That was a pulsating second half. Both teams will feel they should have won while also accepting they could have lost. City fought admirably with 10 players after Georgia Stanway was sent off in the first half. There were some outstanding individual performances, most notably from Lauren Hemp, and inspired substitutions from both managers. It was a cracker.
Updated
Full time: Man Utd 2-2 Man City
Peep peep!
90+3 min That earlier corner did hit the arm of Walsh, though it was down by her side.
90+2 min United appeal for handball when Zelem’s corner hits a City defender. Nothing given, but they get another corner. Zelem drives it towards the near post, where Galton gets in front of her marker but heads wide.
90+2 min Staniforth’s free-kick is headed behind by Hemp. United are ending this game very strongly...
90+1 min Beckie is booked for a late tackle on Staniforth.
90+1 min Four minutes of added time.
90 min Another corner to United, this time on the right. Toone’s outswinger is headed away by Scott.
89 min Blundell’s cross drops over the head of Scott but is miscontrolled by Galton, which allows Scott to put it behind for a corner. Zelem’s deep, driven corner is headed away by Greenwood.
89 min And now a change for City: Laura Coombs replaces Caroline Weir.
85 min A change for United: Hayley Ladd replaces Jackie Groenen.
84 min All bets are off in this game; both teams are going for it.
83 min Hemp gets away from Batlle and flashes a cross that just evades White in the six-yard box.
80 min Football can be a cruel old game. That was an extraordinary save from Mary Earps, probably one of the best of her career, and it counted for nothing.
Jess Park, who has only just come on, hit a blistering drive from 25 yards that was fingertipped onto the bar by Earps. She deserved a bit of luck after such a wonderful save - but she got absolutely none. The ball rebounded off the bar onto Earps’s back and dropped perfectly for White to score from four yards.
Updated
GOAL! Man Utd 2-2 Man City (White 78)
Another twist in this sensational game!
78 min It’s been a really good second half performance from United, who have slowly worn the City defence down. They have also, crucially, kept Lauren Hemp very quiet.
Updated
77 min City make another change - Jess Park on, Angeldahl off.
I have no idea how Alessia Russo squeezed that shot past Taieb. United worked the ball nicely down the left, with Blundell screwing a low cross into Russo in the area. She almost lost her balance as she tried to protect the ball from Greenwood and Weir, but she stayed on her feet and clipped a low shot from 15 yards that sneaked into the bottom corner!
Updated
GOAL! Man Utd 2-1 Man City (Russo 75)
Two goals in five minutes for United!
74 min: Great chance for Galton! United should be 2-1 up. Greenwood was dispossessed near the halfway line, with Galton picking up the loose ball and surging away from the defence. She reached the edge of the area, with Scott close behind, and drove a team shot wide of the post.
Updated
74 min Staniforth might have been fractionally offside when Toone’s cross came in, but there’s no VAR. The referee also had words with Batlle and Greenwood after the goal. I didn’t see what happened but presumably there was a contretemps of some description.
It came from a quick corner on the left which was taken short to Toone. She turned and hammered a cross to the near post, where the unmarked Staniforth improvised to beat Taieb with a backheeled volley!
Updated
GOAL! Man Utd 1-1 Man City (Staniforth 71)
And now they have equalised!
Updated
71 min A good move from United falls down when Toone’s touch is too heavy on the edge of the area. But it feels like they are getting closer to an equaliser.
69 min Blundell plays a crisp pass towards Galton in the area. Scott does well to keep pace with Galton and slide the ball behind for a corner.
67 min A change for United: Kirsty Hanson is replaced by Lucy Staniforth, which probably means a reshuffle: Toone will move to the right with Staniforth playing behind Russo.
66 min Though United are having probably their best spell of the match, they are still struggling to create clear chances. I think Taieb has had only two saves to make, both from long-range shots.
64 min Angeldahl is booked for a tactical foul on Groenen.
63 min Hanson tries to run Stokes, who tracks her all the way and concedes a corner. Zelem’s delivery is comfortably held by Taieb.
61 min Demi Stokes has also had a fine game at left-back for City. She made the goal with an excellent cross and has kept Kirsty Hanson very quiet.
59 min A change for City: Ellen White replaces the goalscorer Bunny Shaw.
