Chloe Kelly scored for a second consecutive match and helped Manchester City to successive wins with a first-half goal against Reading
Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor says goal difference has been “on the minds” of his players after they routed Reading 4-1 to move three points behind Women’s Super League leaders Manchester United in second.
Khadija Shaw became the outright WSL top scorer with her 18th goal of the season as City responded in style to falling behind after a minute, conceding when Sanne Troelsgaard curled a classy strike beyond returning goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck to give the bottom side a surprise lead.
Chloe Kelly pounced to fire in a 15th-minute equaliser after the persistently threatening Shaw had caused uncertainty inside Reading’s penalty area, and the Jamaica striker doubled the lead within 10 minutes by powerfully heading in Alex Greenwood’s corner before Lauren Hemp and Steph Houghton scored after the break.
“It’s been on our minds – there’s no doubt about that,” said Taylor, whose team have been free-scoring in their past two games to close in on rivals Chelsea and Arsenal’s goal differences, although United still have a 13-goal overall superiority over their neighbours.
“In our last two games, we’ve scored 10 and given away three. The stats are showing that we’re creating and scoring. We want to score more. Everybody does.”
Hemp put City firmly on course for victory by sliding in Kelly’s cross to make it 3-1 two minutes after the break, and the England forward also hit the woodwork with a half-volley before captain Houghton curled in a free-kick from a central position on the edge of the penalty area with 20 minutes remaining.
On a predictably busy afternoon for away goalkeeper Grace Moloney, City sent in 12 shots during the opening 33 minutes and were denied when the goalkeeper produced a fine save to deny Laura Coombs, with Hemp also blasting a shot over the crossbar as part of a procession of chances.
A game Reading side came close to equalising courtesy of a first-half blunder from Roebuck, who redeemed herself with a smart stop when Troelsgaard charged down her attempted clearance.
The result keeps City in touch with United, who scored a last-gasp winner to secure victory at Aston Villa on Friday, and moves them four points above Chelsea, who have three games in hand.
Reading remain bottom and are two points behind Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City with three matches of their campaign left, having played a game more than both of the teams immediately above them.
City stay in chase
If conceding almost instantly represented the worst possible start for City, their response was emphatic: by the time Kelly’s fifth goal of the season brought them level, they had held more than 82% of possession to make their equaliser seem an inevitability.
City wingers Kelly (7.67) and Hemp (5.31) ranked first and second in the WSL for expected assists before the game, so it was little surprise to see the pair directly contribute to three goals between them.
Taylor says his wingers have had “flat periods” during the season but knows that giving them better opportunities has been vital to his team outscoring Chelsea and Arsenal.
“It’s just about how we get these balls to our wide players in better situations,” said Taylor. “That’s going to determine what those stats look like, in terms of goals and assists.”
Arsenal have two games in hand on the top two but are six points behind City with a better goal difference by three – one more than Chelsea.
Prolific Shaw showed again why she is integral to City’s hopes, capitalising on a cross again for the team who have profited most from deliveries in open play in the top flight this season.
The 26-year-old’s eighth goal in six WSL games puts her one ahead of Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly – the only other player in the top flight to have scored more than 10 times this season.
United’s considerable goal difference means their neighbours almost certainly still need Marc Skinner’s side to slip up if they are to overhaul them, but their game at United on 21 May looms as a tantalising chance to supercharge their challenge, while they must also hope Chelsea do not overtake them by winning two of their games in hand.
Either side of meeting United, City will see their trip to Liverpool next Sunday and the visit of Everton in their final fixture as winnable.
Those games are unlikely to be as straightforward as the second half of this comfortable win became, earning Gareth Taylor’s players an 18th WSL home game without defeat and a 15th triumph along the way.
Reading’s wretched away run continues
Reading boss Kelly Chambers spoke of her regret that her side conceded early in the second half rather than starting as brightly as they had in the first.
