Manchester United 2–2 Manchester City
A Manchester City side without Alanna Kennedy and Hayley Raso produced a hugely impressive backs to the wall performance, leaving the Leigh Sports Village with an unlikely point after overcoming a sending-off and a 2-1 deficit.
A spell of three goals in six second-half minutes made this derby a roller-coaster, yet the red half of the city will be frustrated that their side could not take advantage of a weakened City team who played with attackers in defensive positions.
However, it’s more than just a well-documented injury list impacting Manchester City. Scratch below the surface and there are deeper long-term decisions contributing to a poor start which saw them come into the game nine points behind leaders Arsenal.
Manager Gareth Taylor revealed that he cannot bring youth players into his squad to fill the bench and minimise fielding senior players out of position, as his youth players are on a completely different program to the senior team and are not being trained under the same tactical set-ups.
Taylor then admitted that he “wasn’t aware” of rules for the FA Cup, which is currently completing last season’s edition due to coronavirus, stating that players who had appeared in the event and then moved clubs couldn’t play for their new sides in the remaining games of the competition. Such an admission was staggering. The City boss went on to state that if he had been aware “then it would have changed some of the players we signed over the summer”, with Alanna Kennedy possibly being one of those players.
Manchester City’s injuries have led to a number of big names playing out of position. Attackers Georgia Stanway and Janine Beckie, plus midfielder Jill Scott, have all played in defence regularly this campaign. Yet Taylor has one of the brightest young stars of last season’s FA WSL either sitting on the bench or in the stands – not because she is injured, but because she is not being selected.
18 year old Ruby Mace put in some impressive shifts off the bench for Arsenal before being loaned to Birmingham City and playing impressively in a struggling team. Yet City would seemingly rather play Lioness forward Georgia Stanway in defence than field Mace – something which the vast majority of FA WSL journalists and supporters cannot understand. The teenager is a player that most top-flight clubs would love to have in their starting lineup, yet even when City’s defensive stocks were depleted further during this match, Mace was not introduced from the bench.
United started the game on the front foot with Ona Batlle and Ella Toone combining profitably. City were largely kept at arm’s length in the opening exchanges despite the best efforts of Norfolk’s Lauren Hemp, who provided the best chance of the opening quarter-hour. Her run down the left and curling ball in found Beckie, with the Canadian forcing a sensational save from Mary Earps.
The 21-year-old’s burst down the wing fired her team up and she came close shortly afterward as her goal-bound header from Beckie’s right-wing cross was headed clear by Maria Thorisdottir.
After this bright start, the match became more tightly controlled in the middle third of the half with both sides’ key creators Alessia Russo and Khadija Shaw well marshaled.
Then just beyond the half-hour mark, good link-up play down United’s left forced a throw which resulted in Kirsty Hanson making space to turn brilliantly away from Keira Walsh and fire an effort that Karima Benameur Taieb held.
Just over 11 minutes before halftime, City’s defensive woes increased as makeshift defender Stanway was rightly sent off for a challenge that saw her studs make contact with the top of Galton’s thigh. The outcome was Beckie, one of Manchester City’s key attackers in the game, being pushed back once more to play in the defensive line.
The City response to adversity was impressive. Four minutes after the sending off, Demi Stokes curled a left wing cross towards Shaw, who escaped from Aoife Mannion and headed the Sky Blues into the lead.
More Hemp magic almost led to City doubling their lead in first-half stoppage time. Stokes motored away from the back and found the North Walsham-born star on the left. Hemp’s superb ball found Filippa Angeldahl and Earps was again called into action. The visitors held their one-goal advantage at the break – an interval that came at a good time for the home side.
United’s inability to pressure the weakened City backline after the sending-off will have frustrated head coach Marc Skinner and it was imperative for the home side to push strongly after the break.
United slowly began to build a head of steam and pressed hard with pace. From a corner six minutes into the second period, Jackie Groenen played the ball to Leah Galton and Scott appeared to foul United’s no. 11 inside the box, but the challenge was ignored by the officials. This further raised the ire of the home fans after two United attacks were stopped by offside calls which replays showed were incorrect.
