Roars and screams erupted from a small group of fans in the corner of Kingsmeadow, the sound of the title race coming to life. For Manchester City, a statement result matched by a statement performance. The queens of Kingsmeadow were dethroned, Chelsea lost at home in the Women’s Super League for the first time in over three years, the gap between them reduced to zero points, zero goal difference.
Khadija Shaw scored the only goal of the match, the first in five league tries against Chelsea, but in reality this was a story of determination and defensive backbone in the face of almost unimaginable pressure. Not just the waves of increasingly desperate Chelsea attacks, but also the weight of history, the weight of what it will all mean.
Relating to: Gareth Taylor hails milestone after Manchester City end Chelsea run
And it meant the world: you could see City’s exuberant players celebrating with their fans at the end, too full of adrenaline to feel the tired legs and budding bruises caused by a brutal night’s work.
Most impressive of all was the way they preserved the legacy Shaw had given them early on. City’s back five were formidable: the dueling superb Laia Aleixandri, Alex Greenwood bravely resisting the threat of English record signing Mayra Ramírez, although she was lucky not to give away a penalty in the first half. Perhaps best of all was their young goalkeeper Khiara Keating: surfing a wave in good form, a skittish ball of energy, netting a crucial double save in injury time.
You can get past the backbone of the team: Yui Hasegawa at the base of midfield, Jess Park between the lines, with Shaw previously playing a key role in defense as well as attack. And although the result felt a bit sketchy and chaotic, City deserved their little bit of luck to some extent. For all the pressure they would inevitably create in the closing minutes, you’d still be hard-pressed to pinpoint more than one or two clear-cut chances that Chelsea created throughout the entire game.
Ramírez was a nuisance up front and on the channels, but in a slightly larger role, Fran Kirby was unusually quiet and so was Lauren James.
A week of heated speculation has ended in the worst way possible and for all the talk of who will replace her, Emma Hayes will know that minds must focus on the present, on the fine lines that will determine the fate of this title. .
It’s like the game this game eventually turns into. And fittingly there was a turnaround: 13 minutes had passed when Erin Cuthbert tried to turn the ball in her own half, but failed to realize Park had quickly closed her down. Park stole the ball, her pass to Shaw was perfectly weighted and her finish was pure silk: the outside of her foot carefully lifted over the onrushing Hannah Hampton, who was brought up to celebrate before the ball even hit the net.
It was quite reasonable for City to finish the match in the first 20 minutes. Shaw had another chance moments later when he shot straight at Hampton shortly after. However, as the half progressed, Chelsea began to assert themselves, with James taking the ball from more threatening positions and the midfield gradually learning Ramírez’s mannerisms and movements.
Relating to: Jess Park made Manchester City’s surprise announcement as the title race began
They probably should have had a penalty awarded on the half hour when Ramírez torched Greenwood for pace outside and then stumbled on the ball. Less than a second later Greenwood raced in with a sliding tackle that took absolutely zero ball and significantly non-zero part of the leg. Referee Abigail Byrne was unmoved, and in an age where nearly every referee controversy is either bias or corruption, it was perhaps a decision that could safely be dismissed as an honest mistake. It’s a pretty bad situation though.
City made occasional threats in the second half. Perhaps Chelsea’s injury-time equalizer against them in October was a reminder of the dangers of over-caution. But it was Chelsea who carried the weight of the chances: Cuthbert went agonizingly close in the 78th minute, Keating saved from Jelena Cankovic in the 95th minute and then brilliantly blocked out Sjoeke Nüsken’s follow-on.
A strange and unfamiliar feeling gripped Kingsmeadow full time. City have been a bit under the radar this season but there will be nowhere to hide now. Eight games remain: Chelsea have tougher fixtures ahead of the demands of the Champions League as well as a trip to Manchester United on the final day of the season. It is becoming increasingly clear that Chelsea will have to squeeze every last ounce of their genius to give Hayes the send-off he deserves.