Can Man City rely on Bunny’s brilliance?
There are two ways you can look at Man City’s win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
Firstly, good teams know how to win ugly – Bunny Shaw said exactly that after being named Player of the Match by Sky Sports‘ Courtney Sweetman-Kirk. If you can get a result without delivering a performance of the highest quality now and again, you’re clearly on the right track.
City beat Barcelona in the Champions League four days ago and so came into this game with far less preparation than Liverpool, who had not played since last Sunday. The Reds gave them a run for their money, but they got the job done.
Or maybe that should read: Bunny Shaw got the job done.
The Jamaica international continued her deadly start to the season, with her third and fourth goals in five games in all competitions. The second was something else; Niamh Fahey used all of her strength to try and bully the striker off the ball, but Shaw barely even flinched before thundering a shot past Rachael Laws.
Gareth Taylor’s side bettered their hosts in almost every major metric; they had over 75 per cent possession, 22 more touches in the opposition box and made almost 500 more passes than Liverpool. But though they attempted 14 shots, they scored with the only two they hit the target with.
On another day, Shaw might not have been there to spare their blushes, to see them punished for being wasteful. Fortunately for them that day was not today.
Dan Long
‘Brilliant’ Smith gives Reds plenty to cheer about despite late loss
Liverpool’s Olivia Smith had the most carries of any player in the WSL coming into Sunday’s clash with Man City and the Canadian produced another eye-catching display at Anfield.
Smith gave the Reds the lead just before half-time after an excellent run and shot from distance and it was no coincidence the home side started to lose their way after she was forced off with injury in the interval.
Even so, the 20-year-old’s impressive first-half showing will give both the club’s fans, as well as manager Matt Beard – absent from the home dugout against City due to illness – plenty to be encouraged about going forward.
“She was brilliant and her goal epitomised what she is about, what this league can expect from her and the impact she has had on Liverpool,” said Sky Sports pundit Izzy Christiansen after the game.
“I loved the way she took that shot on (for her goal), she had nothing else on her mind than to let fly.”
And Steph Houghton was equally impressed, saying: “She caused Man City a real problem with her runs today – it was clear Liverpool’s intention was to get the ball to her, whether that was in behind, or in them pockets.
“Her strengths were certainly getting the ball, driving and shooting from distance.”
Richard Morgan
Terland off the mark for Man Utd in style
Elisabeth Terland has been leading the line for Man Utd at the start of this season since her summer move from Brighton, but though Marc Skinner’s side have been making light work of each opponent, in their first three games in all competitions, the Norwegian was not among the goals or the assists.
She’d hit only five shots in her first two league games, with three failing to find the target. That changed on Sunday.
Her first at Leigh Sports Village was a thing of beauty. Celin Bizet swung in a cross from the right, Terland found her way in front of Spurs defender Molly Bartrip and crashed in a volley off the underside of the bar. The two combined again within five minutes, with Terland finding the net with a deft header.
She could have completed her hat-trick early in the second half, but a timely Becky Spencer save prevented that.
Terland might not have the No 9 on her back – Melvine Malard has had privilege bestowed upon her – but last season’s joint-second highest scorer in the WSL is showing signs she is more than capable of leading the line and picking up where she left off in 2023/24.
Dan Long
Defensively suspect & profligate in front of goal – much to work on for Vilahamn’s Spurs
Tottenham did a lot of things right against Man Utd on Sunday lunchtime and yet they still left the Leigh Sports Village with a 3-0 defeat to their name after passing up numerous first-half openings.
The visitors started much the better of the two sides as Martha Thomas forced an excellent early stop from Phallon Tullis-Joyce, while Clare Hunt and Bethany England also both went close, before an increasingly busy United No 1 denied Drew Spence as half-time approached.
At that stage of the contest, Robert Vilahamn’s team had had seven efforts on goal, with a combined xG value of 0.9, in stark contrast to a shot-shy United.
And yet, Spurs failed to take any of those presentable openings and were soon punished as the hosts showed their comparatively deadly side to strike twice in quick succession on the cusp of half-time.
Jayne Ludlow highlighted Tottenham’s poor “final ball” on commentary, but Vilahamn will also be alarmed at how easily his team collapsed after going behind, with the north London side having now let in eight goals in their last three games, the second most in the WSL.
So there is lots to work on then as the Swede looks to match last season’s sixth-placed league finish.
Richard Morgan
