Manchester City kicked off their bid to retain the Women’s Super League title with a convincing 3-1 win at home to newly promoted Birmingham.
Birmingham fielded four debutants on their return to the WSL, while City brought on new signings Beth Mead and Carlotta Wamser in the second half.
How City Saw Off Birmingham
Despite numerous goal-scoring opportunities, it took City until the second half to break the deadlock.
Mary Fowler slotted home City’s opener in the 49th minute, before Khadija Shaw made it 2-0 with a header from a Kerstin Casparij corner six minutes later. She added a second – this time assisted by Beth Mead – in the 86th minute.
Birmingham got a late consolation through Oceane Hurtre, who neatly slipped the ball under goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita in stoppage time to deny City a clean sheet.
A Special Day For Lauren Hemp
The victory over Birmingham also marked Lauren Hemp’s 200th appearance for Manchester City, making her just the fourth player in the club’s history to reach that milestone.
“I’m very proud,” Hemp said after the game. “I was such a young girl coming into the club and not knowing what to expect… It’s very special, and I feel like a bit of a veteran now, even though I’m only 26!”
On the win itself, Hemp – who earned the Player of the Match accolade – added: “It’s about building. We wanted to start strong… at the end of the day we want to retain the title, and it’s the start of a long season, so the win was the most important thing.”
City’s next WSL clash is an away trip to Aston Villa on Sunday 13 September, while Birmingham will face Brighton at home on the same day.
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