57 min: Good save from Taieb! Now a chance for United. Toone turns smartly 25 yards from goal and hits a curling, dipping shot that is pushed away by Taieb, diving to his left. One way or another, I can’t see this ending 1-0.
Updated
55 min: Good save from Earps! A loose ball from Toone is picked up by Hemp, 25 yards out. She charges straight into the area, past a couple of United defenders, and rifles a rising drive that is pushed over by Earps. The angle was tight and it was a fairly comfortable save. But Hemp is just exhilarating to watch.
Updated
54 min This is a good spell for United, who have started pressing City higher up the pitch.
52 min Galton goes over in the area after a late challenge by Scott. The ball had long gone, which is surely the only reason a penalty wasn’t given. Whether that’s relevant, I don’t know.
51 min United win the ball high up the field, though to be honest it looked like a foul by Zelem on Weir. Play was allowed to continue and Toone’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected behind for a corner.
51 min They’ve had three shots at goal now. Toone’s long-range effort is blocked and Blundell’s follow-up, also from distance, deflects well wide off her teammate Groenen.
50 min United look frustrated by their inability to get at City’s makeshift defence. I think they had only one shot on goal in the first half.
47 min City are now playing 4-4-1, with Beckie at right back and Angeldahl ahead of her.
46 min Peep peep! City begin the second half.
The very last thing I’d like to do with my life is play right-back against Lauren Hemp 😱 #rapid @ManCityWomen @ManUtdWomen
— Jacqui Oatley (@JacquiOatley) October 9, 2021
Half time: Man Utd 0-1 Man City
Peep peep! City are a goal up and a player down after a feisty first half. Georgia Stanway was sent off for an appalling tackle on Leah Galton, who has been United’s best player. But if anything that seemed to inspire City, who took the lead soon after through Bunny Shaw’s expert header. They created the better chances both before and after the red card. It helps that, even though they are down to 10, they have by far the best player on the pitch: Lauren Hemp has been spectacular.
Updated
45+5 min Another sensational run from Hemp! She charges infield, away from Batlle and curls a clever low cross that is sliced wide by the stretching Angeldahl.
45+2 min Hemp is fine to continue.
45 min A clearance from Scott hits Hemp in the face, which means a break in play while she is checked. There will be four minutes of added time.
Down to 10? No problem for Manchester City.
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 9, 2021
Demi Stokes with a lovely cross for Bunny Shaw to head in.
Man Utd 0-1 Man City
📲 LIVE: https://t.co/GZhvAIKZbq#bbcwsl #bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/3MFXQOcM39
44 min Beckie’s errant header goes behind for a United corner. Zelem curls it deep and the backpedalling Shaw heads away.
Updated
43 min City have been much the better team since being reduced to 10 players.
41 min Another blistering run from Hemp, who beats Batlle on the byline but can’t pick out a City player in the middle. Lauren Hemp is a sensational footballer, good enough for any team in the world.
Updated
Man City are down to 10!
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 9, 2021
Awful challenge from Georgia Stanway.
📲 LIVE: https://t.co/GZhvAIKZbq#bbcwsl #bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/X6usQd5eJG
GOAL! Man Utd 0-1 Man City (Shaw 38)
And now City have taken the lead! It was a superbly taken goal by Bunny Shaw, who was brought in to replace Ellen White today. Stokes, on the left, curled a beautiful cross into the middle, where Shaw got away from Mannion and planted an accomplished header into the bottom corner.
Updated
38 min Janine Beckie has moved to right back for the time being.
36 min I’m pretty sure it was a misjudgement by Stanway, rather than anything more sinister. But it was still a very nasty tackle and the referee had little choice but to send her off.
STANWAY IS SENT OFF!
35 min City are down to ten. Georgia Stanway has been given a straight red for a thigh-high, studs-up challenge on Galton. It was an absurd tackle, miles over the top of the ball, and she can have no complaints.
Updated
32 min Hanson has United’s first effort on target, a crisp shot on the turn from 20 yards. Taieb stretches to make a comfortable save.
32 min United work the ball superbly down the left, with Groenen, Toone and Galton involved. Galton’s cross bounces around the area before being cleared by Greenwood.
29 min Hemp shoots over the bar from 25 yards. The game hasn’t quite caught fire, even though it’s being played at a cracking pace.
27 min Russo leads a dangerous United break, with Toone charging 50 yards in support. Russo tries to put her through on goal but Scott makes a vital interception on the edge of the area.