At the other end, Earps was called into action after poor defensive play let Hemp in. She took a touch and fired an effort towards the left of the goal which the United keeper pushed away. The hosts responded with Toone’s dipping effort which forced Benameur Taieb into a save.
Groenen was having more of an impact following a move further up the pitch and just past the hour mark she won a free-kick after being pulled back by Angeldahl. A patient build-up found Galton, but once more United couldn’t find a killer final ball and City were able to clear.
United’s build-up play caught the eye, but still Skinner’s side could not find a cutting edge – a situation highlighted perfectly when Galton turned Beckie beautifully but the move then rapidly broke down.
What United needed was for one of their regular corners to bear fruit, and that finally happened on 72 minutes after Galton won a flag kick from Scott. It was quickly taken as Blundell passed to Toone, who crossed to the near post and caught City napping, with newly introduced substitute Lucy Staniforth flicking the ball into the net.
Shortly afterward, with the crowd reaching fever pitch, Galton was through but slightly scuffed her shot wide of the right-hand post.
The Leigh Sports Village faithful didn’t have to wait long for a second United goal and with a quarter of an hour remaining the red side of Manchester was in dreamland. There was still plenty to do when Blundell pulled a ball into the box from the left but Russo was able to dig the ball out from under her feet, escape her markers and fire home.
However, three minutes later City were level as Caroline Weir found 19-year-old substitute Jess Park. The York-born youngster’s 25 yard effort was tipped onto the bar by Earps and bounced into the path of supreme predator Ellen White, who was never going to miss from inside the six yard box.
Two late corners saw chances come and go for United. There was a penalty shout when the ball came off Walsh’s arm, but claims were waved away as the midfielder’s arm was adjudged to be in a natural position by her side.
This point keeps City’s outside chance of the FA WSL title alive, although Arsenal will move an incredible 11 points ahead of them if they beat Everton later in the weekend.
After the game, United coach Marc Skinner was philosophical and sought to put the result in the larger context of his team’s development.
“It was a roller-coaster of a match. We were disappointed at the way we conceded. We are in a process here. We’re slowly building to be a consistent team. We are on a journey.
“The message at half-time was to keep calm and patient. We needed to move the ball quicker and open spaces up. We fixed that in the second half. I was more pleased with things.
“We have to build on the foundations to challenge. This was only the 67th day I’ve been in charge. We have to be patient and get better at the psychological battles.”
Meanwhile, Gareth Taylor was clearly frustrated with the sending-off, saying: “I think if it stayed 11 v 11 we would have won. They blocked well, Earps saved plenty. We had chances. If you consider the fact we were behind and with the sending off, a draw is a fair outcome.
“The sending off affected us. I thought it was a yellow, but I need to see it again. If it was high, then that made the referee’s decision that bit easier.”
Manchester United are still looking for their first FA WSL win over the perennial top two of Manchester City and Chelsea. The foundations are in place with the likes of Batlle, Groenen, Toone and Galton, but January’s transfer window now takes on added importance in the red half of Manchester. A reliable top-class striker and defender are still the minimum that Marc Skinner’s team needs to add.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Earps, Batlle, Thorisdottir, Mannion, Blundell, Zelem, Groenen, Hanson, Toone, Galton, Russo. Substitutes: Harris, Ladd (for Groenen 85’), Fuso, Jones, Staniforth (for Hanson 67’), Baggaley (GK).
Scorers: Staniforth 72’, Russo 75’.
MANCHESTER CITY: Benameur Taieb, Stanway, Scott, Greenwood, Stokes, Angeldahl, Walsh, Weir, Beckie, Shaw, Hemp. Substitutes: Keating (GK), Coombs (for Weir ’89), White (for Shaw 59’), Mace, Park (for Angeldahl 77’), Kennedy.
Scorers: Shaw 38’, White 78’.
Referee: Rebecca Welch.
Attendance: 3,797.
