Chloe Kelly scored her first Women’s Super League goal of the season as Manchester City beat bottom side Leicester City to move up to third.
WSL top scorer Bunny Shaw’s 61st-minute looping header – her 10th league goal of the season – put Gareth Taylor’s side in front.
Kelly’s superb strike made sure of the points 13 minutes later.
The England forward cut in from the right before arrowing a low left-footed strike into the far corner.
It took an inspired performance from Leicester goalkeeper Janina Leitzig to keep the hosts level for as long as they were but she had no chance with either goal.
The Bayern Munich loanee made a WSL record 15 saves in the match, including six in the opening 20 minutes as the visitors created chances almost at will early on.
Shaw, Kelly, Denya Castellanos and the impressive Lauren Hemp were all denied by Leitzig.
Chances were extremely scarce for Willie Kirk’s side, but they did have a glorious opportunity to go in front just five minutes into the game, when Hannah Cain’s close-range header was parried to safety by keeper Ellie Roebuck.
While Manchester City move a point ahead of Arsenal, albeit having played two games more, Leicester remain four points from safety at the foot of the table.
Man City overcome familiar frustration
While it was ultimately a comfortable win for the away side, they should have been out of sight by half-time.
They poured forward time and again in the first 20 minutes, finding space at will and overwhelming an increasingly exposed Leicester defence.
Out wide, Hemp and Kelly were practically invited to run at the full-backs and gleefully accepted the offer, creating countless chances for themselves and their team-mates.
The visitors were sorely lacking in front of goal, though, and as well as Leitzig played in the Leicester goal, she was aided by some less than clinical finishing.
Leicester came back into the game later in the first half, forcing their opponents back with a bold high-pressing approach but, no doubt wary of giving up quite so many chances again, sat much deeper after the break.
After missed chances cost them against Aston Villa last time out in the WSL, there would have been some relief for Manchester City when Shaw guided Laura Coombs’ right-wing cross past Leitzig to open the scoring.
As eye-catching as some of the football played by Taylor’s side was, it is likely to require more surety in front of goal if they are to fight their way back into the title picture.
Line-ups
Leicester City Women
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 33Leitzig
- 4Bott
- 15HowardSubstituted forGreenat 71′minutes
- 22PlumptreBooked at 52mins
- 2NevinSubstituted forPurfieldat 81′minutes
- 3TierneySubstituted forSimonat 90+3′minutes
- 6Eaton-CollinsSubstituted forSmithat 84′minutes
- 16JonesSubstituted forPikeat 81′minutes
- 10Whelan
- 20GoodwinSubstituted forBakerat 70′minutes
- 21Cain
Substitutes
- 1Lambourne
- 8Pike
- 13Simon
- 14Green
- 23Purfield
- 28Levell
- 32Baker
- 34Smith
Man City Women
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Roebuck
- 2Casparij
- 6Houghton
- 5GreenwoodSubstituted forOuahabiat 84′minutes
- 4Aleixandri
- 25Hasegawa
- 12Angeldahl
- 9KellySubstituted forRasoat 79′minutes
- 10CastellanosSubstituted forCoombsat 45′minutes
- 11HempSubstituted forBlakstadat 84′minutes
- 21ShawSubstituted forFowlerat 79′minutes
Substitutes
- 7Coombs
- 8Fowler
- 13Raso
- 15Ouahabi
- 22MacIver
- 41Blakstad
- Referee:
- Amy Fearns
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Leicester City Women 0, Manchester City Women 2.
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Second Half ends, Leicester City Women 0, Manchester City Women 2.
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Attempt missed. Mackenzie Smith (Leicester City Women) with an attempt from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jemma Purfield with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Leicester City Women. Conceded by Ellie Roebuck.
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Attempt saved. Hannah Cain (Leicester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Molly Pike.
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Hayley Raso (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Catherine Bott (Leicester City Women).
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Attempt blocked. Mary Fowler (Manchester City Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Substitution, Leicester City Women. Erin Simon replaces Sam Tierney because of an injury.
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Offside, Manchester City Women. Stephanie Houghton tries a through ball, but Julie Blakstad is caught offside.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Sam Tierney (Leicester City Women).
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Offside, Leicester City Women. Jemma Purfield tries a through ball, but Hannah Cain is caught offside.
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Offside, Manchester City Women. Stephanie Houghton tries a through ball, but Julie Blakstad is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Julie Blakstad (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hayley Raso with a cross.
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Substitution, Leicester City Women. Mackenzie Smith replaces Georgia Eaton-Collins.
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Substitution, Manchester City Women. Julie Blakstad replaces Lauren Hemp.
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Substitution, Manchester City Women. Leila Ouahabi replaces Alex Greenwood.
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Attempt saved. Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Laia Aleixandri.
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Attempt saved. Laura Coombs (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Lauren Hemp.
