Manchester City moved level on points with rivals Manchester United in the race to reach the Women’s Champions League with victory over West Ham.
Gareth Taylor’s side bristled with confidence after seven straight wins in all competitions, and Georgia Stanway swept them ahead inside eight minutes.
Khadija Shaw sealed another City win with a simple second-half header.
With four WSL games left, only goal difference keeps them in fourth, behind United and the Champions League spots.
As Taylor approaches his second anniversary in the City dugout in May, this 50th win in charge looked a formality in the opening quarter.
Hayley Raso rounded Arnold inside two minutes but got closed out, and Shaw really should have scored when she was slid through seconds later but Mackenzie Arnold smothered brilliantly.
Stanway has a fine record of seven goals in nine appearances against West Ham, and her coolly-taken finish gave City the lead their play deserved.
The Hammers, though, can be stubborn opponents under coach Olli Harder – they beat City in the reverse fixture – and they dug in, albeit benefiting from some City wastefulness and an excellent display from goalkeeper Arnold.
They briefly threatened, with Claudia Walker heading over and then denying her own team a golden opportunity by touching the ball when offside instead of leaving it to team-mate Adriana Leon to run through on goal.
For City, Shaw finally made it comfortable in the second half with the easiest of headers from Caroline Weir’s corner, and it is now more than eight hours since they last conceded.
These two sides face each other again in their next fixture, contesting one of the FA Women’s Cup semi-finals on Saturday, 16 April, with the match live on BBC One (12:30, BST).
Line-ups
West Ham Women
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Arnold
- 23Cissoko
- 5Flaherty
- 22Fisk
- 7EvansSubstituted forSnerleat 76′minutes
- 15Parker
- 32Brynjarsdóttir
- 14Hasegawa
- 12LonghurstSubstituted forWyneat 83′minutes
- 13YallopSubstituted forWalkerat 45′minutes
- 19Leon
Substitutes
- 2Wyne
- 4Stringer
- 8Snerle
- 9Walker
- 17Filis
- 18Leat
- 20Joel
- 25Garrard
- 33Houssein
Man City Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 26Roebuck
- 20Bronze
- 33Kennedy
- 5Greenwood
- 3Stokes
- 24Walsh
- 10StanwaySubstituted forCoombsat 59′minutes
- 19WeirSubstituted forAngeldahlat 82′minutes
- 13RasoSubstituted forKellyat 59′minutes
- 21ShawSubstituted forWhiteat 76′minutes
- 15Hemp
Substitutes
- 7Coombs
- 9Kelly
- 12Angeldahl
- 16Park
- 18White
- 30Mace
- 35Keating
- 41Blakstad
- Referee:
- Lucy May
- Attendance:
- 1,475
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, West Ham United Women 0, Manchester City Women 2.
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Second Half ends, West Ham United Women 0, Manchester City Women 2.
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Foul by Demi Stokes (Manchester City Women).
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Adriana Leon (West Ham United Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt blocked. Alex Greenwood (Manchester City Women) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Chloe Kelly with a cross.
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Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Mackenzie Arnold.
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Attempt saved. Lauren Hemp (Manchester City Women) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Filippa Angeldahl.
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Attempt missed. Lauren Hemp (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
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Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Hawa Cissoko.
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Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Gilly Flaherty (West Ham United Women).
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Corner, West Ham United Women. Conceded by Demi Stokes.
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Attempt missed. Claudia Walker (West Ham United Women) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
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Alanna Kennedy (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Claudia Walker (West Ham United Women).
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Attempt missed. Emma Snerle (West Ham United Women) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
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Attempt blocked. Emma Snerle (West Ham United Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Substitution, West Ham United Women. Zaneta Wyne replaces Kate Longhurst.
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Substitution, Manchester City Women. Filippa Angeldahl replaces Caroline Weir.
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Attempt blocked. Caroline Weir (Manchester City Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Chloe Kelly.
