At long last, a weakness has been spotted. Finally, the 100% winning start ends for Manchester City, much to the pleasure of Manchester United, who struck late through Elisabeth Terland to claim a point in a well-contested and at times breathless Manchester derby.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s second-half strike appeared to have settled the game and kept the defending champions top of the table, and it had looked likely to be the same old story.
However, Eva Olid’s ever-improving hosts fought back and were good value for the draw, which they eventually earned when Terland found the bottom corner after the ball fell kindly to her in the penalty area. That late strike saw City drop to second in the WSL table – now behind Chelsea on goal difference – and breathed fresh life and intrigue into the title race.
United were markedly improved on last season’s league meetings with their local rivals, both of which ended in 3-0 victories for City. This time, however, Andrée Jeglertz’s visitors were given a real test and, although they may feel they should have finished the game off earlier in the second period, few could argue that a draw was not a fair result.
For spells of the first half, City’s fluid pass-and-move football, their speed down the left wing with Lauren Hemp, and the technical prowess of Yui Hasegawa and Aoba Fujino in particular, made it feel as though there was only one likely outcome as the defending champions sought to assert their authority on this derby. Fujino fizzed an effort narrowly wide after a flicked ball from her Japan teammate Hasegawa, and later Hemp lifted an effort on to the roof of the net.
United, though, proved a tough nut to crack and, against the run of play, created the better chances of the opening 45 minutes. They should have scored but Terland was unable to reset her feet and connect properly with Andrea Medina’s cutback. It had initially seemed as though Medina might go alone and shoot.
The hosts also went close when Ella Toone’s left-footed shot was saved and Jess Park’s dipping, swerving strike was also stopped by Ayaka Yamashita. Jade Rose’s pace also helped her impressively recover ground several times to halt Manchester United’s attempted counterattacks.
Park’s powerful, driven shot clipped the top of the crossbar around the hour mark, after Yamashita had saved well from Terland, one-on-one. At the other end, Shaw cut inside and forced Phallon Tullis-Joyce into a smart stop at her near post. Soon afterwards, though, last season’s WSL Golden boot winner delivered the breakthrough with her ruthless, low strike that was struck with too much venom for Tullis-Joyce to react.
Shaw, who had been booed by the home fans after exchanging robust challenges with Maya Le Tissier in the first half, ran across to celebrate in front of the travelling City fans, many of whom were waving inflatable bananas in the air. She almost had a second moments later but whipped a close-range, rising shot just over the bar.
United continued to battle and spurned a glorious opportunity with fewer than 15 minutes remaining when Julia Zigiotti blazed over from inside the area. Still a threat at the other end, Shaw glanced a header wide from a City corner. Fujino’s well-struck long-range effort was parried. But just when it looked as though the visitors were going to clinch their seventh win from seven in the league, the hosts finally found a way through.
Le Tissier’s hopeful, high ball into the box – after a free-kick was taken short – was met by a defensive header from Shaw, but that only dropped as far as Terland, who lashed in first time to draw huge roars from the home fans and clenched fists in the United technical area.
The defending champions now face a gruelling week. Next Sunday’s trip to third-placed London City, after a midweek Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, may be the trickiest of their campaign to date.
As for United, this late goal felt like a pivotal moment for Olid, giving the club a lift. Her tenure began with chastening losses to London City and Chelsea but this rally against their neighbours showed they are rapidly improving after their slow start to the season. And while they remain well off the title pace, United will be very pleased with the way they caused problems for Jeglertz’s team.
