Aoba Fujino’s first-half objective was sufficient for Manchester Metropolis to edge previous West Ham and preserve the strain on Chelsea within the WSL title race.
The Japan worldwide completed calmly from Vivianne Miedema’s intelligent help halfway by means of the primary half, giving Metropolis a lead they by no means surrendered.
Metropolis dominated possession and territory however struggled to show their superiority into clear probabilities, registering 18 pictures however only one heading in the right direction.
Bunny Shaw went shut on a few events, whereas Gracie Prior struck the bar late on.
West Ham provided moments of menace on the break – Viviane Asseyi rattled the woodwork and Katrina Gorry drove the group ahead – however they couldn’t discover a well beyond Ayaka Yamashita within the Metropolis objective.
Regardless of late strain from the guests, Metropolis noticed out the 4 added minutes with composure to safe one other essential dwelling win.
Because it occurred | Groups | Match stats | Desk
West Ham left to rue missed probabilities
Rehanne Skinner’s West Ham aspect will really feel this was a possibility missed. Regardless of spending lengthy spells with out the ball, they created a number of the recreation’s greatest openings and on one other day might simply have taken one thing from it.
Asseyi got here closest, crashing a strike towards the crossbar after an excellent break led by Riko Ueki, whereas Gorry twice discovered area across the fringe of the realm however couldn’t convert. Anna Martinez additionally noticed a strong effort blocked contained in the field as Metropolis’s defence stood sturdy below strain.
The guests continued to threaten late on, pushing our bodies ahead and forcing Metropolis to defend deep within the closing phases. It was a efficiency filled with effort and power, one which deserved greater than it yielded.
If West Ham can discover a extra medical edge in entrance of objective, the outcomes are certain to observe.
Blindkilde Brown: The principle factor was getting the three factors
Manchester Metropolis midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown praised her aspect’s resilience afterwards.
“It was a tough game,” Blindkilde Brown informed Sky Sports activities. “In the first half we were maybe a bit shaky at times, but in the second half we settled down and controlled things a lot better. It was a real battle, but the main thing was getting the three points.”
The 20-year-old, who has been deployed in a deeper midfield function this season, mentioned she’s studying so much from her partnership with Yui Hasegawa.
“I learn from her every day in training, she’s really helped me develop in the role,” she defined. “I’m trying to improve with every game, and there’s still a lot to work on, but I’m really enjoying it.”
With followers getting excited on the prospect of a WSL title race, Blindkilde Brown insists the group are holding their give attention to themselves.
“We’re just taking it game by game,” she mentioned. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but of course we know what’s at stake. We’ll keep pushing and see where it takes us.”
Management with out conviction – Metropolis’s title push continues
Evaluation by Sky Sports activities’ Sam Cohen:
Manchester Metropolis have been dominant for giant spells, dictating possession and tempo all through.
Fujino’s objective confirmed their high quality in tight areas, however their lack of ruthlessness in entrance of objective stays a problem: 18 pictures, only one heading in the right direction.
Miedema’s creativity continues to develop, whereas Blindkilde Brown impressed once more in midfield along with her composure and power. Metropolis’s defensive form was strong, proscribing West Ham to just a few clear openings.
It is one other win that retains them within the title race, however they will know sharper ending can be key within the weeks forward.
