By Damion Arnold (10/11/25)
Above: Manchester City huddle. Photo: Manchester City website.
Manchester City strengthened their Women’s Super League title ambitions by climbing to the top of the table with a hard-earned win over Everton.
On a wet and windy day on Merseyside, Manchester City faced a confident Everton side. With Chelsea dropping points on Saturday by conceding a late equaliser against Arsenal, City entered the match knowing that a win would take them to the top of the table. Aiming for their seventh consecutive win, City were buyoed by the returns of Sydney Lohmann, Grace Clinton, and Lauren Hemp, as all were part of the match day squad.
The action
Manchester City began the game in dominating fashion as they controlled possession throughout the opening exchanges. The Citizens used this possession to create early chances, which on another occasion, should have gone in.
However, they kept pushing and they were eventually rewarded in the 21st minute. A smart ball from Iman Beney broke the Toffee’s defense and allowed Miedema to run in behind and slot the ball under Emily Ramsey.
The home side reacted in spectacular fashion as they showed more attacking presence. In the 28th minute, Ayaka Yashamita produced a good diving save to deny a Kelly Gago back post header. The Toffees’ did get themselves back into it in the 40th minute following a great move.
A long ball from Ruby Mace flew over Rebecca Knaak’s head and allowed Toni Payne to run through on goal. The Nigerian opted to cross the ball across the face of goal, and it was the right choice as Gago pulled off a spectacular backheel inside the six-yard box.
Despite being pegged back late in the first half, Manchester City came out for the second half in similar fashion to how they started the first. They dominated the ball and just like the first half, they were rewarded with a goal in the 54th minute. Leila Ouahabi crossed the ball from the left side of the pitch into the box. Shaw rose inside the box and headed the ball home restoring her sides lead.
It was almost moment of brilliance from Ornella Vignola as she spun two City players and struck the ball from range in the 67th minute. Unfortunately for her, her shot hit the post and made its way away from the danger.
The hosts came close to equalising in the 74th minute as Yashamita produced a brilliant diving save to deny Kitagawa. A cross from the right side of the pitch by Robinson set Kitagawa up at the back post, but the City goalkeeper read it well and got across quickly to deny the shot.
The remainder of the game saw the hosts continue to look for an equaliser, but the title challengers, Manchester City, were too defensively solid for the Toffee’s with the Citizens seeing out their 2-1 lead to the very end.
City’s victory moves them to the summit of the Women’s Super League, just one point above title defenders Chelsea. As for Everton, they fall to 10th having just won one game so far this season.
Reaction
Reflecting on the win, City head coach Andrée Jeglertz told BBC Sport: “It’s very important for us to win. Not a perfect game, definitely not, but in the same way it says something about the team that we managed to win it anyway. These games where you don’t play the most beautiful game but still continue winning, that is going to give you the opportunity to have a good result at the end of the season.
“Everton was causing a lot of problems for us. We were struggling figuring out their loading in the midifield, they created overloads in there and we did not manage with them well enough. In the other way we managed to keep the victory anyway so I am happy with that.”
Everton’s winless run in the WSL extended to seven games, making their situation appear bleak on the surface. However, there were several positives for Brian Sørensen to take from the narrow defeat to the league leaders, most notably the resurgence of Kelly Gago.
The French striker, who joined from Nantes in January and finished last season as Everton’s joint-top scorer, has had limited opportunities this campaign, starting only three of their eight league matches so far. After a slow start, Gago is beginning to rediscover her form.
She opened her account for the season last weekend against Aston Villa, scoring a stoppage-time equaliser. Her goal against City was another moment of quality, and Everton will be hoping that now she is up and running, the goals will be free flowing.
There was also the performance of young Lioness Ruby Mace, who impressed in midfield with her tenacity and physicality. Helping Everton move the ball forward, she made a strong argument for a recall to the England senior setup later this month.
TEAMS: EVERTON (4-4-2): Ramsey (GK), Ishikawa, Fernández (Holmgaard, 60’), Hayashi, Wheeler ©, Van Gool (Snoeijs, 60’), Payne (Robinson, 60’), Gago (Momiki, 80’), Vignola, Mace, Pacheco (Kitagawa, 73’). SUBS: Startup (GK), Hobson, Kitagawa, Ladd, Weir.
Scorers: Gago 40’
Yellow Cards: Pacheco 56’
MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Yashamita (GK), Rose, Shaw, Miedema (Matilda Lohmann, 80’), Ouahabi, Casparji ©, Blinkilde Brown (Clinton, 80’), Fujino, Beney (Hemp, 60’), Hasegawa, Knaak (Prior). SUBS: Keating (GK), Coombs, Wienroither, Thomas, Rose Oldroyd.
Scorers: Miedema 21’, Shaw 54’
Referee: William Davis
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