Three points see Manchester City stay in second place in the Women's Super League for another week following a 4-1 home win against Reading. They now sit just three points behind local rivals Manchester United and four ahead of Chelsea.
An emphatic performance from Gareth Taylor's front three sent the Royals packing. It was Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen who shocked the entire Academy Stadium when she capitalised on the chaos at the edge of City’s area within the first minute of play, but the City we are used to seeing soon turned up.
Chloe Kelly nudged the ball into the back of the net to level the scores, and Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw put City ahead with a looping header and then Lauren Hemp sealed the win by sliding the ball in at the back post. Steph Houghton then gave the home side a three-goal lead after a perfectly-placed set piece.
The visitors were tough in their desperate attempt to keep the lead which rattled the Sky Blues early on. City's front three have been undeniably dangerous throughout the season and they were deadly against Reading. Hemp volleyed the ball against the upright, Shaw kept breaking the Reading backline and Kelly produced countless crosses.
Player Ratings:
Ellie Roebuck - Nothing she could do about the goal, too many bodies at the edge of the area and couldn’t get her hand to the strike. Unbelievable goalkeeping when one-on-one to deny Reading a second goal. Punched the ball out of the area and went through Houghton, punching her captain in the head - absolutely savage. 7
Kerstin Casparij - Quieter first half than usual out on the right, however, she got into the game in the second 45 with strong drives forward getting the better of a number of players and drawing fouls. 7
Alex Greenwood - Great set-piece delivery early doors and her drive forward really helped change the tempo when City went behind. 7
Steph Houghton © - Played a beautiful ball right into Hemp’s feet. Strong at the back especially in the air. Delivered yet another perfectly-placed ball as her free-kick hit the target from outside the area. 8
Laura Coombs - Strong in the middle of the park and occupied a more attacking role. Had a lot of time on the ball and used it well with one-touch passes and long-range strikes. Unlucky not to find the target from close range in the first half. 8
Chloe Kelly - Got the equaliser, worked hard down the right flank to deliver sensational crosses into the box that were often too fast for others to capitalise on until Hemp slid in and scored in the second half. Goal and assist for Kelly. 9
Lauren Hemp - A joy to watch her running at players. Her fast feet with intertwining runs made her untouchable. One of the best performances of the season. Her link-up play with Coombs was so dangerous down the left and she slid the ball into the back of the net to score City's third. 9
Filippa Angeldahl - Her transitional play was fast-paced and invaluable. She linked up well with Coombs and Shaw in the middle to catch Reading off guard. 7
Esme Morgan - Didn't spend long on the ball, the one-two touch-and-go working well for her. Could’ve been stronger standing her player as she got pushed around a bit by a rough Reading side. 7
Khadija Shaw - Hitting the Reading goal any way she could. Epically fast and strong but was met with a tough backline who tested her grit. Finally got a goal in the 24th minute but had countless opportunities throughout the game. 9
Yui Hasegawa - Faultless in her positioning and calmly moving the ball about the pitch. Got pushed around a fair bit. Not as impactful as she has been for City. 7
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