Chelsea vs Man City LIVE: WSL result and reaction after Khadija Shaw earns visitors a crucial victory
Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City: Shaw’s early goal and Khiara Keating’s late saves moved City level on points with leaders Chelsea in the title race
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Manchester City blew the Women’s Super League title race wide open after Khadija Shaw netted the winner in a 1-0 victory over Chelsea that took them level on points with the four-time defending champions at the summit.
The Jamaica international extended her Golden Boot-leading tally to 14 goals in 13 appearances, two more than Chelsea’s Lauren James, who was largely quiet in front of a sold-out Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea had what might have been an all-important penalty shout dismissed before the break and it took an outstanding effort by City keeper Khiara Keating to keep out the Blues in a thrilling second-half stoppage-time surge.
The top two sides head into their last eight matches level on 34 points and even on goal difference, with Chelsea’s 41 goals five more than City’s total, allowing them to remain leaders for another week.
Follow all the live action in the blog below, and get the latest odds and tips here.
Man City’s coming-of-age night provides twist to WSL title race
Here is the match report from The Independent’s Jamie Braidwood at Kingsmeadow:
In Emma Hayes’s final season at Chelsea, the Women’s Super League will be going down to the wire again. Though for the wider observers, they will have Manchester City to thank for that after Gareth Taylor’s side defeated the four-time reigning champions at Kingsmeadow to blow the title race wide open. Chelsea could have gone six points clear with victory but the hosts were flat and strangely subdued. City rose to the occasion and deservedly joined Chelsea at the top of the table, level on points with eight games to go.
FT: Chelsea 0-1 Man City
Full time: City manage to hold on to their slender lead and claim victory to put them level on both points and goal difference with Chelsea at the top of the WSL table.
City were by far the better side in the first half, taking the lead through Shaw, but Chelsea may feel aggrieved that a clumsy challenge by Alex Greenwood on Ramires did not result in a spot-kick.
In the second half, Chelsea tried to push for an equaliser, but City remained strong defensively.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90+7 mins: James blasts a hopeful chance way over the bar, and that will give City a chance to reset and waste crucial seconds.
Keating kicks the ball into touch.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90+7 mins: City have everyone back and Chelsea will just keep coming until the final whistle blows, but there’s not long left now.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90+5 mins: How has that not gone in! City have been absolutely throwing their bodies on the line, it was a stunning double save from Keating and then the defenders scramble the ball away.
That has absolutely kept her side’s advantage in tact.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90+5 mins: Coombs has come off and Demi Stokes will make her second appearance in the WSL this season.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90+3 mins: A miss-timed cross and Keating has the ball, that will waste precious seconds as far as Chelsea are concerned.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90+3 mins: Chelsea have a corner, City block the ball a number of times before Coombs hoofs it clear up to the hosts’ goalkeeper.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90+1 mins: There will be nine minutes of added time
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
90 mins: Aleixandri it was who was involved in that clash, not Hemp, and she struggled to shake it off and has been substituted.
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