Gareth Taylor’s assertion that Manchester City could win the league after a 1-1 stalemate with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in December raised eyebrows. “Our goal is to win the championship. We’re looking at more than just the Champions League,” he said. “We have positioned ourselves to take the league. If we win every game in the second half of the season, we will win the league. It’s that straightforward.
Six victories and a draw followed, including this 2-0 victory over reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, a team City had not defeated in 12 previous WSL matches. Taylor appears to be either a genius or exceptionally fortunate, or possibly a combination of the two.
“Remarkably, we’re in this position after losing the first two games of the season,” Taylor said. “The athletes are responsible for that. We are a fairly new crew. To be in this position right now is remarkable.”
Sunday’s victory over Chelsea ties City with United for the most points in the league, despite United’s superior goal differential. The two Manchester clubs are currently one point ahead of Chelsea and three points ahead of Arsenal, despite having played one more game than both London clubs.
The championship race is wide open, and while Chelsea remains in the driver’s seat if Emma Hayes’s team wins their game in hand, the Londoners were stunned on the road on Sunday.
Hayes stated, “We were so sluggish in the first half, our third away game in a week.” “I believed it resembled it. It was the difference in the first half between the two clubs.”
Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly were particularly potent on the wings for City, with Hemp’s performance reportedly inspiring Usain Bolt to ask for her shirt after the match. They capitalized on Chelsea’s defensive turmoil, as England defender Millie Bright was ruled out after suffering an injury in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Lyon.
While Hayes’ team was competing against the incumbent European champions and eight-time Champions League winners, City had a week to prepare for Chelsea’s visit. This may be the factor that provides City the edge in this incredibly close title race. Although they would prefer to be in contention in Europe and the FA Cup, they now have a singular concentration, whereas Chelsea and next week’s opponents Arsenal are amid difficult Champions League quarterfinal matches. Chelsea and Manchester United will also compete in the FA Cup semifinals.
City’s press was relentless from the opening whistle in front of 5,222 spectators at the Academy Stadium, forcing errors from an overworked Chelsea side without Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder.
In the 21st minute, Chelsea contributed a goal that gave the host team the lead. Hayes’s team passed the ball around in the back, looking for a hole to play through, but when none appeared, Ann-Katrin Berger kicked it away with Kelly lurking. Filippa Angeldahl intercepted the errant pass, combined with Hemp, and swept the ball past the errant custodian.
City’s second goal also featured sloppiness at the defense. Following a corner kick, the opposing team failed to clear the ball from the penalty area.
Kelly crossed the ball from the right side, Laura Coombs and Kadeisha Buchanan fought for the header, but the ball fell to Hemp. She then laughed and pointed to the cotton wool in her ear, which was there to aid in her recuperation from an ear infection that kept her from training on Saturday.
Chelsea’s head coach, Hayes, made two substitutions in the 36th minute, removing the team’s finest offensive outlet, Lauren James, and replacing her with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and defensive midfielder Sophie Ingle with Niamh Charles.
“[Fresh] legs,” said Hayes. “Your mind may want to do a million different things, but if your legs don’t want to do it, it will be difficult.”
It was a tactical adjustment that had little effect, with City’s Yui Hasegawa pulling the strings in the center and Chelsea’s players unable to breathe without a light blue shirt bearing down on them.
City had a late opportunity to extend their lead when Khadija Shaw sent a header onto the top of the goal, but they had already done enough harm in the first half.
Hayes is concerned because it has been a long time since Chelsea appeared unable to address problems on the field when struggling, and the manager has appeared powerless from the sidelines.
A 3-1 loss to Arsenal in the final of the Continental League Cup, with all goals scored in the first half, followed by this loss to City in the league suggests that perhaps injuries and a demanding schedule have finally caught up with a team that has not been at its fluid best this season but has been adequate.
