Match report
Some telling stats here.
An enormous win for #ManCity's season. They're now only 2 points off the @UWCL places. They were excellent. As for #MUFC, that's now 3 away derby defeats against City in the league without scoring an away WSL goal against their neighbours. No wins from 5 WSL meetings overall.
— Tom Garry (@TomJGarry) February 13, 2022
Here’s the WSL table. There’s plenty to play for.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal Women | 14 | 26 | 31 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 13 | 24 | 29 |
| 3 | Man Utd Women | 14 | 13 | 25 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 14 | 6 | 25 |
| 5 | Man City Women | 14 | 10 | 23 |
| 6 | Reading Women | 13 | 1 | 22 |
| 7 | West Ham Women | 14 | 1 | 20 |
| 8 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 15 | -8 | 19 |
| 9 | Aston Villa Women | 14 | -17 | 16 |
| 10 | Leicester Women | 15 | -16 | 12 |
| 11 | Everton Women | 13 | -13 | 11 |
| 12 | Birmingham City Women | 15 | -27 | 5 |
Caroline Weir, the goalscorer, speaks to the BBC.
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.
Full-time: Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United
It took a piece of class, and what a goal Caroline Weir scored to win a very tight match. City are in the hunt for a Champions League place, and with United in their sights. The title talk cannot be ruled out, no matter how outlandish that seems. City’s class told against a very organised and determined United.
Updated
90+3 min: United give the ball away in a difficult position and it’s Raso who almost seizes on it, and keeps the ball down the other end. That will be that - full-time, and cheered to the rafters.
90+2 min: City back in numbers to prevent that late United charge. United have brought on a late sub in Fuso.
90 min: United mount an attack at last and Thomas chases down the ball, looking to get to it first, but Roebuck gets there first. Three minutes are added on.
89 min: More City pressure, as Hemp is tackled last-ditch. United can’t get out. City’s greater quality, particularly from the bench, has told here.
88 min: Raso has been a real problem for United since coming on, her running keeping them occupied when they need to get down the other end.
5,317 - attendance watch, a record for this stadium
87 min: United being kept at bay at the moment, and City are chasing another as the sub, Raso speed down the right, and the United centre-back, Thorisdottir, has to come out and clear.
85 min: City try to take the steam out of it, with some calm passing before a long ball is aimed at Ellen White, who has had a frustrating afternoon.
84 min: Sub: Hayley Raso has come on for City, replacing Jess Park.
83 min: Almost immediately, United try to hit back and Katie Zelem’s ball in causes real problems for Ella Roebuck.
Goal! Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United (Weir, 81)
Spoke too soon...what a goal. Superb skill to take the ball down in midfield, then real vision to spot Earps off her line. The ball chipped to perfection and in. A derby classic.
Updated
80 min: City have been a little incoherent of late, the changes seem to have taken the sting out of this game.
78 min: United change, off goes Russo, on comes Hanson to inject some pace down the flanks.
77 min: United get a corner and the best set-piece delivery of the game sees Martha Thomas head down and just head wide. A real warning for City.
76 min: Weir almost makes an instant impact, only for stout defending for United to rob her at the moment of truth.
75 min: On comes Weir to great cheers, off goes Vicky Losada who had a decent game.
73 min: United have dug in impressively, and Caroline Weir is going to be coming on for City.
71 min: Hemp again active down the left, and United have to hurry the ball behind. The delivery of the corner is this time far better, this time from Losada, and Bronze might have got more on the ball. Another corner comes in, this time claimed by Earps.
69 min: City try to rouse themselves for a big push. In pre-match there was talk of their still being in the title race. It seemed a tad ambitious. And a draw here would almost certainly extinguish such talk.
67 min: City free-kick in a dangerous position, but can they do better than before? The answer is no, with Greenwood trying to use the wind but undercooking it.
66 min: Martha Thomas leads the press for United as Bruun takes up the position behind her. Meanwhile, Georgia Stanway sets off at pace and with typical intent, firing wide of the goal. Opening up at both ends now?
64 min: Risa off for United, with Thomas coming on. Risa struggled today, but had very little service.
63 min: United mount an attack, and Roebuck is scrambling as two shots come in, the first from Toone.
61 min: All City, and off the post. Jess Park cuts in from the right, and gets her shot in, the ball beating everyone as it comes back out, Ellen White unable to get on the end of it.
