Manchester City won a 2-1 crucial victory over Brighton in the female Super League, firmly keeping Nick Cushing’s side hunting for a coveted place in the Champions League.
Kerstin Casparij gave visitors the first lead, combining well with Mary Fowler to draw at close range.
Brighton looked better in the second half, especially since City began to get tired, but was amazed when, against the game race, replacing it MIEDEMA doubled the advantage of the city. Charlie Rule withdrew one for the Seagulls a few moments later, but, since the clock had already taken overtime, City’s nervous finish did not last long.
And Cushing congratulated the resilience of his team after the match: “ We knew that there would be one element to crawl on the line on Sunday, because not only did we play four really intense games, we played these four games with a really thin game team ”, he said.
“ We had to make a lot of request to the players, and we started to injure – we lost Laia (Aleixandri) in the warm -up, Kerolin could not start, and Jill (Roord) and VIV (Miedema) had to come from the bench.
“So I think the players are really happy, and I don’t want to say relief – because we expect to win. We really respect Brighton, but we continue the Champions League, so winning is at the forefront of everyone.
Below, Mail Sport breaks down the five key discussion points for Sunday’s meeting …
Manchester City won 2-1 in Brighton & Hove Albion in the female Super League Sunday
1. Casparij shines
Casparij gave Manchester City the advance in the 37th minute, the Dutch international colliding on the penalty surface and by typing in the crossing of Mary Fowler at close range to secure her first WSL goal of the season.
The rear has often stolen under the radar compared to the greatest players in the city of Vivianne Miedema, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Mary Fowler.
But Casparij, 24, turned out to be one of the most reliable people under Taylor and now Cushing mandates – his energy on the right wing a crucial asset in the city’s accumulation game.
His goal has removed the bite from Brighton’s early domination and reports another part of his full match in constant improvement.
Kerstin Casparij scored the opening goal of the game and delivered a complete display
2. But the city looks at legs
City has been run in the ground in the past two weeks, with Cushing launching everything he could in their last four consecutive games against Chelsea – the League Cup final, their two legs in the quarter -final of the Champions League and their League match last weekend.
Chelsea missed the winners in the three games that counted at the end, with Cushing saying that he was “ proud ” of his team’s performance while ruining the absence of many of his experienced veterans.
A city in the region seemed to be particularly exhausted was in defense, with Laia Aleixandri, another player to add to his long list of injuries after having retired from the Sunday team in the pre-match warm-up and Laura Wienroin, coming for the city captain.
And here in Broadfield, the Cushing team showed serious signs of their physical and mental fatigue that had accumulated these games – their side without energy and the enthusiasm they had shown against Chelsea, especially in the second period.
Brighton took advantage of this, by strengthening confidence and creating more opportunities after the break, but ultimately lacked the clinical advantage that City finally has through Miedema.
Despite their victory, some of the city’s players looked a little tired during the Sunday competition
3. Young lionesses full of promises
Brighton is renowned as a club for his talent location, and they seemed to have found another rare jewel of Maisie Symonds – The Tannoy, “England, The Tannoy, announced before kick -off in recognition of the first call of the midfield to Sarina Wiegman’s Squad for the next nations of the League earlier this week.
And the 22 -year -old has again achieved another brilliant performance for Seagulls, tirelessly crossing the middle of the park and providing a crucial asset in the defensive and accumulated game of Brighton, as well as sets.
Michelle Agyemang, the young attacker gets closer to Brighton, is another lioness, the young striker approaching several times to draw the level of the scores.
Although Brighton cannot attribute the merit of the discovery of Agyemang, an arsenal lender, the 19 -year -old provides a lot to Lioness fans to do for the future.
Brighton seems to have unearthed another rare jewel in 22 -year -old Symonds (left)
4. The hopes of the City Champions League are always on the right track
There was a feeling before Sunday’s match that nothing less than a victory would be the end of the hopes of the City Champions League for the season.
Cushing said that before his team’s trip to the south, this city will do everything they can to follow the pace of others, knowing that the four games of the Manchester United season – against Chelsea, City and Arsenal – are likely to pose problems for them, and the city is ready and awaits.
And this victory maintains the Cushing team in the seven points of the third and fourth placed Arsenal and United – who both won earlier during the day – with four games to play.
Man City director Nick Cushing, illustrated at the Broadfield Stadium before Sunday victory on Sunday
5. Brighton’s unbeaten home record ends
Aside from the four major Chelsea teams, Arsenal, Manchester United and Sunday’s opponents, Manchester City, Brighton has comfortably won the title “ Best of the Rest ” this season.
They were one of the three teams to stay undefeated on home at home in the WSL this season – with Chelsea and City – before Sunday’s match.
But unfortunately for the Seagulls, this record ended this afternoon against one side of the delicate city which has now won the six games outside against Brighton in the WSL by a global score of 27-4.