Match Recap: Manchester City Women breeze past Bristol City Women

After Gareth Taylor’s team lifted the FA Cup the previous week, they were looking for similar success in the WSL returning to the Academy Stadium for the first time in a month. They started the game brightly, dominating the possession, as would be expected with Bristol City Women sitting at the bottom of the table.

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The first goal came early for City, Georgia Stanway played a ball into the six-yard box and the ball was originally cleared off the line by a Bristol City defender. The ball then struck Bristol’s keeper Sophie Baggaley and rolled into her own net. 1-0 nothing short of what the Blues deserved.

Despite having had very little possession, Bristol converted with their first chance just 10 minutes in. A short back pass from Gemma Bonner meant Ebony Salmon could run through on goal past Ellie Roebuck and equalise. 1-1.

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City had another good chance 20 minutes in with a ball in from the right hand side from Chloe Kelly aimed at Sam Mewis who got a good connection on the header but put it just wide.

Although Manchester City had 87 percent possession at the half hour mark, the score line did not reflect it and City needed to capitalise on their chances.

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Finally, the goal the Cityzens wanted. A long through ball over the top from captain Stephanie Houghton provided Laura Coombs’ second goal of the week after she scored against Liverpool too. 2-1.

With just four minutes of the first half to go and only three minutes after Coombs put Manchester City ahead, the Blues scored again. Keira Walsh had a shot from 20 yards out and after a deflection off Jasmine Matthews saw the ball head into the bottom left corner. 3-1.

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A minute later and City had another, the game was surely out of reach for Bristol now. It was Lucy Bronze with her first goal since she returned to City after leaving in 2017. Bronze ran from just past the halfway line with the ball on the left-hand side and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. 4-1.

The second half began just as the first one had ended- with a Manchester City goal. This time Bronze had the assist after a ball into Stanway from the right-hand side was tapped in with her left foot. 5-1.

With little over half an hour to play, City made two substitutions. Kelly and Mewis both made way, being replaced by Jill Scott and Janine Beckie.

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Soon after coming on Scott had some of the action with an assist for Ellen White. Scott played a low cross into the area which left White with a goal she would always expect to score, a relatively easy tap in. 6-1.

Half an hour to play and City never let their possession slip. They had improved further with 86 percent. Stanway had an effort at the near post which was hit straight at Baggaley.

City’s third and final substitution and Walsh left the field to be replaced by Rose Lavelle.

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The 81^st minute and another for Manchester City! The eighth scorer of the game! White won the ball on the half-way line and played it through to Beckie who was part of City’s counterattack. Beckie’s shot was across the keeper into the bottom corner. Her first WSL goal of the season. 7-1.

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Another! Alex Greenwood played the ball forward into the path of White who was the first player to score twice in the fixture, with a calm finish through the legs of Baggaley. 8-1.

City nearly had a ninth in injury time. Greenwood with a shot from just outside the area which came off the inside of the post.

Final score: 8-1