59 min: Mary Earps is being kept busy but nothing too strenuous for her so far, with Park’s touch on a Stokes cross not enough to trouble the England keeper.
Updated
57 min: A Manchester United “One Love” flag in a Stone Roses style is waved in the away end. Their team is doing them proud, unlike the men’s team.
55 min: Greenwood’s free-kick is a waste, and jeered by her former United fans. The wind caught it, to be polite.
54 min: United have done their job well so far, holding off City at arm’s length, preventing their rivals from ever getting too clear a chance. But: Diane Caldwell is booked for smashing into a speeding Lauren Hemp.
52 min: Blundell can’t prevent a corner, and Greenwood takes. Katie Zelem clears from deep in the United box before another results, with the same result of Zelem heading it away.
50 min: City begin in control again but it’s scrappy, too. Georgia Stanway wallops into Hannah Blundell by the sideline. Tempers fraying? Let’s hope so, this game does need a bit more of something.
48 min: Alex Greenwood, by the way, is back out and playing in her mask. She takes a free-kick that nestles in the arms of Mary Earps. The wind was a factor there and may well have been for United in the first half.
46 min: We go again, with the BBC offering up the stat that United have never had a goalless draw in the WSL. Admittedly they have only been in the league since 2019 but still, a small amount of history may be in the making.
Half-time: Manchester City 0-0 Manchester United
It’s been all City in truth with the best chances falling to Lauren Hemp and Ellen White with Lucy Bronze causing problems but United will be happy with that. Marc Skinner is a good organisers of defences, as he was at Birmingham, and the plan now must be to hit City on the counter.
Updated
45+5 min: City close out the half on the attack, with Ellen White down the flank and forcing a corner. Vicky Losada booed by the United contingent in the corner and United get that clear. That’s half-time.
45+4 min: There’s a long break in play and we are in the dark as to how much longer will be added on. City continue with ten players, and they appear to be marking time until a half-time decision can be reached on Greenwood.
45+2 min: Three minutes are added on, and while Greenwood is still down on the floor. There’s applause as she gets up off the floor, and there’s a shake of the head as she leaves the field.
45 min: Some real worry here as Alex Greenwood, already wearing a mask, smashes her head into the back of Katie Zelem’s head. It’s a nasty one, and she’s down for a while, looking very groggy.
43 min: Lucy Bronze again causing problems on the overlap, scampering on, causing such havoc and her chip meets the head of Ellen White who misses the chance. The City chances are stacking up.
42 min: Gareth Taylor is up and doing off the sideline, asking his City players to switch up for him.
40 min: United have kept their shape OK, but at the cost of attacking incursions. Bronze gets down the wing and her cross and Hemp gets to the back post again but can’t get enough on the header. That switch from left to right is the problem area for City.
38 min: Still all City, United’s attacks reduced to counters, and few and far between when they do happen.
36 min: Stanway again in the thick of it as she receives a pass from Hemp and her shot is scrambled behind. White flicks the header over from the corner, well delivered by Vicky Losada.
34 min: Jess Park again makes space down the City wing, and her ball in again finds Hemp, it’s a rather more difficult chance than before, and Hemp heads over. At the other end, and after some attacking from Ella Toone, Greenwood has to clear the ball from danger. She’s wearing a mask, the former United player. A protective one in the style of Paul Gascoigne/Michael Crawford rather than a ffp3
32 min: Anna Blundell does really well in defending deep for United but can’t find a teammate. Ball retention has been a dead loss for them.
30 min: And United get another free-kick, which Zelem again does the same with as Roebuck holds firm.
28 min: Free-kick in a decent position for United but Katie Zelem’s kick goes straight to Ellie Roebuck in City’s goal. Rare territory for United and they need to make more of it.
27 min: City need to make their dominance of this half count, but United have been dogged enough in digging in. They are pressing hard.
Updated
25 min: All City at the moment and United manager Marc Skinner looks concerned on the sidelines.
23 min: Better from City, but Ellen White is outnumbered despite Vicky Losada charging forward to help her in true style.
21 min: Georgia Stanway has been busy, and sets off down the left, only to have her shot deflected. City’s forwards are plentiful but they don’t seem to have linked up properly yet.
