Bunny Shaw winner and Keating masterclass as Manchester City claim huge win!
Saturday 17 February 2024
Barclays WSL 2023/24 Season
Matchday 14, Game 1/6
Kingsmeadow Stadium, 422A Jack Goodchild Way, Kingston Rd, Kingston upon Thames KT1 3PB
Chelsea Vs Manchester City. Referee: Abigail Bryne.
Bunny Shaw winner & Keating masterclass as unbeaten Man City claim huge win!
Manchester City claimed a big win over Chelsea on Lauren Hemp's 150th game.
MATCH PREVIEW:
The biggest clash of the WSL season yet!! Both teams, unbeaten coming into this game, both games won by 1-goal margins. Manchester City edged Arsenal away at Boreham Wood on Sunday, thanks to Laia Aleixandri's winner on 74 minutes and Khiara Keating's goalkeeping brilliance towards the end, whereas WSL leaders Chelsea needed an 80th minute winner from their January signing from Levante UD , Mayra Ramirez to see off championship side, Crystal Palace to march into the quarter-finals. In the WSL, both teams are in great form. Who will dominate this massive game? Will defending champions Chelsea continue their 3-year unbeaten home run, or will Manchester City break that run and level themselves on GD ( Goal Difference) with the WSL holders? It is going to be a blockbuster of a match and we can't wait for this!! The previous encounter ended in a fiery 1-1 draw at the Joie Stadium in October, with Manchester City finishing the game with 9 players as they couldn't push for a win against Chelsea.
TEAM NEWS:
One change for hosts Chelsea from their narrow home win over Crystal Palace, with Lauren James replacing Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, with the Swede dropping to the bench. Hannah Hampton continues to deptutise for Zecira Musovic and Ann-Katrin Berger, with Mia Fishel away on international duty with the USA women's team.
Manchester City are unchanged from their narrow FA Cup away win over Arsenal, with the same starting XI today. Bunny Shaw is deemed, fit and clear to start despite going off with a calf issue on Sunday. A big milestone today, as Lauren Hemp makes her 150th appearance for Manchester City!
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Khiara Keating: What a season the 19-year-old is having! Having extended her contract till 2027, she has now made the most saves in this year's WSL and all competitions. She has kept 4 clean sheets in a row, and her 6th WSL clean sheet following their 2-0 home win over Leicester City. Can she continue her terrific season with another clean sheet?
Hannah Hampton: How valuable has the 23-year-old been to Chelsea? Her first start was on the 17th December against Bristol City, and ever since, has been the first-choice ahead of fellow goalkeepers, Zecira Musovic and Ann-Katrin Berger. She is also keeping clean sheets for Chelsea as well. Can she continue her great form today?
Khadija "Bunny" Shaw: What more can you say about the 27-year-old? The top-scorer in this year's WSL season. Even though she missed out on the golden boot to Rachel Daly, she is keen on winning it this season.
Lauren James: It has been a wonderful season for the 22-year-old. She is just behind Bunny Shaw on the race to win the golden boot. Like the Jamaican, she also has two hat-tricks this season. Both at Stamford Bridge and will she extend her tally tonight at Kingsmeadow?
KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF
Manchester City get the contest underway, as the first half begins! It is a very intriguing contest between these two sides, who have played some very good football. Following all the opening exchanges, the first goal came on the quarter-hour mark. OH, CUTHBERT'S LOST THE BALL AND JESS PARK IS THROUGH HERE, LOVELY CONTROL OF THE BALL AND SHE FINDS BUNNY SHAW, AND SHAW IS THERE TO FINISH IT!!! MANCHESTER CITY SCORE THE FIRST GOAL OF THE NIGHT!!! BEAUTIFULLY DONE AND GOOD PRESSURE FROM YOUNG PARK ON THE CHELSEA SKIPPER! AND SHE ROBS THE SCOT AND GOES IN THE CLEAR, AND SHE FOUND SHAW, WHO SLOTS IT PAST THE HELPLESS HAMPTON. 1-0 TO MANCHESTER CITY AND CELEBRATIONS FROM THE JAMAICAN FORWARD. SHE MAKES IT CHELSEA 0 - MANCHESTER CITY 1!
