1. Our first ever win against Manchester City
It’s been a long time coming, but after seven previous attempts, the Hammers have finally taken points off Manchester City.
Harder’s side did come close on the final day of the 20/21 campaign, where they narrowly lost 1-0 at the Chigwell Construction Stadium. This time, though, it was the east Londoners who were clinical in front of goal and put their poor record against City to one side.
This was also the first time that West Ham United had scored more than one goal against the Cityzens, with Hasegawa’s exquisite lob sealing the victory in the closing stages.
Highlights from the win are available to view by clicking here
2. Dagny Brynjarsdottir’s first goal in Claret & Blue
Something else that has been long overdue is Dagny Brynjarsdottir finding the back of the net. The Icelandic midfielder has come close on numerous occasions during our opening three games, and has previously said that she wants to be a regular goalscorer for the Hammers!
So when her header ended up in the net on Sunday, there was a sense of relief for the 30-year-old. There’s can’t be many better feelings that scoring for the club you’ve supported since you were a child, and Brynjarsdottir did just that against City.
She, like Harder, will now be hoping that she can make a habit of finding the back of the net in the Claret & Blue!
3. Yui Hasegawa’s magical performance
Magical would be a word that you could use to describe Yui Hasegawa’s display on Sunday, but even that might be underplaying it a little bit.
The Japanese international seemingly glided round the Academy Stadium, creating chances for her team-mates whilst also chipping in (literally) with her first goal for her new side.
She also assisted Brynjarsdottir for her goal with a delightful cross towards the back post that left the City defence in awe.
And it wasn’t just on the creative front where Hasegawa was making things happen – the midfielder had a team high of six interceptions, whilst also running a total distance of 11km, also a team high.
Magical, @maybe10! ✨pic.twitter.com/BTPe6Niehh
— West Ham United Women (@westhamwomen) October 3, 2021
4. Back-to-back clean sheets for Mackenzie Arnold
Perhaps the unsung hero of Sunday afternoon, Mackenzie Arnold stood firm and almost certainly kept the Hammers in the match.
Arnold made a number of superb saves to keep Manchester City at bay, whilst also commanding her box well and picking out her teammates with her solid distribution.
The Australian goalkeeper made six saves in total, and has now kept back-to-back clean sheets in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, having shut-out Leicester City in the previous match.
5. Two WSL wins in a row
Having beaten Leicester City in the previous match, it meant that the Hammers re recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time since November 2018 – which actually turned into a run of three wins after Matt Beard’s side beat Bristol City, Brighton and Yeovil respectively.
Winning is a habit, they say, and Harder will be hoping his team can continue that when they face off against Birmingham City this Sunday.
*You can watch the Hammers in against the Blues at the Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday 10 October at 3pm. Click here to purchase your tickets now!