Smash and grab 2-1 win by Spurs women ends City’s long unbeaten run at home in the League
By Football Reporter
Karima Benameur Taieb’s late own goal buried Manchester City in their 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at the Academy Stadium.
The hosts had dominated the majority of the match but failed to make numerous chances count, with only Lauren Hemp able to get on the scoresheet in the first half.
Rachel Williams levelled things up for the visitors before the defensive mishap between City captain Steph Houghton and her keeper cost the FA Cup champions dearly.
City now sit in seventh after two rounds of fixtures and will face a high-scoring Arsenal side when league action resumes September 26.
It took just six minutes before 2020 PFA Young Player of the Year Hemp, who netted six times for City last term, opened her 2021/22 Barclays FA WSL account when she nodded in an Alex Greenwood corner.
Seven key City players were forced to watch from the stands with injury, and their woes soon worsened when right-back Esme Morgan was stretchered off after colliding with Ashleigh Neville, receiving treatment for an apparent knee injury.
Hemp had a good opportunity to double City’s lead in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time, manoeuvring her way around multiple Spurs defenders to get herself in position in the box before her effort was deflected.
Williams clawed one back for Spurs against the run of play when she connected with a low ball from substitute Chioma Ubogagu and directed it into the back of the City net.
Spurs found themselves picking up the perfect end to the evening when an awkward deflection off Steph Houghton first ricocheted off the post before grazing the City keeper and trickling in four minutes from time.
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Manchester City: (4-4-2): Karima Benameur Taieb; Esme Morgan, Steph Houghton, Alanna Kennedy, Alex Greenwood; Janine Beckie, Vicky Losada, Lauren Hemp; Ellen White, Georgia Stanway
Substitutes: Filippa Angeldahl for Morgan 15’, Jess Park for Beckie 62’, Khadija Shaw for Kennedy 73’
Substitutes not used: Khiara Keating, Demi Stokes, Jill Scott, Ruby Mace
Goals: Hemp 6’
Bookings: Morgan 11’
Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Becky Spencer; Asmita Ale, Molly Bartrip, Shelina Zadorsky, Ashleigh Neville; Ria Percival, Maeva Clemaron, Josie Green, Jessica Naz; Kyah Simon, Rachel Williams
Substitutes: Chioma Ubogagu for Green 46’, Kit Graham for Simon 61’, Rosella Ayane for Williams 81’, Angel Addison for Naz 82’, Kerys Harrop for Zadorsky 90’+5
Substitutes not used: Tinja-Riikka Korpela, Esther Morgan, Cho So-hyun, Jiali Tang
Goals: Williams 61’, Taieb 86’ (OG)
Bookings: Neville 90’+6
Referee: Abigail Byrne
Attendance: 1,126
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