Khadija Shaw was on song for Manchester City as they continue their winning streak.
With City finally hitting a run of form, the tie against Bristol City came at the perfect time to continue to build confidence.
The two sides were familiar with one another going into the Continental Cup clash. Bristol dropped out of the Women’s Super League at the conclusion of the 2020/21 season.
With a place in the semi-final awaiting the winner of the fixture, both sides knew a victory would take them one step closer to a vital piece of silverware.
Starting XIs
Manchester City
Kheating; Bronze (Stokes ’76), Houghton (c) (Mace ’45), Greenwood, Stanway, Coombs (Weir ’63), Losada, Angeldahl, Beckie, Hemp (Park ’76), Shaw (White ’63)
Bristol City
Whitehouse; Cataldo, Aspin, Murray, Powell (Allen ’70), Palmer (c), J.Bull (Davies ’61), Johnson (Morgan ’45)`, C.Bull, Beever-Jones (Cook ’61), Harrison (Woolley ’71)
Embed from Getty ImagesHow it went
While Man City enjoyed the majority of the early possession, it was Bristol who had the first chance of the game.
Melissa Johnson put 17-year-old Khiara Kheating under pressure as Bristol launched a quick attack. It was an own goal however that broke the deadlock.
Alex Greenwood accidentally passed the ball beyond her goalkeeper in the 15th minute as City struggled to clear their lines. Just eight minutes later, the game was brought back level. Khadija Shaw rectified the mistake by scoring a wonderful solo goal.
It was Shaw again who bagged the third goal of the game as the centre-forward blasted the ball home with Lucy Bronze providing the assist.
The second half began with Man City once again enjoying the majority of possession. It wasn’t until the 62nd minute however that Vicky Losada made it three to the hosts. The accuracy and power of the goal are fast becoming trademark features for the Spaniard.
Man City had a raft more chances, but none were successful in beating Sophie Whitehouse. However, the Manchester side had done enough to bag the win and secure their spot in the semis.
Embed from Getty ImagesStand out player
Bunny Shaw arrived at City with an impressive reputation. As the top scorer in Division 1 Féminine last season, the striker was always going to be a goal-scoring threat.
Despite the team suffering a slow start to the season, the Jamaican international is no stranger to getting her name on the score sheet. Bagging herself a brace, the No.21 is earning herself a name as one of the top centre-forwards in the WSL.
Speaking after the match, Gareth Taylor praised Shaw’s work ethic, citing the decision to keep the forward out after half-time as the correct one. Taylor also was keen to point out that he believes Shaw has more to give in her game.
Remembering Ian Taylor
The game was particularly poignant for many Manchester City fans. Just hours before kick off, it was announced that long time Sky Blues supporter Ian Taylor had passed away.
Ian had been a member of Manchester City’s Official Supporters Club since it was formed in 2015. He was described by those who knew him best as one of the loudest members of the supporters club, making his presence heard as he entered the stadium.
Ian was well-known by City players both past and present, particularly Megan Campbell and Tash Harding. His loss will be massively felt by everyone at the club, particularly fellow fan Mia, who was commonly known as his partner in crime.
The supporters club decorated Ian’s seat that he had occupied for many years in tribute to a friend and fellow fan.