Opponents in such imperious home form always looked an ominous prospect for a team who have gone five without a win and were aiming to end a nine-game losing away run in the WSL.
The Royals last prevailed away at Everton in February 2022, and they have not kept a clean sheet on the road since a goalless draw at Leicester almost a year ago.
Troelsgaard’s terrific opener was worthy of providing hope, turning smartly to whip her shot past Roebuck’s dive and score arguably the pick of the goals even after Houghton’s precise set piece.
It was the first goal of the past 11 in games between these teams to have been scored by Reading, and it wasn’t long before their familiar tormentors were on their way to a fifth successive win in the fixture.
“This was probably not the game that we would have earmarked to get out of the relegation battle,” said Chambers, adding that the “vibe” has been good among her squad while accepting that part of her task now is to keep spirits up.
“Anyone in football knows that it just takes one result. I truly believe that the other teams have got tough games to play.
“It’s hard when you see yourself at the bottom. We have a group who want to fight. They want to get out and the staff are exactly the same.”
Fifth-placed Aston Villa are Reading’s visitors next Sunday and Chelsea arrive in their final match of the season, when the reigning champions may need a result to successfully defend their title.
Reading’s best chance of securing precious points appears to be on 21 May, when they travel to a Tottenham team currently three points above them and on a four-game winless run.
Line-ups
Man City Women
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Roebuck
2Casparij6Houghton5Greenwood14Morgan
25Hasegawa12Angeldahl
9Kelly7Coombs11Hemp
21Shaw
- 1Roebuck
- 2Casparij
- 6Houghton
- 5GreenwoodSubstituted forOuahabiat 76’minutes
- 14Morgan
- 25HasegawaSubstituted forFowlerat 76’minutes
- 12Angeldahl
- 9Kelly
- 7CoombsSubstituted forCastellanosat 75’minutes
- 11HempSubstituted forRasoat 66’minutes
- 21Shaw
Substitutes
- 3Stokes
- 8Fowler
- 10Castellanos
- 13Raso
- 15Ouahabi
- 35Keating
- 42Dahou
Reading Women
Formation 4-4-2
1Moloney
9Eikeland16Mayi Kith17Caldwell3Mukandi
12Harries27Vanhaevermaet23Rowe7Wellings
51Troelsgaard37Primmer
- 1Moloney
- 9Eikeland
- 16Mayi Kith
- 17CaldwellBooked at 82mins
- 3Mukandi
- 12HarriesSubstituted forWadeat 73’minutes
- 27VanhaevermaetSubstituted forPerryat 87’minutes
- 23Rowe
- 7Wellings
- 51TroelsgaardSubstituted forHendrixat 87’minutes
- 37PrimmerBooked at 4minsSubstituted forMooreat 55’minutes
Substitutes
- 2Bryson
- 5Evans
- 11Wade
- 15Hendrix
- 18Jane
- 19Alexander
- 20Moore
- 30Poulter
- 34Perry
Referee:Amy Fearns
Attendance:3,102
Live Text
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Match ends, Manchester City Women 4, Reading Women 1.
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Second Half ends, Manchester City Women 4, Reading Women 1.
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Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Brooke Hendrix.
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Attempt blocked. Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mary Fowler.
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Deyna Castellanos (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Amalie Eikeland (Reading Women).
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Attempt missed. Khadija Shaw (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
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Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Lauren Wade (Reading Women).
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Substitution, Reading Women. Brooke Hendrix replaces Sanne Troelsgaard.
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Substitution, Reading Women. Madison Perry replaces Justine Vanhaevermaet.
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Attempt blocked. Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Deyna Castellanos.
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Attempt missed. Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Mary Fowler.
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Attempt missed. Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Chloe Kelly with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Diane Caldwell (Reading Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Mary Fowler (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Diane Caldwell (Reading Women).
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Hayley Raso (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Emma Mukandi (Reading Women).
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Attempt missed. Mary Fowler (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Hayley Raso.