20 min: This hasn’t quite had the blood and thunder of Chelsea v Arsenal, perhaps as a result of a little less quality.
Updated
18 min: City settle into a rhythm of passing, and then Hemp is set away down the left and almost gets her pass to the feet of Ellen White, only for Mary Earps to collect.
16 min: Bruun, the United striker, has a dig from distance but cannot trouble Roebuck. United pushing up a bit, and growing into this game.
14 min: United do look vulnerable to a City break at speed, their midfield a little lacking in numbers in a 4-2-4. Georgia Stanway gets caught in a tackle, and looks to be hurt. She gets back up but gingerly.
Updated
12 min: City get a corner, taken by Alex Greenwood, and then play themselves offside. That’s a waste of a good position.
10 min: Chances at both ends but City should be ahead. The teams look evenly matched at the moment, though Ella Toone almost stops Ellie Roebuck in her tracks when the keeper tries to play the ball out.
8 min: What a miss from Lauren Hemp, as Jess Park gets down the flank, the goal is gaping but somehow she manages to miss. City should be a goal up.
Updated
6 min: Lucy Bronze sets off like a Rolls Royce down the flank, taking players out with her, and when the ball comes in, United have problems with it, the ball being cleared only for Hemp to play it back in from the other side, before Vicky Losada smashes the ball over.
4 min: United have a corner, the ball having drifted in those windy conditions. Stokes comes across to clear, but with some difficulty.
3 min: The early signs are a cagey affair but Lauren Hemp charges on in true style before the ball dribbles to Mary Earp in the Manchester United goal.
1 min: The players take the knee and away we go in the Manchester derby. City have never lost this WSL fixture; this is the ninth in total.
The teams are out on the field at the Academy Stadium, with the news being that Leah Galton suffered a concussion in training. City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck celebrates her 100th appearance for City, having displaced the legendary Karen Bardsley.
Friday’s big game, the top of the table London derby, was a goalless draw but a decent match, and opened the door slightly ajar for Manchester United.
When last they met: a real pulsating derby match with Ellen White to the fore.
An update on the teams: Norway’s Vilde Boe Risa takes the place of Leah Galton United’s sole change from their 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Manchester’s weather, so much to answer for.
Typical Manchester weather! ☔️😅#ManCity pic.twitter.com/Qo5LZj3exH
— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) February 13, 2022
Some pre-match quotes from the City striker, Ellen White, talking to the BBC.
I don’t want to rule that [the title] out because you don’t know what could happen. As we’ve seen this season, a lot of clubs have been taking points off different opposition. I think it’s probably one of the most competitive WSLs there’s ever been, which is exciting, so I don’t think you can rule out the title just yet.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned Leah Galton, WSL player of the month for January, is not in the United team, and neither is Aoife Mannion, who it is suggested has a knee problem.
What do those teams mean? For City, Ruby Mace, Caroline Weir and Bunny Shaw, who all started against Chelsea, make way for Alanna Kennedy, Vicky Losada and Ellen White. It’s a strong City team.
The excellent Suzanne Wrack will report from the game later, and here’s her preview chat with United’s Leah Galton.
The teams
Your Derby Day City XI! 💙
— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) February 13, 2022
XI | Roebuck, Bronze, Kennedy, Greenwood, Stokes, Walsh, Losada, Stanway, Park, Hemp, White (C)
SUBS | Keating, Weir, Shaw, Beckie, Raso, Mace, Blakstad, Angeldahl#ManCity | @HaysTechnology pic.twitter.com/8NMIN9sjIL
📋 Here it is... your United XI for the Manchester derby 🔥#MUWomen | #FAWSL pic.twitter.com/jdmf6DtBgb
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) February 13, 2022
Preamble
After Friday night saw Chelsea and Arsenal draw 0-0, a small window of opportunity for United. It’s admittedly a very small window but by winning the Manchester derby they can go significant distance to claiming a Champions League place. City, revived under Gareth Taylor after such a tough start, lost 1-0 to Chelsea, and played well at Kingsmeadow in running the champions close while never quite finding a cutting edge. United drew with Arsenal last week, it taking a Stina Blackstenius equaliser to save the Gunners. Setting aside those matches against two WSL powerhouses, both teams are in decent form and the Academy Stadium will host a match of considerable significance.
Kick-off at 12.30pm, UK time. Join me.
