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Similar to bad weather tore through the north-west the prior day, the home side swept United away at the Etihad. It was a emphatic three-nil win for their manager's side due to goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp. It was a display that firmly established their title credentials as they consolidated their place at the WSL pinnacle.

Successive Defeats for United

This scoreline signalled back-to-back league defeats for Marc Skinner’s side for the initial occasion since last May, leaving them seven points off the league leaders with their title hopes severely dented.

Manchester United's capacity to juggle domestic and European soccer with a thin roster has been a hotly discussed topic since they secured entry to the Champions League. Considering the fixture list, it always seemed this was the week that would fully examine this fortitude. Sadly for the visitors, they seemed fatigued all game, the historic win against Paris Saint-Germain clearly having taken a toll.

Tactical Shifts

Marc Skinner had attempted to freshen things up with a handful of changes. Ella Toone, Terland, Janssen and Leah Galton all provided freshness, although the dropping of the in-form Malard to the bench raised a few eyebrows.

The hosts, in opposition, have no similar loading issues. Andrée Jeglertz made a single alteration from the previous win over the Toffees with Hemp making her first start since healing from a fitness issue.

Commanding Opening Period

The pressure started to build for Skinner and his side from the opening minute. This was a show of the quality from Manchester City whose dynamic attack controlled and tore United open with a superb initial 45 minutes display that saw them put three past the keeper in 21 minutes.

This put the hosts firmly in control and saw the visitors struggling. Prior to this encounter, the away side had conceded just few in this domestic competition but they disintegrated in the wake of the hosts' creative prowess.

Opening Threats

The omens came early when Vivianne Miedema used her strength to muscle Zigiotti off the ball, only to pull her shot past the post. Lauren Hemp was at the core of everything from the start, taking advantage of the room left by Riviere down the visitors' right flank. Her crosses were creating danger and led to an chance for Hasegawa that Anna Sandberg scrambled off the line.

United had a number of forays ahead, their long-ball tactic giving them options in the wings but they could not trouble Yamashita. City, on the other hand, commanded the ball, taunting their opposition and trying to draw them out of their structure.

Goals Galore

They turned chances into goals with almost the first period played when Fujino won the home team a set-piece. A ball to the far post was directed across goal by Shaw for Knaak to nod home. It was City’s seventh header of the campaign.

They extended their cushion with two more goals just before the interval. When Rose was allowed to advance through the middle from central defence, the field became spacious for the hosts. The key Casparij received possession on the wing before delivering a pinpoint ground pass for Shaw to force home. Four minutes later, they had a third after a quick change in possession saw Lauren Hemp allowed the space to strike a effort home from outside the box.

After the Break

The most obvious change came from the United manager at the break as Melvine Malard entered for Elisabeth Terland but by this time it was ineffective to change the course of the match. Ex- Manchester City player Jess Park came most likely to score, striking the woodwork, but the visitors were creatively abject and failed to produce a solitary shot on goal.

The hosts, on the other hand, could have extended their advantage when a delightful Miedema through ball sent Shaw away only for her to fail to convert but it did not affect the result to the hosts. Previously unable to overcome any team who ended above them last season, City's side now have successes against Arsenal and United to place them in a commanding situation after nine matches.