Hemp strikes back as Manchester City edge out London City Lionesses in thriller

Goals from Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp helped Manchester City escape from Bromley with three points after a thrilling encounter with London City Lionesses. It was a statement performance from the home team, despite the defeat delivering a blow to any title ambitions they may have been quietly holding on to prior to kick-off.

The gap between the hosts and the champions is now six points, after Hemp restored City’s lead following Jana Fernández’s equaliser. But the fact London City have even played their way into the conversation about this season’s title contenders in only their second WSL season is hugely impressive.

Ahead of kick-off, cameras showed superstar summer signing Alexia Putellas opening the boot of her car and taking out a heavy leather-clad square item, her third Ballon d’Or trophy safely encased inside. The mercurial Spain midfielder did not present her trophy to fans in the stands ahead of kick-off, instead choosing to put it on display so supporters could queue to have photos taken with it.

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The only nod to the player’s stunning individual year, in which she won the quadruple with Barcelona before joining London City, was on her feet, the geometric gold on her custom Ballon d’Or-themed boots glinting on their first outing.

There have been jokes aplenty about the unlikelihood of the world’s premier individual award heading to its new Bromley home. To reach the stadium from Hayes Lane, you pass a field of horses on your left. London City Lionesses are not Barcelona, and they have become the home of the Ballon d’Or winner by default rather than being the key component of that individual success.

Except, based on the season London City Lionesses are having and the ruthless ambitions of owner Michelle Kang, the idea that the club could produce a season that delivers them collective success and individual success off the back of it feels less distant than it did just a few short months ago.

Against the champions, London City more than held their own, the opportunity to move level on points with their opponents and league leaders Chelsea an inviting incentive. Their threat was evident within 30 seconds, when Manchester City’s defender Rebecca Knaak was forced to turn Lucía Corrales’s cross wide of the far post just ahead of a waiting Isobel Goodwin.

Neither team has impressed defensively this season, each only managing to keep one clean sheet in the WSL, and it made for a thrilling encounter, the high lines and aggressiveness of both attacks delivering a showstopper.

Making her first WSL start for the home team, with Elene Lete hitherto preferred, Mary Earps made a huge statement with an impressive double save from a Knaak header to keep the game goalless going into the break.

It was Manchester City that broke the deadlock despite London City dominating and it was their most influential player that delivered. Hemp flicked the ball into the run of Shaw and with her first touch, she took it past Earps before switching the ball on to her right foot and firing home to become the first player to score in eight consecutive WSL starts.

A deserved equaliser arrived in the 72nd minute, when Fernández was at the near post to meet a corner and her assured header sent the ball looping in at the back post.

The celebrations were emphatic but they were very short-lived. This is a new, more resilient Manchester City, one that survived various scares last term to secure a second WSL title, and they reestablished their lead two minutes later, when Hemp stretched out a leg to poke in Mary Fowler’s cross from the right to secure the win.

That London City could feel aggrieved at having not taken something from the game was a testament to their performance and how quickly progress is being made. The home team had 23 shots to Manchester City’s seven and 52 touches in the opposition box to Man City’s 13, but critically, the visiting team were clinical when it mattered. Converting two of their three efforts on target and showing the edge needed to battle at the top.