Manchester City move top of WSL table with win over Manchester United, Khadija Shaw becomes club's leading scorer

Khadija Shaw became the all-time top goalscorer for Manchester City Women after scoring during her side's 3-1 victory against Manchester United.

City rose to the top of the Women’s Super League table with the win in front of 40,086 fans at the Etihad Stadium.

Shaw’s goal – her 68th for City – came within seconds of the second half. She received the ball from Jess Park on the edge of the penalty box, taking several touches before calmly finishing past United goalkeeper Mary Earps.

It was City’s third goal of the afternoon after Park had struck twice in the first half. Her opener should arguably have been ruled out as Shaw looked offside in the build-up, but there was nothing wrong with her well-taken second effort.

An own goal from City defender Kerstin Casparij in the 73rd minute proved to be nothing more than a consolation for United, who were unable to get themselves back into the encounter.

Shaw’s 68 goals for City have come in just 82 appearances, with 17 goals coming in the Women’s Super League this season.

Her tally now surpasses Georgia Stanway’s 67 goals in 186 appearances, achieved between 2015 and 2022.

Shaw’s excellent goalscoring form has helped City to the top of the table this season, where they sit with 43 points.

Chelsea are second on 40 points, but have a game in hand which will be played against West Ham on Sunday. The two league leaders are currently level on goal difference.

United are in fourth place with 28 points, six off third-place Arsenal. They could move down to fifth on Sunday if Liverpool beat Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Red Devils manager Marc Skinner feels the club “will rise” despite defeat, which saw them suffer a huge blow to their top three chances.

“Pressure is something you have to deal with every day at Manchester United,” he said. “It's everything we do. Pressure makes you better, it makes you learn, it makes you stronger.

“This club will rise to the levels we all want. I'm a fighter so I'm going to put myself in a position where I can make this team the best in the land. That's my personal responsibility.”

Skinner also believes United were hard done by and felt that there was an offside in the build-up to Park’s opener.

After the match, he called for additional technology to be used in the league to “benefit the game”.

“In a derby, it swings the whole game,” Skinner added on City’s first goal, which he feels should have been ruled out

“Where technology can be used to benefit the game, I think it should be used. If we as teams start to play more games at stadiums where VAR is already part of, then maybe it's more of a viable outcome financially.

“That's probably one of the barriers to it right now. I think today it would have made a big difference in the game if we didn't concede that goal - it shouldn't have stood.

“For today's case, it would have been cut and dry.”

Skinner's side now have little chance of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League, a far cry from their second-place WSL finish last season.

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