Manchester City continued their unbeaten start to the season after edging past a courageous Leicester in a competitive, high-octane encounter. Chloe Kelly’s first-half strike was enough to give them the three points in an end-to-end game in front of an expectant crowd.
The result left the City manager, Gareth Taylor, satisfied with his team’s early form. “I can imagine it was a good game to watch – really high tempo, lots of energy, lots of commitment,” he said. “I’m absolutely delighted with the win. It was difficult. We knew that they would come out and engage the way they did, but probably not as aggressive. I think that left a lot of space and we should have exploited it better.”
The visitors were looking for an immediate return to the top of the table after a whirlwind start to the season. They have caught the eye with their clinical attack, spearheaded by the goalscoring prowess of Khadija Shaw and Jill Roord. The latter has made an impressive impact since arriving in the summer, with three goals in as many games before this contest.
Taylor favours stability and he named the same lineup that had served him so well in the 5-0 win over Bristol City, with Lauren Hemp and Leila Ouahabi returning to the bench from injury and suspension respectively.
The challenge was to get past a buoyant Leicester. Willie Kirk’s side have also enjoyed an eye-catching start and he made three changes to the team that earned a hard-fought draw last weekend at Manchester United. Julie Thibaud started in a back three, while Hannah Cain and Jutta Rantala came in to boost the attack.
The hosts lined up in a narrow 3-2-2-3 formation – a high-risk, high-reward strategy. It is a system that offers potential in attack and they started strongly, finding spaces as Manchester City pushed forward. However, when the visitors were able break the press Leicester’s defence was left exposed, with the direct distribution from the goalkeeper Khiara Keating a key weapon.
It was through this that the opener came after a series of warning signs. England’s Kelly was full of energy and in the 10th minute broke with Roord to turn a low shot through the legs of Janina Leitzig. The German keeper slammed the ground in frustration, clearly feeling that she should have done better.
Martha Thomas fired a superb hat-trick for Tottenham as they came from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 4-2 and continue their impressive start to the new season.
Rachel Daly put Villa ahead from the penalty spot in the fifth minute before Thomas levelled with a superb long-range chip, and Ashleigh Neville then headed home to send Spurs in 2-1 up at half-time.
Thomas added two further goals with excellent strikes from the edge of the box after the break, with Lucy Parker grabbing a second for Villa deep into second-half stoppage time as the game finished 4-2.
Spurs' third win in four games puts them on nine points, one behind leaders Manchester City, who won 1-0 at Leicester. Reuters
Leicester persisted and created chances of their own. Lena Petermann had an effort blocked well by Keating. The young goalkeeper, who received her first England call-up this week, was also on hand to deny Rantala.
The players returned after the break to a raucous reception. Shannon O’Brien was denied a leveller by Esme Morgan while Shaw was becoming increasingly frustrated with Sophie Howard constantly tracking her.
The introduction of Hemp added a new dimension to City’s play with her speed on the break. Leitzig was required to make another strong save, proving once again why Kirk was so eager to secure her signature permanently.
Both sides traded chances in the latter stages but the hosts were unable to make them count.
Kirk has called for his side to be bold and, despite defeat, was encouraged by the character on display. “We’re all disappointed, which probably shows you how far we’ve come,” he said. “I think over the four games, we’ve made a statement that it’s not little Leicester any more. We need to be taken seriously.”
Taylor, meanwhile, was pragmatic in victory. “It’s a good start but that’s all it is,” he said. “It allows us to build confidence from that.” His team return to Manchester comfortable in the knowledge that they will go into the international break top, unless Chelsea rack up a high-scoring victory at home to Brighton on Sunday.
