Manchester City Women vs Aston Villa Women. Women's Super League.
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Match report and highlights as Man City claim first home victory of WSL season in style; Aston Villa frustrated hosts in first half but Caroline Weir sparked goalfest after break; Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp, Hayley Raso (2) net in big win
Saturday 20 November 2021 14:37, UK
Manchester City claimed their first home win of a turbulent Women's Super League season and lifted pressure on Gareth Taylor with a 5-0 rout of Aston Villa.
Villa had impressively frustrated their struggling hosts during a goalless first half at the Academy Stadium but Caroline Weir finally elevated the game with a stylish opener (48) and Georgia Stanway's far scruffier effort came just two minutes and 26 seconds later.
The stretching Emily Gielnik was agonisingly close to halving the deficit from close range (73) but instead, another City flurry ensured a long-awaited win was an emphatic one as substitute Hayley Raso scored twice (77, 81) as well as setting up Lauren Hemp (78).
Taylor's side, who had lost as many WSL games as in their previous three campaigns combined, leapfrog their opponents into sixth ahead of Sunday's schedule, and will head into the international break with a much-needed morale boost.
Villa boss Carla Ward had admitted her formation tweak to 4-5-1 had been plotted to thwart City and so it proved in a first half that yielded 84 per cent possession for the hosts but an expected goal tally of just 0.3.
Taylor's players probed without end product in front of Villa's defensive banks, switching the play patiently but lacking the tempo to find a way through.
White had had just a single touch in the opposition box by the half-hour mark, a short Alex Greenwood free-kick into her path snuffed out smartly by Hannah Hampton, and when the England striker did manage to prod goalwards from close range before the break, the Villa goalkeeper was alert again to parry away instinctively.
But a quickfire double shortly after the break would effectively settle the contest.
Weir checked back to craft space and curled into the corner after Hemp's cut-back and, less than three minutes later, Stanway hooked beyond Hampton after a corner brought a goalmouth scramble.
The game might have taken a different twist had Gielnik, fit again after an injury lay-off, connected with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah's cross on a rare Villa foray beyond the halfway line.
But City stretched further ahead with another goal burst that was inspired by Raso's arrival from the bench.
Her first came after Hampton, attempting to prevent a deflected shot from going out for a corner, afforded a gaping goal and the Australian soon played provider as a darting run and pacy delivery offered Hemp a tap-in.
Another predatory moment brought Raso's second and City's fifth after Hemp had hit the bar, as an afternoon that started in cagey fashion for a side out to avenge successive defeats ended comprehensively.
Rachel Yankey on Sky Sports:
"City were back to looking like their old selves. It's amazing what a goal can do - the confidence came back.
"It was all about changing the tempo; for all City's possession, Villa controlled it in the first half. But it clicked for City in the second and they were able to control it."
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk on Sky Sports:
"It was all quite pedestrian in the first half but in the second half, City committed players forward, ran at Villa, got players in the box. Once they got the two goals in quick succession, they had confidence and momentum.
"Hemp was really driving at Villa, pulling their players around, and she showed presence of mind with her pull-backs too."
Man City boss Gareth Taylor: "The desire and work ethic had not been in question; we just needed to make more of our opportunities. Villa made it difficult for us but I'm really pleased with the bravery we showed. We've had a difficult pre-season, a lot of changes and injuries but we're sticking to the formula and we believe in what we do."
Villa boss Carla Ward: "It hurts. The first half we've executed the gameplan brilliantly and then switched off in the first few minutes of the second half. We tried to change shape but it opened up space and didn't work so that one's on me. It's a horrible feeling. If that goes in [from Gielnik] the momentum might have shifted but we capitulated after the third goal."
Manchester City return to WSL action with a trip to Birmingham City on Sunday December 12 (kick-off 2pm). Aston Villa host Tottenham on the same day (kick-off 6pm) but first are in League Cup action against Sunderland on Sunday December 5 (kick-off 12pm).
