Manchester City delivered a dominant 3-0 win over Manchester United at the Etihad, strengthening their position at the top of the Women’s Super League and asserting themselves as serious title contenders.
Goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp sealed a statement victory for Andrée Jeglertz’s team, who overwhelmed a fatigued United side still recovering from their historic Champions League win over PSG. The defeat marks United’s second straight league loss — the first time they’ve suffered back-to-back WSL defeats since May 2024 — leaving them seven points behind City.
United manager Marc Skinner admitted his side contributed to their own downfall:
“We gave City those goals. It wasn’t like they dominated us; that’s the scary thing,” he told BBC Sport. Despite the setback, he refused to concede the title race but acknowledged United must strengthen in the January window.
City, largely unaffected by European scheduling, fielded a fresh Lauren Hemp for her first start since injury — and she made an immediate impact. City’s frontline tore through United’s defence with a blistering 21-minute stretch in the first half, scoring all three goals against what had been the league’s second-best defensive record.
Knaak opened the scoring from a corner, Shaw doubled the lead after a sweeping move down the right, and Hemp fired in a long-range third before halftime. United, despite several changes, failed to register a shot on target and struggled creatively throughout. Jess Park hit the post after the break, but the visitors rarely threatened.
City could have added more — Shaw missed a clear late chance — but the job was already done. With wins over Arsenal and United now on their record, City sit firmly in control after nine matches, while United face an uphill climb to stay in the title hunt.
