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Similar to Storm Claudia swept through the north-west the night before, City blew Manchester United away at the their home ground. It was a emphatic 3-0 win for their manager's side thanks to goals from Knaak, Shaw and Lauren Hemp. It was a display that truly announced their championship potential as they reinforced their position at the league summit.

Consecutive Setbacks for United

This scoreline represented back-to-back WSL losses for Skinner's side for the maiden instance since last May, leaving them seven points off the table toppers with their title hopes severely dented.

United’s capacity to manage domestic and continental football with a thin squad has been a hotly discussed topic since they qualified for the European competition. Looking at the schedule, it always felt like this was the period that would fully examine this ability. Unfortunately for the opposition, they looked fatigued all game, the memorable win against PSG clearly having left its mark.

Lineup Adjustments

The United manager had attempted to freshen things up with a a few alterations. Toone, Elisabeth Terland, Janssen and Galton all provided energy, although the omission of the on-form Melvine Malard to the bench raised a few eyebrows.

The hosts, in contrast, have fewer workload concerns. The City coach made a single alteration from their most recent win over Everton with Lauren Hemp making her initial starting appearance since returning from a physical setback.

Commanding Opening Period

The trouble started to gather for the United boss and his side from the first whistle. This was a show of the power from Manchester City whose energetic forward line controlled and tore United open with a superb initial 45 minutes display that saw them put three past the keeper in under half an hour.

This placed City firmly in control and left United struggling. Prior to this fixture, the away side had allowed just few in this WSL season but they fell apart in the wake of the hosts' attacking flair.

Opening Threats

The warning signs came early when Vivianne Miedema used her strength to muscle Zigiotti off the ball, only to pull her shot past the post. Lauren Hemp was at the center of everything early on, exploiting the space left by Riviere down United’s wing. Her crosses were creating danger and led to an opportunity for Hasegawa that Anna Sandberg kicked off the line.

The Red Devils had a number of forays forwards, their direct style giving them alternatives in the flanks but they could not test Yamashita. City, meanwhile, controlled possession, probing their opponents and trying to pull them out of their defensive shape.

Goals Galore

They made their pressure count with almost the first period played when Aoba Fujino won the home team a set-piece. A delivery to the back post was nodded across goal by Shaw for Knaak to score. It was City’s 7th header of the term.

They extended their lead with another pair of goals just before the half-time. When Jade Rose was allowed to advance through the center from the back, the field opened up for City. The prominent Casparij received possession on the right side before sending a accurate low cross for Bunny Shaw to bundle home. Four minutes later, they had a additional score after a quick shift in the ball saw Hemp given the space to fire a attempt home from range.

After the Break

The clearest adjustment came from the United manager at the break as Melvine Malard was introduced for Terland but by this time it was too late to alter the outcome of the match. Former Manchester City player Jess Park came most likely to score, rattling the upright, but the away team were creatively abject and failed to record a single shot on target.

The hosts, on the other hand, could have added to their advantage when a delightful Vivianne Miedema long ball sent Shaw away only for her to miss the chance but it mattered little to the hosts. Previously unable to defeat any team who ended above them the previous campaign, City's side now have wins against Arsenal and Manchester United to position them in a strong position after the opening fixtures.