Manchester City Women vs Liverpool Women. Women's Super League.
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Report and highlights as Man City eased to a 5-1 win over Liverpool at City Football Academy; Liverpool took the lead through Taylor Hinds' deft finish but Khadija Shaw's hat-trick, Chloe Kelly's penalty and own goal from Gemma Bonner sealed an emphatic win; City move up to second
Sunday 21 January 2024 17:24, UK
Khadija Shaw's hat-trick fired Manchester City to an emphatic 5-1 victory over Liverpool in the Women's Super League.
Taylor Hinds had given the visitors a 15th-minute lead when she lobbed retreating keeper Khiara Keating, but Gemma Bonner's own goal saw City restore parity within three minutes and it was then that Jamaica striker Shaw took over.
She fired the home side ahead 13 minutes before the break after being gifted possession by keeper Teagan Micah, and then headed home Chloe Kelly's cross deep into first-half stoppage time before completing her treble - her third in four WSL games - with a cheeky back-heeled attempt 11 minutes after the restart.
Kelly added the icing to the cake with a 78th-minute penalty after Lauren Hemp had been brought down by Micah to send City back into second place above Arsenal on goal difference and three points behind Chelsea..
Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor to Sky Sports:
"The way we handled the conditions impressed me the most. It was a game of two halves. It was really difficult when you were kicking from one half to play out, for both teams. I felt we handled that well.
"We pressed superbly in the first half. They played quite a high-risk game and we managed to capitalise. Second half we knew we would have moments where we had to defend, we managed it really well.
"Some superb performances out there, the back players especially. Laia [Alexandri] and Alex [Greenwood] were very good, really pleasing.
"We've got a lot of work still to do, we are the chasing team, and of course like you say you can't have any slip ups. To be scoring the amount of goals that we are, for Bunny to get another hat-trick is impressive, that will be key for us.
"We know we will get chances, and it is just about doing the hard part which is scoring goals."
Liverpool manager Matt Beard to Sky Sports:
"We were the architects of our own downfall today. The second and fourth goals shouldn't happen. We set ourselves a high standard this year, so it is just frustrating.
"We said last week after the Bristol game that we didn't perform to the best of our ability, and if we perform like that and make the mistakes like we did, you get punished against these types of teams.
"There is not much you can say in the moment. We have to go back and review the game, look at the footage and look at the players. We just have to make sure we bounce back from it.
"We had a defeat against Chelsea and bounced back really well, so we need to do that again and make sure we don't make the same mistakes.
"Listen Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea are in a different league to everyone else in the WSL. We are disappointed with the result today, but the gap is big. We have bridged that gap over the course of this season, we need to learn from today and not allow that to happen again."
Manchester City's next game is at home to rivals Manchester United in the League Cup on Wednesday January 24; kick-off 7pm.
Gareth Taylor's side then travel to Tottenham in the WSL on Sunday January 28; kick-off 2pm.
Liverpool are next in action at home to Arsenal in the WSL on Sunday January 28, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 4.30pm.
Matt Beard's side then host Tottenham on Sunday February 4; kick-off 2pm.
At the other end of the table, Elisabeth Terland struck five minutes into stoppage time as Brighton edged out Bristol City 3-2.
Terland had given the home side a first-half lead at the Broadfield Stadium and after Abi Harrison had levelled, Katie Robinson restored it from Terland's through-ball 12 minutes after the restart.
Carrie Jones looked to have snatched a point when she made it 2-2 with seven minutes remaining, but Norway international Terland had other ideas and claimed a victory which lifted her side from 10th place into eighth deep into added time.
