Manchester City delivered a dominant performance in the Women's Super League (WSL) Manchester derby, thrashing Manchester United 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The victory extends City's lead at the top of the WSL table to four points, putting pressure on second-place Chelsea to respond in their match against Liverpool.
The game was effectively decided in the first half, with City scoring all three goals before the break. Rebecca Knaak opened the scoring with a header from a corner in the 26th minute. Khadija "Bunny" Shaw doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, tapping in a cross from Kerstin Casparij. Lauren Hemp, making her first start after recovering from an ankle injury, capped off the dominant first half with a stunning strike from the edge of the box in added time.
Manchester United, who had rotated their squad following a Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain, struggled to create chances and failed to register a single shot on target. The defeat marks their second consecutive WSL loss, leaving them seven points behind Manchester City in the title race.
City's victory was a statement of their title credentials, showcasing their attacking prowess and defensive solidity. They have now won eight consecutive league matches and are the league's top scorers with 23 goals. Their dynamic attack, led by Shaw, Hemp and Vivianne Miedema, proved too much for United's defense to handle.
"Today we showed the mentality that we needed to show," said Hemp after the match. "We got a clean sheet as well which is so important for us and, most importantly, we got the three points".
United's manager, Marc Skinner, faces a challenge to lift his team after back-to-back league defeats, with a Champions League match against Wolfsburg looming. The team's ability to balance domestic and European commitments with a relatively thin squad has been a topic of discussion, and fatigue appeared to be a factor in their performance against City.
The win marked Manchester City's eighth win in a row in the WSL. This win puts them in a good position to win their first WSL title since 2016.
Manchester City will play Nottingham Forest in the Subway Women's League Cup on November 22nd. Their next WSL match is against Leicester City on December 7th. Manchester United will face Wolfsburg in the UEFA Women's Champions League on November 19th.
