Caroline Weir saved her best Manchester derby goal for the fans, Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor says, as he hailed yet another moment of quality from the midfielder.
City were the better side against Manchester United but couldn't find a breakthrough until ten minutes from time, when Weir had been introduced as a second half substitute. She picked up possession, strode forward, and floated a sublime chip over United's Mary Earps from 25 yards.
In 2019, for the first derby at the Etihad, Weir drove a powerful effort into the far corner from a similar distance, while last season she chipped Earps on the goalline from just inside the area. This goal combined shades of both Puskas-nominated strikes, and was enough to hand City an important win infront of a record crowd in just the third home derby since United reformed.
"It was a year yesterday she did that in the fixture last season," Taylor said, hailing the strike as Weir's best of a quality collection.
"It was a different feeling today but with the supporters, full house, record crowd. The celebration was great, I think that is a better execution than last year because she was under pressure, received in the lines. To execute that finish under pressure is really difficult.
"We've not had those options of a player of that ability from the bench. The longer the game goes on, when you bring on a player, the spaces become bigger because of fatigue, to bring on freshness, it makes a difference. Caroline remarked on that, there was more spaces to work on."
Asked what Taylor told Weir before her introduction, the manager said there was no specific message to go and score another world-class goal.
"We said very little," he admitted.
"We spoke about whether she up to speed on what she needed to do, more about positions to be in and without the ball. She would have felt aggrieved [to be on the bench], we've not seen enough from her this season, to be able to have that option to bring on a player like that, we lacked it earlier in the season.
"It's great, you make the changes and sometimes they don't work but that went well for us today."
Reflecting on the goal herself, Weir told BBC Sport: "I don’t remember too much about it, a bit of a blur but I know what I am like when I hit the ball in that area. I can’t help but try it.
"Luckily for me it sometimes goes in. It was a really close game, I knew if I got the chance I knew I’d have that little bit more space."
