WSL leaders Manchester City asserted their dominance with a resounding 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United. The game was ended as a contest in the space of four minutes, when Bunny Shaw slid in for her side’s second before Lauren Hemp capped her return from injury with a powerful strike on the stroke of half-time after Rebecca Knaak had initially opened the scoring.

The hosts exerted their control from the off and almost took the lead in the opening minutes when Yui Hasegawa’s shot was cleared off the line. United grew into the game, counteracting City’s high line with balls over the top, but the course of the game was turned when City took the lead in the 26th minute. A Lauren Hemp inswinger to the back post was nodded back across goal by Shaw, with Knaak guiding the ball back across goal past Safia Middleton-Patel. 

Still United pushed forward but City were far more ruthless, doubling their lead in the 43rd minute when Kerstin Casparij’s cross was met by a sliding Shaw to slot home. Hemp capped off a brilliant first half, both for herself and her team, with a thunderous third. The Lionesses star was given far too touch time at the edge of the United box, allowing her to power a left-footed effort into the near top corner. 

Knaak might’ve been sent off in the second half for what probably should’ve been a second yellow but, that aside, the second half passed by with little incident as City extended their lead at the WSL summit to four points, with second-placed Chelsea in action against Liverpool on Sunday.

GOAL rates Manchester City’s players from the Etihad Stadium.