General views of Academy Stadium Manchester City Women v Chelsea Women - SSE Women's FA Cup Semi Final football match, Academy Stadium, Manchester, UK - 14 Apr 2019 Photo: Lynne Cameron for The FA

Depleted Bristol City suffer Manchester City drubbing

Manchester City have returned to winning ways in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League with an 8-1 thrashing of a Bristol City side which was much-depleted due to self-isolation.

Much was made of Manchester City’s strength-in-depth when they made several major signings over the summer but they struggled for consistency in the early weeks of the season, however, Gareth Taylor’s side are now making real progress. In a week which has seen them lift the 2019/2020 Vitality Women’s FA Cup and ease past Liverpool in the FA Women’s Continental League Cup, City have now smashed a club record with an emphatic victory over a Bristol City side who were denied a postponement after several first players were required to self-isolate.

The home side had the lead inside the opening 10 minutes when a good run from Georgia Stanway created space for her to pick out the cross. In an unfortunate turn of events, the Bristol City clearance rebounded off goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley and into her own net.

City weren’t ahead for long. A mix up at the back meant that Ebony Salmon could pounce on a loose ball, round Ellie Roebuck, and pass the ball into an empty net.

From that point, the hosts struggled to pull apart the Bristol City defence who were holding firm, however, the away side could only hold out for so long. Steph Houghton played a long ball in behind the Bristol City back four and Laura Coombs, the star of midweek, took it under her control and fired the ball past the onrushing Baggaley to give The Cityzens the lead once again.

There was to be no quick response this time from The Robins as Keira Walsh scored a wonderful long range goal just moments later for City’s third goal of the game.

The floodgates then well and truly opened when Bristol City were caught on the counter and Walsh laid the ball to Lucy Bronze who made a determined run into the area before chipping the ball past the keeper and then in off the post.

City began the second 45 minutes as they had ended the first when a cross from the right found Stanway at the back post to tap the ball home for the fifth goal. The four-goal cushion allowed head coach Taylor to rest some players. He brought on Jill Scott and Janine Beckie and his side didn’t seem to lose a step.

Scott with possibly her first touch of the game played a low cross into the area and Ellen White stretched out the left leg and directed the ball into the net. The England international looked delighted to get on the scoresheet and understandably so as she wouldn’t have wanted to be left out of the scoring.

The hosts were not done there. In a rare spell in the Manchester City half, Bristol City were caught out on the counter once again and Beckie was played through. She drove into the opposition box and her low driven shot found it’s way through Baggaley’s legs to make it seven. Just minutes later, White had her brace as she ran in behind and despite the tight angle and the pressure from her marker, she managed to poke the ball in.

White wasted a chance to claim her hat-trick late on while Alex Greenwood rattled the woodwork as the scoreline remained 8-1. It was never going to be easy for Bristol City to get anything from the game, particularly in very trying circumstances but Manchester City really put them to the sword. The Robins remain rooted to the bottom of the table without a single point so far and you can imagine it’s going to take a monumental effort for the rest of the season if they are to stay in the division.

As for City, we are now finally be seeing the momentum that will help them put forward solid claims for the Barclays FA Women’s Super League title.

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