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FROM KINGSMEADOW – Manchester Metropolis put in an impressed efficiency to defeat reigning WSL champions Chelsea 1-0 on Friday, blowing the title race huge open and ending the Blues’ run of twenty-two video games unbeaten at dwelling within the league.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw helped Metropolis of their race for the title by netting the profitable purpose within the 14th minute, persevering with her personal quest for the Golden Boot within the course of.
Her spectacular strike dented Chelsea’s spectacular dwelling file, whereas earlier than this assembly, Chelsea had defeated Metropolis of their final six dwelling video games within the WSL.
Shaw’s purpose was the product of brilliance from Jess Park, who earned a recall to the Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad throughout the week. On her first league begin after Jill Roord suffered an ACL harm final month, Park excelled within the midfield, protecting Metropolis one foot in entrance for all the night and guaranteeing the stress by no means ceased on a mismatched Chelsea defence.
The end result now leaves the 2 sides degree on the high of the desk. They’re tied on factors (34) and purpose distinction (+28), with solely Chelsea’s superior targets for maintain them at primary. However after this defeat, Emma Hayes will probably be trying over her shoulder as any minor mistake may reward Metropolis the title in her ultimate season.
How the sport unfolded
With each groups vying for early dominance, it was a extremely contested opening jiffy earlier than the impasse was damaged 14 minutes in. Park careered down on purpose after robbing Erin Cuthbert of the ball and performed in Shaw, and the Jamaican striker made no mistake to fireside dwelling previous Hannah Hampton.
Two minutes later, Shaw may have added a second after some nifty footwork foiled two defenders however she rolled her limp shot huge.
After Metropolis confronted some questionable officiating having had two gamers despatched off within the reverse fixture, it was Chelsea who could be aggrieved to not have been awarded a penalty this time round after skipper Alex Greenwood introduced Mayra Ramirez down within the field, however obtained away with a transparent foul.
Because the Blues looked for a gap, Lauren James made headway on the left flank, however Fran Kirby’s eventual shot was despatched huge after Khiara Keating managed to get a hand to the goal-bound strike.
With half-time swiftly approaching, Cuthbert, donning the captain’s armband for the hosts, despatched a rocket simply inches over the crossbar.
Struggling to string passes collectively, Chelsea have been dropping the midfield battle with Park and Yui Hasegawa protecting the Blues’ normally formidable trio – Cuthbert, Melanie Leupolz and James – uncharacteristically quiet.
Metropolis, sitting again and defending with 20 minutes nonetheless left to play, have been relentless in piling the stress on the hosts as Park continued to press the hosts. Chloe Kelly likelihood so as to add a second was nicely anticipated by Hampton who grasped the looping shot with aid.
Within the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, a purpose line save from Keating denied substitute Jelena Cankovic, who regarded to loop over the shot-stopper, with a effective save. Sjoeke Nusken lurked able to poke dwelling however a scrambled clearance ensured Metropolis took all three factors again to Manchester.
GK: Hannah Hampton – 7/10 – Anticipated pictures nicely and regained composure after the early purpose.
RB Ashley Lawrence – 5/10 – Struggled in opposition to Hemp who was out-smarting the full-back with tempo and inverting in-field.
CB: Nathalie Bjorn – 6/10 – Stored calm and composed however failed to trace again resulting in Shaw’s purpose.
CB: Jess Carter – 6/10 – Physicality appeared a miss for the centre-back who struggled in opposition to a menacing Metropolis assault.
LB: Niamh Charles – 7/10 – Did nicely at left-back, however the swap to the again three eliminated her progressive assaults.
CM: Melanie Leupolz – 6/10 – Was unable to fully extinguish Hasegawa’s menace however maintained composure.
CM: Erin Cuthbert – 5/10 – Fell sufferer to Metropolis’s press after being lulled into making errors.
RW: Fran Kirby – 7/10 – Had a handful of constructive possibilities however struggled to actually make them depend.
AM: Lauren James – 7/10 – Offered the vast majority of possibilities for Chelsea however was tied up coping with Hasegawa to completely assault Metropolis.
LW: Guro Reiten – 6/10 – Struggled to have a lot impact on the sport after dropping the battle in opposition to Casparij for management.
CF: Mayra Ramirez – 6/10 – Had a couple of actually constructive alternatives to claw one again however was unable to transform the probabilities.
Substitutes
SUB: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (62′ for Kirby) – N/A
SUB: Aggie Beever-Jones (62′ for Reiten) – N/A
SUB: Sjoeke Nusken (71′ for Lawrence) – N/A
SUB: Jelena Cankovic (78′ for Leupolz) – N/A
Unused subs: Zecira Musovic (GK), Eve Perisset, Maren Mjelde, Kadeisha Buchanan, Sophie Ingle.
Supervisor
Emma Hayes – 6/10 – Was unable to conjure any magic to win the battle of the midfield; what finally value them the win.
GK: Khiara Keating – 8/10 – One other very good efficiency from the shot-stopper who stored Metropolis in entrance for almost all the night.
RB: Kerstin Casparij – 7/10 – Stored Reiten quiet on the flank, lowering Chelsea’s assaults to coming solely from the suitable.
CB: Alex Greenwood – 6/10 – Was fortunate to not have given away a penalty however except for that was as soon as once more a stalwart in main the guests from the again.
CB: Laia Aleixandri – 7/10 – A managed and composed efficiency from the Spaniard who handled Chelsea’s assault with aplomb.
LB: Leila Ouahabi – 6/10 – Made a couple of dangerous tackles, however was in a position to match James to maintain her menace minimal.
CM: Yui Hasegawa – 8/10 – Like a composer, she directed play from the center, protecting Metropolis one foot in entrance all through the night.
CM: Jess Park – 8/10 – Making her first league begin, the midfielder impressed one once more, controlling and organising quite a few possibilities to maintain the stress on the Blues and the title race stacked.
CM: Laura Coombs – 6/10 – Aided the midfield management nicely however was carelessly dispossessed a couple of occasions.
RW: Chloe Kelly – 7/10 – Offered easy assaults to steer Metropolis ahead.
CF: Khadija Shaw – 8/10 – Took her likelihood to attain however struggled so as to add one other. However, she offered the purpose to maintain Metropolis’s title race alive.
LW: Lauren Hemp – 7/10 – Used her tempo nicely and tracked again to place in a giant shift defensively to maintain Metropolis forward.
Substitutes
SUB: Filippa Angeldahl (78′ for Kelly) – N/A
SUB: Alanna Kennedy (88′ for Aleixandri) – N/A
SUB: Mary Fowler (88′ for Park) – N/A
SUB: Demi Stokes (90+ 3′ for Coombs) – N/A
Unused subs: Sandy MacIver (GK), Esme Morgan, Laura Blindkilde-Brown, Ruby Mace.
Supervisor
Gareth Taylor – 8/10 – Began his finest XI and handled all of the threats Chelsea posed. Taylor engineered a extremely impressed efficiency to maintain Metropolis inside greedy distance of the title.
Participant of the match: Jess Park (Man Metropolis)
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