Manchester City Women 6-2 West Ham United
Barclays Women's Super League, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Sunday 23 April 2023
West Ham United Women fell to a 6-2 defeat against Manchester City at the Academy Stadium on Sunday evening.
Things didn’t get off to a good start for the Hammers, with Chloe Kelly scoring twice in the opening seven minutes.
Emma Snerle provided an immediate response for the Irons, but Laura Coombs restored City’s two goal lead midway through the first half.
Second half goals from Khadija Shaw and Steph Houghton were followed by an effort from Lisa Evans, which Kheira Keating couldn't keep out, before Mary Fowler scored a sixth for the hosts.
Paul Konchesky made two changes to the side that drew against Liverpool last time out, with Snerle and Hawa Cissoko coming in for Melisa Filis and Amalie Thestrup.
The Hammers looked to start on the front foot and almost took the lead inside the opening three minutes when Viviane Asseyi headed Evans' delicious cross over the bar, moments after Shaw missed a similar opportunity at the other end.
The hosts took the lead on six minutes when Chloe Kelly pounced on a defensive error and cleverly curled the ball into the bottom left corner and things went from bad to worse for the Irons when City’s No9 secured her brace a minute later.
Shaw’s through pass caused problems in the West Ham back line and the pacy winger raced onto the pass before slotting a similar finish into the bottom left corner.
After a difficult start to the match, Konchesky’s side responded immediately. Smith showed great skill and resilience to drive down the left flank and the full back’s wicked delivery caused difficulty for the City back line. Alex Greenwood’s clearance wasn’t convincing and the ball fell to Snerle on the edge of the 18-yard-box. The No8 nipped in ahead of Kelly before curling a superb effort into the bottom right corner, beyond the reach of Keating.
After a period of West Ham pressure, Mackenzie Arnold was called into action with 20 minutes on the clock, making a superb save to deny Shaw from close range.
The home side added a third goal on 25 minutes to re-establish their two goal advantage. A wonderful in swinging cross from Lauren Hemp found Coombs unmarked in the penalty area, and she made no mistake in nodding the ball into the net from close range.
Evans could have been forgiven for thinking her close range strike would nestle in the back of the net, but an incredible save from Keating denied the West Ham winger at the end of the first half as the visitors pushed for a second.
Shaw looked set to open her account after the interval but Cissoko’s vital interception saw the ball loop off the crossbar, thankfully for the Hammers. At the other end, Konchesky’s side came close again as Dagný Brynjarsdóttir’s strike flew agonisingly wide of Keating’s post.
Despite West Ham pressure, it was the hosts who would score the next goal of the match as Shaw smashed the ball into the net from close range.
And it would be 5-1 two minutes later as Houghton got in on the act, tapping the ball into the net after Kelly’s deep corner.
Evans would fire in a consolation goal on 72 minutes, with her strike finding the back of the net with the aid of the post.
Arnold was called upon to make two superb saves in the closing stages to deny Kelly and Yui Hasegawa, but the West Ham No1 was unable to keep out Fowler’s header as the substitute added a sixth for the hosts to round off the game.
Manchester City: Keating, Casparij (Ouahabi 70), Houghton, Greenwood, Morgan, Hasegawa, Angeldahl, Coombs (Castellanos 63), Kelly, Hemp (Raso 75), Shaw (Fowler 71).
Unused Subs: Roebuck, Stokes, Dahou.
Goals: Kelly 6, 7, Coombs 25, Shaw 63, Houghton 65
West Ham United: Arnold, Shimizu, Fisk, Cissoko (Longhurst 57), Smith (Atkinson 70), Snerle (Thestrup 70), Parker (Tysiak 82), Brynjarsdottir, Asseyi, Evans, Hayashi (Denton 70).
Unused Subs: Filis, Hillyerd.
Goals: Snerle 11, Evans 72
Booked: Asseyi
Referee: Jane Simms
Attendance: 2,649
