The Women’s Super League title race just got absolutely WILD, with Manchester City now sitting two points clear at the top after a weekend that saw Chelsea completely stumble. What was a neck-and-neck fight, with Chelsea leading on goal difference, flipped on its head in a single Saturday.
Shaw, Hemp, and the City Blitz
While Chelsea struggled, Khadija Shaw, who was a summer transfer target for the Blues, was absolutely running riot at Joie Stadium. Her hat-trick against West Ham led Manchester City to a resounding 5-0 victory. That win didn’t just trim the goal difference gap, it put City two points ahead at the top of the league. Shaw’s been an absolute force this season, scoring 12 goals in just nine league appearances. Seriously, that’s 44% of City’s WSL goals! She is only two goals away from equaling Vivianne Miedema’s all-time WSL record of 97 goals.
Shaw and Lauren Hemp are an unstoppable duo in City’s attack. Their connection was on full display with City’s first goal against West Ham, marking the fifth time they’ve combined in the WSL this season. Hemp told BBC Radio 5 Live it’s “a connection we’ve built over time,” and it shows. City boss Jeglertz knows what’s up, saying, “Our depth is going to be crucial. We can put players on that can bring us to the next level. We are going to need all players. Five games in two weeks.” Goals from Aoba Fujino and Iman Beney against West Ham also proved that City has plenty of other options.
Chelsea’s Stunning Stamford Bridge Stumble
On the other side of the coin, Chelsea, despite dominating at Stamford Bridge, was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Everton. On paper, this should have been an easy win. Everton started the day ranked eighth, and West Ham was 10th, making both games look favorable for the top two. But paper means nothing once the whistle blows. Chelsea had 20 shots, an expected goals total of 2.14, and a whopping 55 touches in the Everton penalty area. What did Everton manage? Zero shots on target and just three touches in Chelsea’s box. Talk about frustrating!
Chelsea’s inability to put those chances away, coupled with Lucy Bronze’s unfortunate own goal, ultimately cost them three points. Captain Erin Cuthbert summed it up, saying, “We weren’t quite on the same page today but I cannot fault anyone’s effort. It’s just one of those days where we’re not at the races and we can’t have too many of those if we want to be in a title race.” They resorted to hopeful crosses and shots from range, lacking the creativity needed to break down a resilient Everton side. And it didn’t help that playmaker Lauren James was out for at least five games after sustaining a hamstring injury.
So what now? Man City is up by two points, and next week they face Chelsea in what could be the *definition* of a title decider. Shaw, ever the pro, is playing it cool, saying “One game at a time. We’ve got Champions League midweek and then we go again. We have to focus on the task ahead and not get too complacent.” But for the rest of us, it’s absolute must-watch TV.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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