3: Bonner comes on for Parris.
90 min +1: Mannion and Parris get involved in a shoving match, the latter having tried to stop the former from taking a quick free kick in the middle of the park. Stanway is then booked for the tackle on Mannion that led to the free kick.
90 min: Birmingham can’t get hold of the ball. This is fine game management from the hosts. There will be four added minutes.
89 min: Manchester City ping the ball around the back for a bit, the clock very much their friend.
87 min: Ladd is replaced by Scofield.
86 min: A free kick from the right, sent high into the Birmingham box. Hampton fumbles the ball, and Manchester City force a corner. The keeper sighs with relief as the set piece is overhit, utterly wasted.
85 min: Ladd twists and turns down the inside-left channel, then has a look from 25 yards. It flies a similar distance wide right. Birmingham haven’t been afraid to shoot from distance.
83 min: Quinn drifts from right to left and pearls a wonderful shot towards the top left. Roebuck is forced to tip round the bar at full stretch. That’s great football all round. The resulting corner leads to nought.
81 min: Staniforth looks for the top-left corner. It’s a stunning effort, just an inch too high, and the ball hits the crossbar flush! Nobody can ram home the loose ball, and Manchester City eventually clear. That would have been a sensational goal.
80 min: The corner is half cleared, then Jill Scott brings down Staniforth, just to the left of the D. A free kick in a very dangerous position.
79 min: Beckie, who scored four times in the League Cup in midweek, comes on for Wullaert. Then Staniforth clatters a shot goalwards from distance; the ball’s deflected for a corner on the right.
78 min: In fact Sargeant has come off worst. She’s taken a smack in the mouth, and has a cut lip. Houghton simply rubs her knee a bit then gets up. Both are fine to continue after a fashion.
76 min: Parris clumsily barges into the back of Mannion, and that’s another free kick for Birmingham in a dangerous position. Staniforth loops it into the area. Houghton rises highest to head powerfully clear, and takes a whack from Sargeant for her trouble.
75 min: Follis, who has been one of Birmingham’s best players today, goes down grimacing. She’s able to get up and jog off, but injury has forced her exit. She’s replaced by Mayling.
73 min: Some neat triangles down the Manchester City right, and suddenly Stanway is bombing into the area. But just before she can get a shot away, she’s robbed by a brilliant sliding tackle from Sargeant. That had to be timed perfectly.
71 min: A free kick for Birmingham out on the right. Staniforth sails it to the far post, where Sargeant rises to head goalwards. But there’s no meat in the effort, and it flops gently into the embrace of Roebuck. Not entirely sure how this is still only 1-0; there have been some rare old chances for both sides in this second half.
70 min: The ball spins and bounces around in the Birmingham six-yard box. Wullaert and Parris try to poke it home, but Hampton eventually gathers.
68 min: This is great end-to-end fun now, the complete opposite of the first half. Staniforth nearly plants an right-to-left curler into the top-right corner from 25 yards; it’s inches clear. Then Wullaert crosses low yet again from the right; Hampton does extremely well to claim.
66 min: Stanway creams a shot from Marco van Basten Country, tight on the right. It flashes over the bar. In the middle, Parris spins in annoyance; she was after a cross to head home from close range. It would have been the better option.
65 min: More space for Wullaert down the right. Again the cross is easily cleared. Meanwhile Sargeant engages the referee in a full and frank discussion about Stanway, who has annoyed her with persistent minor fouls. The ref eventually waves her away. But she’s far from happy.
64 min: Quinn, Staniforth and Wellings buzz around the Manchester City box, out to the right. There’s a couple of chances to cross, but there’s nobody in the centre, and when a ball’s eventually played in, it rolls slowly into the arms of Roebuck. Quinn’s been pretty lively since the restart.
62 min: Wullaert fizzes a cross into the Birmingham box from the right. Hampton gathers well, under pressure from Parris and Emslie.
60 min: Manchester City replace Weir with Emslie.
59 min: Parris slips Weir into space down the right. She whips low and hard into the area; Harriet Scott slides in to hook over the bar with Stanway lurking. From the resulting corner, McManus sidefoots a volley goalwards from ten yards. Hampton parries magnificently, especially as she’s partially unsighted by Parris, standing right in front of her. That’s a fine save. The rebound is blootered over the bar by Jill Scott.
57 min: The first half wasn’t all that, tell the truth, but this has turned into a fine end-to-end match now. Walsh wins a corner off Arthur, and from the set piece there’s an awful scramble in the six-yard box. Parris should probably force the ball home from close range, but somehow Birmingham swarm her en masse, and eventually Hampton is able to flop onto the ball, danger over.
56 min: Harriet Scott dribbles with purpose towards the Manchester City box. She lays off to Staniforth to her left. Staniforth sends a looping shot towards the bottom left. It’s easily gathered by Roebuck, who was across her line quickly.
54 min: Arthur creams a right-to-left diagonal pass for Harrop, who wins another corner for Birmingham. The ball flashes across the face of goal, and once again Quinn spurs a good chance, failing to react quickly enough, unable to connect and poke the ball home. But this is a lot better from Birmingham, who are carving out chances now.