25 min There’s a break in play while Bunny Shaw receives treatment. That gives both managers a chance to talk tactics with their players.
22 min City will be really happy with this start - they have had the better chances and, though United have looked dangerous through Galton, the City keeper Taieb has had nothing to do.
Updated
20 min Galton swerves past Stanway on the left edge of the area and hits a low cross that is cleared.
Updated
16 min: Off the line by Thorisdottir! Angeldahl gets down the right and lifts a high, hanging cross towards the far post. Hemp meets it with a powerful header back across goal that is headed behind by Thorisdottir. That was a vital piece of defending because I don’t think Earps was going to get there.
15 min Hemp wins City’s first corner. Nothing comes of it but she is looking really dangerous on the left.
13 min: Fine save by Earps! Hemp charges down the left and curls a brilliant first-time cross that bounces up towards Beckie. She steers it towards goal on the run and Earps flies to her right to push it round the post.
Updated
11 min Hemp plays a good pass to the underlapping Stokes on the left. She twists cleverly away from Zelem but then overhits her cross.
9 min United are starting to impose themselves on the game, and Hanson wins their first corner. Zelem drives it beyond the far post and Shaw heads clear. It’s played back out to Zelem, whose dangerous cross is headed away by Scott.
7 min Galton plays a neat one-two with Russo on the left but slices a cross out of play under pressure from Stanway.
6 min United get behind the City defence for the first time but Galton is wrongly flagged offside. It’s been very cagey so far, from both sides.
3 min It’s been a quiet start, with City having most of the early possession.
1 min Peep peep! United kick off from left to right.
The kick off is only a few minutes away, and the teams have assembled in the tunnel. City are first out, led by their captain Alex Greenwood, and then Katie Zelem walks United onto the field.
Updated
A first Manchester derby awaits for the boss! ✊#MUWomen | #FAWSL
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) October 9, 2021
United make one change from the team that beat Birmingham 2-0 last weekend, with Kirsty Hanson in for Lucy Staniforth. Alessia Russo is likely to play up front with Ella Toone as the No10.
Two changes for City from the side that was surprisingly beaten by West Ham: Bunny Shaw is preferred to Ellen White up front, and Georgia Stanway replaces Jess Park. Stanway will probably go to right-back, with Janine Beckie replacing Park on the wing. Jill Scott remains at centre-back, though Alanna Kennedy and Ruby Mace are on the bench.
Manchester United (possible 4-2-3-1) Earps; Batlle, Thorisdottir, Mannion, Blundell; Zelem, Groenen; Hanson, Toone, Galton; Russo.
Substitutes: Baggaley, Harris, Risa, Ladd, Fuso, Jones, Staniforth.
Manchester City (possible 4-3-3) Taieb; Stanway, Scott, Greenwood, Stokes; Angeldahl, Walsh, Weir; Beckie, Shaw, Hemp.
Substitutes: Keating, Coombs, Park, White, Kennedy, Mace.
Updated
Team news
🔴 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 🔴
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) October 9, 2021
Presenting the Reds line-up for the derby 💪#MUWomen | #FAWSL pic.twitter.com/UDhA8kv6y2
Your Derby Day XI! 💙
— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) October 9, 2021
XI | Taieb, Stanway, Scott, Greenwood (C), Stokes, Walsh, Angeldahl, Weir, Beckie, Hemp, Shaw
SUBS | Keating, Coombs, Park, White, Kennedy, Mace
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/HkTzfLv0HJ pic.twitter.com/lUJ8aPBb2s
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Manchester derby at Leigh Sports Village. At the best of times, this is a big game. At the worst of times – and that’s what these are for City – it’s a huge one.
It’s hard to look at the WSL table without doing a double take: City are in ninth, having lost three of their first four games, and are probably already be out of the title race. There are mitigating circumstances, mainly dumb luck and a grotesque injury list, but it’s still a wretched start. If they lose today, there might be a P45 with Gareth Taylor’s name on it.
United have had a calmer start, winning three of their four WSL games, though they were taken apart by Chelsea last month. There was a danger they might get stuck on a mezzanine between the big three and the rest of the league. A win today would put them nine points clear of City, and – even at this stage – give them a serious chance of breaking new ground.
Kick off 1.30pm.
