Manchester United Women fell to defeat in the WSL on Saturday afternoon, beaten by Manchester City at Etihad Stadium, in a game decided by late first-half goals.
Rebecca Knaak headed City into the lead midway through the opening 45. But United, still very much in the game moving towards the break, conceded two more goals in the space of just six minutes on the stroke of half-time, with Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp both netting.
With Phallon Tullis-Joyce still sidelined with the knock she suffered last weekend, Safia Middleton-Patel kept her place in goal after the heroics of Wednesday night. Dominique Janssen was back alongside Maya Le Tissier in defence after serving a European suspension, with Elisabeth Terland and Leah Galton also drafted into the team by Marc Skinner.
FIRST HALF
After Storm Claudia battered the country overnight, the weather had thankfully relented by kick-off. City looked to apply pressure early on, with Vivianne Miedema striking the base of the post and Anna Sandberg throwing her body in front of Yui Hasegawa's volley. But United also threatened on the break in the opening minutes in what quickly became another end-to-end derby.
Both sides traded sights of goal and periods of dominance throughout the half. Hinata Miyazawa's sweetly struck 12th-minute volley looked goal-bound until it caught Hemp flush in the face, taking one for her team. Meanwhile, Middleton-Patel did well to get her fist to a dangerous delivery under pressure.
A United penalty appeal fell on deaf ears when Galton was sent flying by an aggressive challenge from City centre-back Jade Rose midway through the half. Our frustration was compounded moments later, as Knaak headed in six yards out, after Shaw nodded an initial corner across goal.
The Reds responded with a sustained spell of possession and Rose did well to get in the way of a volley from Galton. Soon, Sandberg's low cross after driving at her marker down the left flank agonisingly wasn't met by a red shirt in the box.
Given the relatively even nature of the first 43 minutes, City scoring twice just before the break came as a sickening blow. Shaw managed to take up a position in the box between our centre-backs and reached Kerstin Casparij's first-time cross before Middleton-Patel could get there. Then, in stoppage time, Hemp picked out the top corner from distance, leaving Saf helpless to stop it.
SECOND HALF
Barely any time into the second period and Ella Toone worryingly went down and required careful treatment on the pitch. Thankfully, after being able to walk off on her own feet, our no.7 was ultimately able to return and continue.
After the double sucker punch, United managed to regroup and gain a fresh foothold in the game. Melvine Malard was introduced at the break and asked questions of the City defence with her dribbling and runs off the ball, with Hannah Blundell and Fridolina Rolfo entering after an hour.
As we continued dominating the ball, City's first noteworthy chance of the second half didn't come until the 70th minute, when Shaw blasted over from just outside the box. Into the final 20 minutes at the other end, Jess Park fired into the side netting from a narrow angle after good work from Malard.
Shaw had an opportunity when she was put through on goal, but the close attention of the recovering Sandberg slowed her down enough for Middleton-Patel to make the one-on-one save. Our no.39 also comfortably gathered a speculative strike from Hasegawa in the closing stages.
Simi Awujo went close to a consolation in stoppage time at the end of the game, suffering a nasty clash of heads with Rose as the defender cleared off the line. Simi had only just come on but couldn't continue.
This one ended in defeat, but the Reds are quickly back in action in the coming days, changing focus to the Champions League once more with a league-phase trip to Wolfsburg on Wednesday evening.
MATCH DETAILS
Man City: Yamashita; Casparij (c), Rose, Knaak, Ouahabi; Hasegawa, Blindkilde Brown (Lohmann 74); Fujino, Miedema, Hemp (Beney 74); Shaw (Clinton 83).
Subs not used: Keating, Prior, Thomas, Wienroither, Coombs, Oldroyd.
Goals: Knaak 26, Shaw 43, Hemp 45+2.
Booked: Knaak.
United: Middleton-Patel; Riviere (Blundell 62), Le Tissier (c), Janssen, Sandberg; Zigiotti, Miyazawa; Park (Williams 74), Toone (Awujo 83), Galton (Rolfo 62); Terland (Malard 46).
Subs not used: Rendell, George, Naalsund, Griffiths.
Booked: Janssen.