It is big setback for Chelsea, whose midfield haven't communicated properly, which led to the goal for City. Can they find a response to that goal? But they once again had to ensure that they didn't concede another goal, as Bunny Shaw and Manchester City continued to tie Chelsea down until the half-hour mark. During that, a penalty appeal from Chelsea, as Mayra Ramirez was brought down by Alex Greenwood who tussled hard to win the ball, but eventually Khiara Keating collects it. But referee, Abigail Bryne turned down the appeal and told the players to continue. From an angle, it did look like Greenwood made contact with the 24-year-old Colombian forward, but it wasn't enough for Bryne to award the hosts a spot kick. Big moment in the game this.
Even though Ramirez was brought down, Chelsea's penalty appeals were struck down.
Chelsea continued to test Khiara Keating as they trailed on. But on 34 minutes, the hosts' first chance of the game. Ramirez and Melanie Leupolz working together as they found Fran Kirby. SHE SHOOTS, AND GOOD SAVE FROM KHIARA KEATING! NOTHING MUCH IN the shot, as it goes behind for a Chelsea corner.
HALF-TIME at Kingsmeadow, with Manchester City holding onto their 1-goal advantage, thanks to Bunny Shaw's goal on 14 minutes. It's going to be a lot of hard work for Chelsea before the second half, can they steal a point off the visitors and keep their unbeaten home run intact?
KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF
The pressure is on Chelsea, as they kick-off the second half, with the hosts trailing with 45 minutes and stoppage time to play. There weren't too many good moments in the second half, as they continued to test the two goalkeepers, but nothing spectacular happening. With no way of breaking the City backline, Emma Hayes blinks first with her substitutions, as she brings on Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Aggie Beever-Jones on for Guro Reiten and Fran Kirby. Even with those subs on, it is still very difficult for the hosts to find a way back, unless there was a miracle from the hosts. And it very nearly came on 77 minutes. KANERYD, CUTS INSIDE AND CUTS IT BACK, CUTHBERTTT!!! HOW CLOSE WAS THAT!!! FOR A MOMENT, ERIN CUTHBERT WAS CLOSE TO LEVELLING THE GAME, BUT HER SHOT TICKLES WIDE OF THE POST!! MASSIVE CHANCE MISSED FOR CHELSEA! HOW BIG OF AN ESCAPE IS THAT, FOR GARETH TAYLOR'S SIDE?!
With substitutions lingering around for both teams, stoppage time and drama was to come!! THERE WILL BE 9 MINUTES ADDED ON!!! My word are the Chelsea fans delighted!! They want a goal, so badly! And then, Khiara Keating and her goalkeeping brilliance in the 5th minute of added time. In from Björn, Lauren James flicks on the header, and CANKOVIC, BRILLIANT SAVE FROM KEATING, AND ANOTHER BRILLIANT PIECE OF GOALKEEPING FROM THE 19-YEAR-OLD! This time, she denies Sjöke Nüsken, with an arm out to stop her from scoring!! My word have Manchester City been brilliant, defensive-wise.
Keating makes a game-changing save to deny Cankovic and Nüsken with 4 minutes to play.
AND THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE HAS SOUNDED, AND WHAT AN IMPORTANT VICTORY THIS IS FOR MANCHESTER CITY!! THEY HAVE ENDED CHELSEA'S 3-YEAR UNBEATEN HOME RUN AND MOVE LEVEL ON POINTS WITH THE WSL LEADERS. Bunny Shaw's goal on 14 minutes and Khiara Keating's goalkeeping brilliance at the end were enough to help them see off the defending champions on their turf. Despite several chances, Chelsea have underperformed in back-to-back games and will need to bounce back from that damaging home loss after the international break.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: ALEX GREENWOOD & KHIARA KEATING
A very good day at the office for Manchester City, and it was their defence that stood firm in their win and the 30-year-old CB was the key! Despite the tackle on Mayra Ramirez, she has made some good passes and defended very well to prevent any Chelsea player from scoring. Terrific performance from the captain tonight. Also, a shout-out to Khiara Keating once again! How brilliant has she been yet again!! Timely saves on 34 minutes, and 90'+5 minutes, have kept their unbeaten run alive and increases their chances of winning the WSL! It is a 7th clean sheet for the 19-year-old in the WSL!! Fully deserved.
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