Jess Park masterclass sends Manchester City to the top of the WSL table!

Saturday 23 March 2024

Barclays WSL Season 2023/24

Etihad Stadium, Ashton New Rd, Manchester M11 3FF

Manchester City Vs Manchester United

Jess Park masterclass sends Man City to the top of the WSL table!

Manchester City once again dominated the Derby against United, thanks to Jess Park's brilliant performance & Khadija Shaw's milestone goal

MATCH PREVIEW:

One of the biggest games in the WSL, the MANCHESTER DERBY. How big is this game for both sides? Manchester City have a chance to remain top of the WSL for 24 hours ahead of Chelsea's trip to West Ham. They also have a great opportunity to wreak havoc and do the double over their City rivals. Man City are chasing an 11th straight WSL win to maintain their hopes of silverware this season, whereas Manchester United are hoping to follow up their incredible run of form by chasing a spot for next year's UWCL. Manchester City saw off Brighton by a comfortable 4-1 win, thanks to goals from Mary Fowler, Khadija Shaw, Laura Coombs and Lauren Hemp, despite Lee Geum-Mein scoring against her former club. Manchester United kept pace with the WSL as they beat Bristol City, thanks to Lisa Naaslund's brace. Who will take the bragging rights in the Derby? Will Manchester be BLUE OR RED?

TEAM NEWS:

1 change for Manchester City from their 4-1 win over Brighton, with Alanna Kennedy replacing Laia Aleixandri at the last minute, with the 23-year-old picking up an injury during training. 

1 change for Marc Skinner's United from their 2-0 win over Bristol City, with Geyse in place of Melvine Malard, who drops to the bench.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Jessica Park: How incredible has the 22-year-old been? Contributed in the important 1-0 win over Chelsea, by assisting Bunny Shaw, can she spring in a surprise today?

Nikita Parris: Despite not getting the call-up to the latest England friendlies with a brilliant run of form, the 30-year-old will look to have her say in this fierce contest, having already represented the blue side of Manchester. Can she get on the scoresheet against her former club?

HERE WE GO!!: FIRST HALF

Man United get the Derby underway by kicking-off!! And we can see straight away, Manchester United are putting the pressure on City, already in the first 5 minutes. But they couldn't take their chances, despite Maya Le Tissier heading wide from Katie Zelem's corner inside 2 minutes. United continued to up the anti until City started the attack on 21 minutes, Hannah Blundell catching Mary Fowler out as she received the game's first booking. After the first 25 minutes were all United, it was Manchester City's turn to have their say in this Derby. Park's fierce long-range strike was well saved by England's number one, Mary Earps. And Hasegawa wasn't also far off, but the 27-year-old just misses out from long range again. It finally took the hosts 37 minutes to finally break through and they got the opening goal, courtesy of a United mistake. Earps, sends it over, can't find a player in red. OOOH, Han Blundell and Millie Turner are appealing for offside against Bunny Shaw, but Abi Bryne wasn't interested!! How big is that decision going to hurt the Red Devils? Nicely played by Coombs, on to Hemp, finds OUAHABI, PARKKK!!!!! JESS PARK HAS SCORED FOR MANCHESTER CITY IN THE MANCHESTER DERBY!! WHAT A MOMENT FOR THE 22-YEAR-OLD LIFELONG CITY FAN!! HER FIRST-EVER WSL GOAL FOR THE BLUES. AND IT COULDN'T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME THAN THIS!  Jess Park with yet another crucial goal contribution to put City in front. 

Park's superb finish from Ouahabi's cross was her first WSL goal in Man City colours. 

That really hurts for Manchester United. They think that it should've been ruled out had VAR been involved, but since there is no VAR, the game continues. Can they come up with a leveller before half-time?

And on the stroke of half-time it was 2-0. And once again, it's another team goal. Corner taken short from Fowler, finds Hemp, who picks out Yui Hasegawa, in from Hasegawa, KENNEDY NODS IT FORWARD, BUT PARK IS THERE AGAIN!!! OH WOWWW!! A DERBY DOUBLE FOR JESS PARK TODAY!! WHAT AN IMPRESSIVE FINISH AND A TERRIFIC TEAM GOAL, THAT PUTS MANCHESTER CITY 2 - 0 UP RIGHT ON THE HALF-TIME WHISTLE!! No chance for Earps, and the defence was once again caught lacking.  Brilliant cross from Hasegawa

Park celebrates her brace, with City going into the HT interval with a 2-0 lead.

Half-Time at the Etihad Stadium. Quite a phenomenal performance from the home side. Had that goal from Jess Park been ruled out for offiside, it would've been only a narrow advantage.

HERE WE GO: SECOND HALF!

Manchester United have to try and find a way back into the game, but the start they wanted, was a milestone moment for Manchester City. Jess Park is once again at the heart of it as she robs Katie Zelem, and now feeds it through, BUNNY SHAW IS THROUGH ON GOAL, IS THIS THE BIG MOMENT, YESSS IT ISSS!!!!! KHADIJA "BUNNY" SHAW HAS NOW SET A NEW RECORD. SHE IS NOW THE RECORD GOAL SCORER FOR CITY. GOAL NUMBER 68 IN HER 81ST GAME FOR THE CLUB!! WHAT A MOMENT FOR THE 27-YEAR-OLD!! 17th WSL goal for this season, as she looks to close in on that golden boot. And surely now, Manchester City are running away with the game in their hands!!

Bunny Shaw scored her 17th WSL goal for this season to put City 3-0 up.

Now it is well out of United's reach, and they continue to search for a consolation at least. But they did suffer an injury blow, with Canadian full-back Jayde Riviere picking up a knock. And she couldn't continue on, with the returning Aoife Mannion replacing her, as well as 36-year-old "SUPER SUB" Rachel Williams, replacing the luckless Nikita Parris.

They are looking very lively now, are Man United, with Lucía García and Geyse causing problems for the defence, but they stood strong and held them off, even Leila Ouahabi was having a great game as she held her former Barcelona teammate, and kept her at bay.

Two former Barca players, Geyse and Leila Ouahabi in action as they battle it out for possession.

After soaking all the pressure, Manchester United finally got a consolation goal on 73 minutes. United in the City penalty area, as Ella Toone has the ball from Fowler's header, she finds Blundell, and IT'S IN!! IT MIGHT'VE TAKEN A TOUCH ON THE WAY THROUGH OFF KERSTIN CASPARAIJ, BUT UNITED HAVE FOUND SOMETHING. No clean sheet for Khiara Keating, but still City in front with 15 minutes to play. 

Even though she couldn't make an impact against her former club, Toone set up Blundell for their first goal of the game.

And after all that, there was nothing much both sides can muster to claim more goals. It was another record crowd today, at the Etihad Stadium with 40k people coming in to watch the fierce derby happen.

THAT IS THAT!! THE FULL TIME WHISTLE HAS SOUNDED, AND MANCHESTER CITY HAVE ONCE AGAIN UNDERLINED THEIR STATUS AS THE QUEENS OF THE DERBY. MANCHESTER IS BLUE IN THE WSL ONCE AGAIN! Both the men and women wrapped up the job in emphatic style.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Jess Park

Jess Park was outstanding in her player of the match performance with 2 goals and an assist.

What can you say more about this gifted 22-year-old? She was put into the starting XI with Jill Roord rupturing her ACL. Her first start was against Leicester City on February 4, coupled with some great performances against Arsenal at Boreham Wood and Chelsea at Kingsmeadow. She has had an incredible time so far. Getting those two goals and setting up Bunny Shaw for her milestone goal, has really given her the confidence she wanted. Can she continue that incredible form next Saturday?