Manchester City move to WSL summit after hitting five past West Ham

Khadija Shaw’s double helped Manchester City climb to the top of the Women’s Super League table with a 5-0 demolition of West Ham.

City wasted no time when Leila Ouahabi put them ahead seconds after kick-off before Shaw took her WSL goal tally to 19 goals this season with a first-half brace.

There was concern for the hosts when Shaw came off at half-time but, although West Ham had good chances through Jess Ziu and Viviane Asseyi, City found more late goals through Laura Blindkilde Brown and Jess Park in the final 10 minutes.

A dominant victory means City leapfrog Chelsea at the summit and they now have a better goal difference than the Blues – who have a game in hand.

City were straight out of the blocks, taking the lead just one minute in when Park worked well down the right and cut the ball back to Ouahabi, who smashed the ball into the net.

Shaw doubled their lead just two minutes later after brilliantly bringing down Lauren Hemp’s cross from the left and firing the ball into the top left corner.

City’s incredible start got even better when Shaw bagged her brace in the 23rd minute after another great cross from Hemp found the striker in the middle and she dived forward to head home into the top right corner.

The visitors tried to claw their way back and had two chances through Ziu just before the break when she headed over the bar before smashing against the crossbar.

They had another brilliant opportunity in the 51st minute when Asseyi cut in on the edge of the box and her effort rattled the post before Riko Ueki’s low shot was comfortably taken by goalkeeper Khiara Keating.

City remained on top and had a good chance when Chloe Kelly’s low cross was blocked by Amber Tysiak before Alanna Kennedy nearly added a fourth from a free-kick but was denied by a superb punch from Australian team-mate MacKenzie Arnold.

The hosts eventually extended their lead in the 81st minute when Mary Fowler squared the ball to Blindkilde Brown, who hit the ball first-time into the top corner to score her first goal for the club.

Park then got on the scoresheet in the 86th minute with a brilliant run cutting through the West Ham defence before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.