Manchester City in WSL title race after beating Arsenal| Match highlights, Analysis and Presser
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- čas přidán 10. 02. 2023
- Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor was left admiring his side's performance as they produced a statement 2-1 win over Arsenal to put themselves firmly in the Women's Super League title race.
Goals at either end of the first half from Lionesses Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly gave City a deserved 2-0 lead and only a number of saves from Gunners goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger kept the match competitive.
Arsenal got one back through Rafaelle Souza's header but never threatened an equaliser as City won to move above the Gunners into third place.
"I was so proud of the performance and how gutsy we were in the second half," said Taylor.
"We should've been out of sight at half-time, we could've been five or six up with the chances we created.
"I'm super proud of the girls, they really deserved that.
"Sometimes you feel miles away [in the table] and sometimes you feel a bit closer. After beating Leicester there was a big shift, especially with two teams [Manchester United and Arsenal] drawing.
"We've got ourselves into a good position, but we're not getting carried away."
City have won the WSL once in 2016, but came third, nine points behind Chelsea, last season and began this campaign with back-to-back defeats.
But they have not lost a league game since and are only two points behind Emma Hayes' side, although the leaders have a game in hand.
"I really do believe this squad can win the league," said Hemp after scoring her 50th City goal.
"The squad is fantastic and such a family-feel - we all fight for each other.
"Obviously we want to win the league. It has opened now. We can face the best, we showed that, it's about being consistent."
Arsenal had kept 16 clean sheets in their previous 21 away WSL matches but struggled to cope with Hemp on the left wing, Kelly on the right flank and Khadija Shaw, the league's top scorer, through the middle.
Zinsberger made a couple of saves to deny Shaw as well as Filippa Angeldahl and Kelly, with Yui Hasegawa also hitting the crossbar.
"We know we're creating a lot of chances and we're not stupid, we need to score more goals - it needs to improve," added Hemp.
City have not lost at home in the WSL in 14 games, a run stretching back to November 2021, and were cheered on by a crowd of 4,542 at Academy Stadium.
"It was a brilliant day and we knew when we play at home that nobody can play against us," said Kelly, named player of the match after a goal and an assist.
"Gaz [Taylor] just gives me confidence at the moment, he's letting me play free and I'm enjoying myself on the pitch.
"When I'm enjoying myself, that's when I'm at my best and just having fun really.
"It's like I'm a little girl just playing football and I'm having fun. Playing with such a great group of girls is brilliant, we showed lots of fight and it's about the team."
Eidevall takes responsibility for defeat
Arsenal missed out on the title last season by just one point, but have now drawn twice and lost once in their past three league matches.
They continue to miss forwards Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema, both long-term absentees with serious knee injuries, and sit five points off the lead.
"We lost possession way too many times in the game, especially in very dangerous areas," said boss Jonas Eidevall.
"When you lose possession in those dangerous areas so many times, it's going to be very difficult to win football matches.
"We tried to implement changes during the game but it's 100% my responsibility we didn't win. We needed to make them do more after scoring.
"The attitude and the effort isn't a problem, we need to control the games better."
#ChloeKelly
#laurenhemp
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Hasegawa is the best thing to happen to City this season
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POTM I feel. She was ALL over the place. Killed it.
Chloe absolutely ran herself into the ground, before being taken off near the end. Might I say also, what a glorious specimen of the proverbial English Rose. Lauren Hemp too is a gutsy player and forms a good foil for Ms. Kelly. These two will stand England well, in the coming World Championship
Thank you
The 1 v 1 skills of players like Khadija Shaw, definitely need to be improved. She has a commanding presence compared to most of the other young women and can bump and jostle with the best, When she gets into position for a header, she does fine, because she can take it off the opposition. But when coming up towards the goal keeper, with no one else in the picture, she absolutely needs to bury it. This can be taught in further training, by practising, feints and side stepping. You don't just do all the hard work and get into position and then kick straight at the goal keeper.
Agreed completely. I think she seemed a bit tired or not herself yesterday but it's happened before, she needs to work more on those things.
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Arsenal never replaced their 2 stars, leaving only Blackstenius to fight on her own up front.
MC passed and played like Barca...
Who event watches women's football bruh
You since you clicked on the video
A whole bunch of us. Real originality on display with the comment as per usual.
wow this team likes world wide dreamteam