Late equaliser dents City’s Champions League hopes: West Ham 1 – 1 Manchester City | OneFootball

West Ham scored a late equaliser against Manchester City, denting Gareth Taylor’s sides’ Champions League hopes.

Manuela Pavi secured a well-deserved point for the Hammers in the Women’s Super League, leaving City in fourth and one point behind Arsenal.

After a first half where City struggled to create chances, last season’s Golden Boot winner Bunny Shaw, was introduced in the 67th minute and had an instant impact. 10 minutes before the final whistle, it looked as though she had snatched all three points for the visitors with a close-range finish.

However, West Ham had other ideas. Resilient at the back and dangerous on the counter, the Hammers found their reward in stoppage time. Pavi’s composed finish in the first minute of added time salvaged a point for the home side, capping off a strong performance under the lights.

Following their seven-goal thriller against Arsenal at the weekend, this was a valuable point for Rehanne Skinner’s side. Meanwhile, City will be left frustrated by what feels like a major setback in their bid for Champions League football.

Here’s five things we learned from the game…

A story of the substitutes

City shifted into a higher gear following the introduction of star striker Shaw in the 67th minute, forcing a save with just her first touch of the game. She immediately made her presence felt, not only through her goal-scoring threat, audaciously attempting an overhead kick, but also by her ability to be that focal point, linking up the play across the pitch.

Taylor seemed to get his tactics spot on, or so he thought, bringing on Laura Coombs and Vivianne Miedema to aid City’s bid for a goal. Nevertheless, it was the one and only Bunny Shaw who found the back of the net from close range with her 12th goal of the league season, following another delivery from Mary Fowler.

However, West Ham’s equaliser proved that Skinner’s changes were just as impactful – supersub Paví looked  bright and full of energy upon her introduction at half time, and her late finish in the far right corner was sublime. It was a sublime backheel from Riko Ueki playing the ball back into Pavi’s path, who then went on to place the ball exquisitely in the far right corner in the 91st minute, earning the home side a well-deserved point.

Is Man City’s bid for Champions League football over?

Sitting one point behind third- placed Arsenal, some might say City’s hope for Champions League football is falling away.

While the dropped points against West Ham are a significant blow, City are still within touching distance of a top-three finish and Taylor remains optimistic, stating after the game that his side must simply “win game after game” to stand a chance.

Taylor’s side have shown resilience throughout the season, but consistency has been their biggest challenge. If they are to stand any chance of securing a Champions League spot, they will need to put together a flawless run-in and rely on Arsenal, who have a game in hand, faltering.

It’s not over just yet, but City’s margin for error is now razor-thin.

The Hammers start brightly again

West Ham came out the blocks flying for the second time in just four days, after a scintillating clash with the Gunners where they were unlucky recipients of a 4-3 defeat.

Not afraid to press Manchester City from the off, the Hammers forced the away side into their own mistakes, with the first chance of the game falling to West Ham captain Katrina Gorry in the 10th minute, who blazed just over the bar.

The Hammers’ relentless pressing pinned City back in their defensive third, earning a series of corners, though none resulted in the breakthrough they desired.

Man City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita produced two crucial first-half saves, denying Seraina Piubel from close range and keeping out Riko Ueki’s header, ensuring the hosts had nothing to show for their efforts by half-time.

City struggle to break down a resilient West Ham defence

Despite controlling possession for the majority of the game, City were unable to craft many clear-cut opportunities with most of their attacking joy coming from the wide areas.

However, West Ham’s disciplined defending made life tough for Taylor’s side, dealing well with set pieces, frustrating City’s usual dead-ball threat from Mary Fowler’s deliveries.

West Ham full back Eva Nystrom was able to pacify the early threat of City’s bright 19-year-old winger Lily Murphy, who had City’s closest chance of the first half with her curling effort going just wide.

The visitors ramped up the pressure in the second half, with goalkeeper Kinga Szemik called into action multiple times. City’s Laura Wienroither, on her first start for the club, rattled the crossbar on the half-volley in the 72nd minute however it seemed inevitable that it would be Bunny Shaw who broke the deadlock.

After Arsenal put four goals past West Ham, City’s lack of attacking bite raises questions. The return of Lauren Hemp can’t come soon enough.

Rehanne Skinner going under the radar?

Skinner appears to have got her tactics almost spot on in recent games, transforming West Ham into a disciplined, hard-to-beat unit against two of the WSL’s strongest sides.

Sitting ninth in the league, the Hammers have shown much more promise in the second half of the season, becoming more clinical in front of goal and demonstrating a greater desire to compete.

Their ability to frustrate top opposition, as seen in the hard-fought games against recent top-half opposition , is a testament to her tactical acumen and the growing cohesion within the squad.

Skinner’s ability to adapt her approach against top teams while instilling confidence in her players might have gone under the radar this season.