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Seven goals, 80 percent possession, 888 completions and, most importantly, three points that put them ahead of Arsenal and in the Champions League spots. This was as dominant as Manchester City has been all season.
It probably should have been even more. But this was a performance that indicated that City are back at their best.
A double from Caroline Weir and a goal from Steph Houghton gave them a 3-0 lead at halftime. Ellen White, Chloe Kelly and Janine Beckie added their names to the score sheet after the break, and Houghton scored her second with a magnificent free throw.
Four months ago, Brighton defended for their lives to keep Gareth Taylor’s team in a 0-0 draw. The week before, City had needed two defensive errors to beat newly promoted Aston Villa. A 3-1 loss at Chelsea and a 1-1 draw with Reading in October seemed to suggest that the title would be out of reach.
But they have found a different team ever since. The turning point came in November when they beat Everton in a close FA Cup final, winning the first trophy of Taylor’s reign. This was followed by an 8-1 thrashing at Bristol, a 3-0 win over Everton and a last-minute win over Arsenal.
Also missing are Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle, who have spent this month in the United States on international service. Mewis especially has been formidable since his arrival in the summer, scoring a hat-trick in his country’s 4-0 win over Colombia last week. Adding her to a team that has scored 14 goals in its last two games almost seems unfair to the rest of the league.
“It’s taken us a little while to get our setup game right,” Taylor admitted after the game. “It takes some time with a new coach and new ideas, but I think part of our game in the last few weeks has been great and now we are finishing those opportunities.”
The return of Lauren Hemp has been a huge boost. The winger has four goals in five games since he returned to the wing. But it was Kelly on the opposite flank who caused the most trouble for Brighton. Her cross found Weir in the box and the midfielder calmly finished off to open the scoring in the 12th minute.
Weir had his second four minutes later, following a brilliant team play. City’s determination to play from behind has been to their detriment at times, but this was the perfect example of how to do it right.
The ball started on defense with Alex Greenwood and there were touches from Houghton, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh and Hemp before Weir’s hit in the upper right corner.
The third was rougher, as Houghton forced himself home from a corner. Kelly returned to supply after the break, crossing for White to throw the ball past Cecilie Fiskerstrand. The fifth goal was the best of all, as Houghton marked his 150th WSL appearance with a signature free kick that entered the bottom of the bar.
City’s 888 completions to Brighton’s 234 is a statistic that would have made Pep Guardiola proud. However, it was a loose pass from Laura Coombs that allowed Rianna Jarrett to score a goal for the hosts.
There was still time for City to add two more. Kelly was involved in both, scoring the sixth with a fierce finish inside the box and then creating the seventh with another cross, this time for Beckie to tap.
City will face West Ham next Sunday and then have two crucial games against Arsenal and United before a three-week international break.
“We want to stay in the mix,” Taylor said. “When we play against the three best teams, we know that they are the ones who decide the title.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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