Manchester City leapfrogged defending champions Chelsea to go second in the Women’s Super League with an impressive victory over the Blues on Sunday.
Filippa Angeldahl’s brilliantly lofted 20th-minute strike put City ahead and Lauren Hemp rifled in the second.
City’s first league win over Chelsea since 2017 means they only trail leaders Manchester United on goal difference at the top of the table.
Chelsea are a point back in third but have a game in hand.
This was their first WSL defeat since the opening game of the season, while City remain unbeaten in the league since a defeat by Chelsea last September.
The meeting of the title contenders, which marked Women’s Football Weekend, was watched by 5,222 fans at Academy Stadium, just shy of City’s record crowd at their home stadium.
City rise to challenge in must-win game
Speaking in his pre-match news conference, City manager Gareth Taylor said “we need to win this weekend, simple as that”.
Those words clearly informed City’s attitude to this game, as they pressed Chelsea and produced one of their finest performances of the campaign.
The high press brought City six corners in the first 20 minutes, while they constantly attacked down the right where Chloe Kelly looked to cut inside with menace – and it was from the right side that the first-half goals came.
Angeldahl’s opener was a delightful effort from the corner of the box, her chip leaving Chelsea keeper Ann-Katrin Berger stranded.
Nine minutes later, Kelly’s high cross from the right was only half cleared, allowing Hemp to crisply fire the loose ball past Berger on the half volley.
This was the 11th time Hemp has both scored and assisted in a WSL game, having set up Angeldahl for the opener. Only Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead have done so more often in English top-flight games than the 22-year-old England international.
City looked every inch a side which have not lost in 90 minutes since 25 September, and must now be considered a serious contender for the WSL title.
They could even afford for WSL top scorer Khadija Shaw – watched from the stands by fellow Jamaican star Usain Bolt – to have a rare off day.
More follows.
Line-ups
Man City Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Roebuck
- 14Morgan
- 6Houghton
- 5Greenwood
- 4Aleixandri
- 12Angeldahl
- 25Hasegawa
- 7Coombs
- 9KellyBooked at 84mins
- 21Shaw
- 11HempBooked at 73minsSubstituted forBlakstadat 78′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Casparij
- 3Stokes
- 8Fowler
- 10Castellanos
- 13Raso
- 15Ouahabi
- 22MacIver
- 33Kennedy
- 41Blakstad
Chelsea Women
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 30Berger
- 18MjeldeSubstituted forCankovicat 67′minutes
- 26Buchanan
- 16Eriksson
- 7Carter
- 8Leupolz
- 5IngleSubstituted forCharlesat 36′minutes
- 10JamesSubstituted forRytting Kanerydat 36′minutes
- 22CuthbertSubstituted forFlemingat 80′minutes
- 11Reiten
- 20Kerr
Substitutes
- 1Musovic
- 15Périsset
- 17Fleming
- 19Rytting Kaneryd
- 21Charles
- 27Abdullina
- 28Cankovic
- Referee:
- Paul Howard
- Attendance:
- 5,222
Live Text
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Match ends, Manchester City Women 2, Chelsea Women 0.
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Second Half ends, Manchester City Women 2, Chelsea Women 0.
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Attempt missed. Sam Kerr (Chelsea Women) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Guro Reiten with a cross.
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Attempt missed. Melanie Leupolz (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Guro Reiten with a cross.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Stephanie Houghton (Manchester City Women).
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Attempt blocked. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Melanie Leupolz.
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Attempt missed. Khadija Shaw (Manchester City Women) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Chloe Kelly with a cross.
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Offside, Chelsea Women. Melanie Leupolz tries a through ball, but Sam Kerr is caught offside.
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Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women) is shown the yellow card.
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Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women).
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Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Alex Greenwood.
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Attempt blocked. Jessie Fleming (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sam Kerr.
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Substitution, Chelsea Women. Jessie Fleming replaces Erin Cuthbert because of an injury.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Substitution, Manchester City Women. Julie Blakstad replaces Lauren Hemp.
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Delay in match because of an injury Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women).
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Attempt blocked. Laura Coombs (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Chloe Kelly.
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Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.