Aoba Fujino’s first-half goal was enough for Manchester City to edge past West Ham and keep the pressure on Chelsea in the WSL title race.<\/p>\n
The Japan international finished calmly from Vivianne Miedema\u2019s clever assist midway through the first half, giving City a lead they never surrendered.<\/p>\n
City dominated possession and territory but struggled to turn their superiority into clear chances, registering 18 shots but just one on target.<\/p>\n
Bunny Shaw went close on a couple of occasions, while Gracie Prior struck the bar late on.<\/p>\n
West Ham offered moments of threat on the break – Viviane Asseyi rattled the woodwork and Katrina Gorry drove the team forward – but they couldn\u2019t find a way past Ayaka Yamashita in the City goal.<\/p>\n
Despite late pressure from the visitors, City saw out the four added minutes with composure to secure another important home win.<\/p>\n
As it happened<\/a> | Teams<\/a> | Match stats<\/a> | Table<\/a><\/p>\n West Ham left to rue missed chances<\/p>\n Rehanne Skinner’s West Ham side will feel this was an opportunity missed. Despite spending long spells without the ball, they created some of the game’s best openings and on another day could easily have taken something from it.<\/p>\n Asseyi came closest, crashing a strike against the crossbar after a superb break led by Riko Ueki, while Gorry twice found space around the edge of the area but couldn\u2019t convert. Anna Martinez also saw a powerful effort blocked inside the box as City\u2019s defence stood strong under pressure.<\/p>\n The visitors continued to threaten late on, pushing bodies forward and forcing City to defend deep in the closing stages. It was a performance full of effort and energy, one that deserved more than it yielded.<\/p>\n If West Ham can find a more clinical edge in front of goal, the results are sure to follow.<\/p>\n Blindkilde Brown: The main thing was getting the three points<\/p>\n Manchester City midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown praised her side’s resilience afterwards.<\/p>\n “It was a tough game,” Blindkilde Brown told Sky Sports. “In the first half we were maybe a bit shaky at times, but in the second half we settled down and controlled things a lot better. It was a real battle, but the main thing was getting the three points.”<\/p>\n The 20-year-old, who has been deployed in a deeper midfield role this season, said she\u2019s learning a lot from her partnership with Yui Hasegawa.<\/p>\n “I learn from her every day in training, she’s really helped me develop in the role,” she explained. “I’m trying to improve with every game, and there’s still a lot to work on, but I’m really enjoying it.”<\/p>\n With fans getting excited at the prospect of a WSL title race, Blindkilde Brown insists the team are keeping their focus on themselves.<\/p>\n “We’re just taking it game by game,” she said. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but of course we know what’s at stake. We’ll keep pushing and see where it takes us.”<\/p>\n Control without conviction – City\u2019s title push continues<\/p>\n Analysis by Sky Sports\u2019 Sam Cohen:<\/p>\n \u200bManchester City were dominant for large spells, dictating possession and tempo throughout.<\/p>\n Fujino’s goal showed their quality in tight spaces, but their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal remains an issue: 18 shots, just one on target.<\/p>\n Miedema’s creativity continues to grow, while Blindkilde Brown impressed again in midfield with her composure and energy. City’s defensive shape was solid, restricting West Ham to only a few clear openings.<\/p>\n It’s another win that keeps them in the title race, but they’ll know sharper finishing will be key in the weeks ahead.<\/p>\n Story of the match in stats…<\/p>\n