Manchester City go nine points clear in WSL after Shaw’s late strike at London City | OneFootball

Manchester City are beginning to look like champions elect after going nine points clear at the top of the Women’s Super League with nine games to play, striking late to claim a precious victory at London City Lionesses.

Khadija Shaw was the calmest person in the ground as she slotted in a low finish in the 86th minute after a goalmouth scramble, before leaping in delight in front of the travelling supporters as they celebrated her winner and avoided what had looked set to be a rare slip-up in Bromley.

It gave the leaders their 12th consecutive WSL victory, maintaining their formidable run since their defeat at Chelsea on the season’s opening night, and a huge psychological boost before next weekend’s game with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium, where they will in effect have a chance to all but win the title at the start of February.

Without a WSL trophy in a decade since their sole title, under Nick Cushing in 2016, Andrée Jeglertz’s side now have the destiny of the title firmly in their hands and, even in a tricky test on a cold January day in south London, they were determined not to let it out of their grasp.

They could have opened the scoring through Shaw when she was picked out at the back post by Kerolin’s hooked cross, but she appeared to lose her footing and knocked an effort wide from close range, in a first half the visitors dominated.

Kerolin then raced on to a through ball and rolled home superbly to make it 1-0, but Eder Maestre’s side struck back valiantly in the second half and played the majority of the second period deep in City’s defensive third.

The hosts’ gradual pressure was rewarded when Freya Godfrey lashed in a rising strike in front of the home supporters, from a difficult angle, and anybody who thought Manchester City were going to canter to the finish line in May was having a rethink.

The home side, watched from the stands by their owner, Michele Kang, as well as the former Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and her Barcelona teammate Patri Guijarro, had also gone close when Kosovare Asllani fired over earlier in the second period.

Shaw, the WSL’s top scorer, nearly won it after being fed by Vivianne Miedema, but she lashed over.. The Jamaican’s moment was still to come, however, and the away side celebrated the victory in a manner that made it clear they knew how important her late strike could be.

Header image: [Photograph: Ben Whitley/PA]