52 min: Follis works her way down the left and earns a corner. The ball’s sent long. Quinn, at the far post, chests down and backwards, turns, and sends a rising screamer across Roebuck towards the top left. And over the bar. A very decent opportunity to equalise spurned.
49 min: Follis makes good down the left, and is hauled back by Jill Scott, who has a handful of her shirt. It’s a free kick, and really should be a booking, but Scott gets away with her misdemeanour without punishment. If only there was a pithy phrase for that.
47 min: Stanway wins a corner off Scott down the left. The set piece is launched into the mixer, and is dealt with easily enough by the yellow masses.
And we’re off again! No changes. Birmingham get the party restarted, and quickly whistle the ball back to Hampton, who hesitates, and is nearly stripped of possession by Stanway. But the 18-year-old keeper snaps back into focus just in time, sorts her feet out and clears. Some understandable nerves on display from Hampton, given what happened in the first half. And the sun’s in her eyes now, too.
Half-time reading.
HALF TIME: Manchester City 1-0 Birmingham City
A fairly even half, the difference being a goalkeeping howler from Anna Hampton, and a tidy, opportunistic finish from the striking sensation Georgia Stanway. As things stand, Manchester City will be joining Arsenal at the top of the WSL table.
45 min: A free kick for Birmingham out on the left. A chance to load the box. With six yellow shirts queuing up at the far post, Staniforth opts for the spectacular instead, and blooters a poor effort miles over the bar.
43 min: Sargeant reprises her earlier sleepy stylings, faffing around on the ball inside her own area, and nearly having her pocket picked by an insistent Parris. She gets away with it, but only just. The ball breaks to Hampton, who tidies up.
42 min: It’s suddenly gone a little scrappy, with moves of over two passes at a premium.
40 min: Staniforth bursts down the middle, with options either side. She decides to look for Wellings, just inside the Manchester City box on the right, but the striker has wandered offside. Staniforth puts her head in her hands in theatrical style, performing the internationally recognised mime for exasperation.
38 min: McManus cuts in from the right, having been sent forward by a good ball from Scott. She should slip the busy Stanway clear down the inside-right channel, but doesn’t spot her young team-mate’s clever run, instead looking for Parris in the middle. The move breaks down.
36 min: Beattie scoops a long pass down the left. She’d have released Parris, one on one with the keeper, but the striker needlessly made her run too soon. Real vision from Beattie, though.
34 min: Birmingham continue to see more of the ball ... but they’re doing very little with it at the business end of the pitch. For all Birmingham’s possession, Manchester City remain comfortable.
32 min: Now it’s Wellings’ turn to zip down the left. For a second there’s a sense that she might make it into the area and get Birmingham’s first serious shot away, but Houghton is quickly on the scene to win the ball and slip it to Roebuck, who clears Manchester City’s lines.
30 min: Birmingham are the better team now. Harrop is sent scampering into acres of space down the left, but her cross isn’t all that. Birmingham will be pleased with the way they’ve fought their way back into this game, though they’ve yet to test Roebuck in the Manchester City goal.
28 min: A throw for Birmingham deep in the Manchester City half on the left. Harrop flings it in. Staniforth turns McManus and looks to Le Tissier the ball across Roebuck and into the top right. It would have been a sensational strike, but her fierce whipping shot flashes across the face of goal and harmlessly wide. Not so far away from a jaw-dropper, mind.
26 min: Follis drives down the left and cuts inside, but her ball forward isn’t gathered by Wellings. This is much more of an even contest now.
24 min: Quinn looks to break down the left and is bundled unceremoniously into touch by a no-nonsense challenge from Houghton. The referee doesn’t see much wrong with it, a decision that somewhat irks the Birmingham player. Nothing much happening for Birmingham in the final third.
22 min: Birmingham enjoy a period of sterile domination. After being overrun during the opening exchanges, and conceding a sloppy goal, they’ve gained a foothold in this game. It’s a fine response.
20 min: Birmingham have settled a little, and are winning a few of the midfield duels now. Emboldened, Staniforth tries to whistle a shot over Roebuck from nigh on 40 yards. Full marks for ambition. Roebuck gathers the ball in her arms without fuss.
18 min: Staniforth bursts down the inside-right channel, the first Birmingham attack with any real purpose. It’s a fine run, and she’s cynically clipped by Walsh, who rightly goes in the book. The resulting free kick is an opportunity to load the box and put some pressure on the hosts, but Staniforth’s delivery provides easy pickings for Roebuck, who plucks it from the sky under no pressure.
16 min: City reassert their dominance with a period of possession at the back.
14 min: Birmingham try to respond immediately, Ladd spinning on the edge of the Manchester City box and nearly breaking into space. But Beattie is wise to the grift, coming across to close the gap.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Birmingham City (Stanway 12)
The irrepressible Stanway scores again! It’s her tenth goal of the season, but something of a disaster for Hampton in the Birmingham goal, who in dealing with a backpass whiffs a fresh-air kick on the left-hand corner of her six-yard box. Stanway nips in, rounds the panicked keeper with fast feet, and slots home from a tight angle on the left. What a finish, but what a mistake too.
