COACH CUSHING LEAVES CITY IN PERFECT NICK
NICK CUSHING leaves Manchester City after more than six years in charge just where he wants them — top of the FA Women’s Super League table.
‘These last five games have felt like I’ve split up with my girlfriend but am still living in the same house as her,’ admitted the coach who is joining MLS side New York City as assistant manager to Ronny Deila. ‘It breaks my heart to think that it’s over. After a result like that I almost want to stay and finish the year.’
A goal either side of half-time secured an almost perfect sendoff against defending champions Arsenal. Caroline Weir played a free kick into the heart of the penalty area for Pauline Bremer to apply the finish, though it appeared to take a deflection off Arsenal defender Katie McCabe before rolling into the far corner.
Lauren Hemp doubled City’s lead shortly after the break. Latching on to Keira Walsh’s cross at the back post, the 19-year-old headed the ball beyond Manuela Zinsberger.
The win was revenge for losing out on a place in the League Cup final to the north London club in midweek and the perfect response to the coach’s warning that no side should lose to the same team twice in quick succession. City captain Steph Houghton paid tribute to
Cushing by promising to win the league for him. ‘It’s been an emotional few days, said Houghton. ‘You’ve turned us into a team who everyone else wants to copy. ‘You’ve brought through some brilliant young players and made us older players better.’ Arsenal, who drop to third after Chelsea put eight past West Ham, appear to be paying the price for the mysterious continuing absence of captain Kim Little and Lia Walti. It took almost an hour for them to respond to City’s lead. Under-worked goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck was beaten by Danielle van de Donk, who pounced on the rebound from Beth Mead’s low shot following a cross by Vivianne Miedema. Despite the setback, no one is giving up the title fight at Arsenal. Midfielder Jordan Nobbs said: ‘Of course it makes it difficult and it’s taken out of our hands a little bit but we aren’t defeated yet.’