And that’s that. There were two goals – one a stunner – for Steph Houghton and another two for the sublime Caroline Weir, but the game belonged to Chloe Kelly, who scored one, set up two and laid on countless more chances for her less clinical teammates. She was utterly majestic. In truth City’s extra class was evident from the outset and Brighton, who were gasping for breath at half-time, didn’t get the sympathetic second-half performance they would have hoped for. A statement of intent from Gareth Taylor’s side, who move up to third, five points behind the leaders with a game in hand. Thanks for reading!
89 mins: “Don’t chase!” screams Powell on the touchline as City knock it about at the back. They work it over to Kelly, who this time elects for an early cross that finds Coombs in front of goal – she should score but her shot goes wide.
86 mins: Hope Powell sends on Simpkins for Jarrett, and Brazil escapes down the right to rattle in a powerful cross that eludes any attacker. City reassert their authority with Beckie and Morgan orchestrating a long spell of possession.
80 mins: Poor Megan Connolly. She’s been run ragged by Kelly today, unable to lay a glove on the winger. City, who would equal their record WSL win with another goal, send on Millie Davies for Houghton.
You know the drill by now: Kelly picks up the ball on the right, leaves her marker for dead and puts the ball on a plate for the goalscorer – Janine Beckie this time – to tap home. In the meantime Brighton send on the young forward Bance.
Chloe Kelly gets the goal she entirely deserves, collecting the ball in the inside left channel after sweeping one-touch move that spanned the width of the pitch and opening her body to curl home right-footed.
A consolation goal for the hosts, who pounce well to win back possession from a City goal-kick. The striker peels away to collect a nice pass, drive past Greenwood a rifle a low finish across Roebuck, who had left a huge gap at her far post.
64 mins: It should be six. Again Kelly motors away from her marker on the far side and drifts a cross to the back stick, where Beckie brings it down expertly and slots into the far corner … but it’s cleared off the line.
A screamer! White shows her experience to win a free-kick, needing little invitation to go down when she felt contact with her back to goal, and the City captain steps up to belt a swerving 20-yarder up, over the wall and in off the bar. Postage stamp.
Ellen White gets her sixth of the season, and surely her easiest, slotting home from inside the six yard box. It was put on a plate for her by – yep – Chloe Kelly, who again made headway down the right an delivered an early, low, sidefooted cross that only needed the slightest touch from White.
54 mins: Kelly, City’s outstanding attacker today, again picks up the ball and burrows down the right flank, then squaring to Stanway who fires over. At the other end Kaagmag wallops one at goal from range, Roebuck catching comfortably.
52 mins: A glimpse of a chance for the hosts as Brazil looks to Bowman, but she doesn’t quite have the legs to outpace Greenwood, who ushers the ball back to Roebuck.
49 mins: City have brought on a couple of subs at the break and one of them, Beckie, weaves into the box and sees her low left-foot shot blocked. Coombs is also on, with the dazzling Weir one of the two to make way – no hattrick for her.
46 mins: And we’re back under way, Brighton kicking off and heave the ball forward for a City throw near their own corner flag. Jarrett steals the ball and barrels down the right but with no options in the middle is dispossessed.
What now for Brighton? They could shut up shop completely – but even their massed defence has failed to cope with City’s forwards so far. They can’t change personnel a whole lot – a depleted squad mean they were only able to name five subs today. And chasing any sort of a result leaves them open to a shellacking. Not an enviable position.
Peep peep! After a nicely worked Brighton attack is halted by an offside flag, the whistle goes for the interval. The teams trot down the tunnel and it looks a helluva lot like City will be climbing up into third.
44 mins: Brighton get the ball up into City territory twice in quick succession but the difference between the sides is patently clear – the hosts’ attacks consist of a lone forward steaming upfield with the ball, while City’s are all about smart interplay.
City win a corner after Stanway charges forward and looks for White on the penalty spot, but a retreating Bowman clears behind. Greenwood takes left-footed, whipping in an undefendable inswinger that gets as far as Houghton at the back post, who only has to redirect the ball into the net from point blank range. Game over.
37 mins: Weir is denied the most glorious completion of a hattrick by a stunning save! Hemp had jinked in from the right and fed Weir on the edge of the box, who danced past two defenders, then shuffling past a third with a dummied shot before aiming a curler inside the far post – matched by a sprawling Fiskerstrand. It would have been a sublime goal.
33 mins: A pair of Devilish inswinging deliveries – Kelly from a corner and Greenwood from a deep free-kick – offer more proof of City’s danger. The last of a flurry of corners is hoisted in by Greenwood and Bronze turns it wide for a goal kick.
30 mins: Weir has smelled blood, and nearly gets the chance for a hattrick when she breaks forward and her run is stopped by Morgan. But the pass has a touch too much on it and the onrushing Fiskerstrand collects gratefully.
22 mins: City, understandably enough, have lowered the tempo since the second goal. But they look no less authoritative, with the backline in particular so assured on the ball.
18 mins: Megan Connolly at left-back for the hosts has her hands full this afternoon. The tricksy Chloe Kelly is running at her every time she gets the ball, with Lucy Bronze never shy of helping out on the overlap.
Told ya. Again Weir pick the ball up in an advanced central position and drives forward. This time she gets to the edge of the box and offloads it to Walsh, who return it first time and the Scot whips home a great finish inside the near post.
15 mins: Weir again pops up in a dangerous position – she has been at the heart of all City’s best moments so far, playing with her head up and moving the ball quickly.
That’s a terrific goal from Caroline Weir, who started a sweeping move by carrying the ball forward in midfield. Stanway and Kelly then exchanged passes neatly on the right before the latter burrowed to the line and rifled in a low cross, turned home powerfully by Weir from close range. Lovely move.
9 mins: Brighton’s first sniff of a chance with Heroum breaking clear into the box, but the pass to her is a bit strong and City’s businesslike centre-back snuff it out.
5 mins: Fiskerstrand gets her first proper touch, gathering a low cross from Hemp. Then great feet by Kelly on City’s right, nutmegging Connolly with a stepover and flick, but the cross is bundled clear.
3 mins: Big decision early on for the referee, who waves away appeals for a City penalty after a short corner. Seen ‘em given. City respond by piling on more pressure – Brighton can’t get out of their half.
Meanwhile, up in Leigh Sports Village, Ella Toone has doubled Manchester United’s lead late on. Casey Stoney’s team will usurp Chelsea at the top of the WSL and as it stands are eight points ahead of their local rivals having played two games more. Over to you, City.
Manchester City have unfinished business. Sat regally stop the WSL table when last season was suspended, they were left to watch in horror when it was decided that the campaign would be resolved on a points-per-game basis – and therefore that Chelsea would take the title. As this season hits its midway point, Gareth Taylor’s side, in fourth, are looking up not only at their nemesis from last year but their upwardly mobile local rivals – Manchester United are currently 1-0 against Birmingham and on course to take top spot.
But it’s tight up there, and a win here would put them in touching distance: four points off United with a game in hand. And with Arsenal and Chelsea’s games today postponed, City have the chance to build momentum unavailable their rivals.
Brighton, meanwhile, are looking down rather than up. One win in their last five has left them fourth from bottom, with only the paucity of Bristol City’s points haul to give them comfort. They could use a win today as much as Man City – and stranger things have certainly happened. Kickoff soon!