11 min: Harrop slides a long pass down the left touchline, in the hope of releasing Follis into space. McManus intercepts easily enough, but that’s a little better from Birmingham, who have offered very little in attack so far.
9 min: Weir slips a ball down the left to Stokes on the overlap. It’s a marauding run by Stokes, but she can’t quite find Stanway in the centre with her cross. Sargeant reads the play well, and does just enough to put a stop to Manchester City’s scheme.
7 min: Birmingham steady the ship a little by passing it around the back awhile, in the game-management style.
5 min: Walsh slips past Sargeant down the left and embarks on a dribble along the byline. But the flag goes up for offside. Birmingham are struggling to get out of their final third right now.
4 min: Houghton plays a glorious diagonal Hollywood pass to Walsh on the left wing. Walsh slips the ball inside for Parris, whose shot is well parried by Hampton. Birmingham are all over the shop here.
2 min: Sargeant is caught dawdling on the ball in her own area, allowing Parris to steal off with the prize. Parris nearly tees up Stanway but yellow shirts swarm around her to snuff out the danger. Birmingham need to wake up, and quickly.
35 seconds: A simple long ball over the top, and Stanway is away down the inside-right channel! But Hampton is quickly off her line to smother and save Birmingham. What a start that could have been for Manchester City!
And we’re off! Manchester City get the rematch of the 2017 FA Cup final underway!
The teams are out! Second-placed City are in their famous sky blue, third-placed Birmingham in their yellow change strip. We’ll be off in a minute!
Birmingham manager Marc Skinner is a new dad, his partner, the England defender Laura Bassett, having given birth to Saede last week. “It’s the most amazing experience of my life. To see the look on our baby daughter’s face, and her mum’s doing well ... she’s given me the best present, she’s gone from my hero to my superhero, I’m really pleased to say that. I’m in love, a different type of love I never thought I’d feel. I hope I’m still buzzing after the game!”
His opposite number Nick Cushing adds: “This will be a difficult game. The job Marc is doing is excellent. They are challenging and will continue to challenge. Georgia Stanway is motivated and enthused, I hope she can keep scoring goals.”
There was also the small matter of the World Cup draw yesterday. England and Scotland will meet in next June’s finals! That should be some showdown. Louise Taylor reports from Paris. Meanwhile Ella Reilly breathes a sigh of relief, sort of, as the Matildas avoid a group of death.
Pre-match reading. Just in case you missed it, the Guardian has named the current 100 best female footballers in the world. For the full countdown, click here now. Meanwhile our very own Suzanne Wrack, shortlisted for the FSF Writer of the Year, has interviewed Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg and our number one Pernille Harder. Click click! Be about your business!
Manchester City make one change to the team sent out for their 2-0 win over Arsenal last week. Abbie McManus rakes Gemma Bonner’s place at the back.
Birmingham make two changes from the XI selected for the 2-1 victory over Yeovil last Sunday. Paige Williams and Connie Scofield drop to the bench; they’re replaced by Kerys Harrop and last week’s substitute match-winner Charlie Wellings.
The teams
Manchester City: Roebuck, Beattie, Houghton, Stokes, McManus, Walsh, Scott, Weir, Wullaert, Stanway, Parris.
Subs: Bardsley, Bonner, Bremer, Beckie, Morgan, Park, Emslie.
Birmingham City: Hampton, Sargeant, Ladd, Harrop, Arthur, Quinn, Follis, Wellings, Scott, Mannion, Staniforth.
Subs: Berger, Williams, Scofield, Mayling, Hayles.
Preamble
Last weekend, Manchester City’s 19-year-old striking sensation Georgia Stanway sashayed in from the right wing, dropped a shoulder, and finished off a wonder run by curling into the bottom left. Some goal by any standard, but this one was extra special because it condemned runaway leaders Arsenal to their first defeat of the season. And all of a sudden we’ve got a title race on our hands!
With Arsenal sitting out this round of fixtures, City can join them at the top of the WSL table with a win this afternoon. They’ll fancy their chances, because they’re in fine form: unbeaten in their first ten league matches, and coming off the back of a 6-0 win over Sheffield United in the League Cup, Janine Beckie scoring four. They also beat today’s opponents, Birmingham City, 3-2 back in September, a sensational turnaround from two goals down.
But Birmingham will be no pushovers. They’re third in the table, and will leapfrog Manchester City into second place with victory this lunchtime. Blues are on a four-game winning streak, and they too experienced the joy of six in the League Cup this week, thrashing Leicester City, Shania Hayles their two-goal hero. “It’s going to be tough,” says Hayles ahead of today’s big clash. “Man City away is always tough. But I think we’ve got a good enough squad to beat them. It’s a must-win game for us to stay high in the table. We want to win something this season and we’ve got a good enough squad to do that.”
Both sides are desperate for the win that will keep the pressure on Arsenal. It promises to be a cracker. It’s on!
Kick off: 12.15pm
Updated
