City recover from Everton scare to extend lead at top
For Manchester City, there is only relief. They ultimately rode out their greatest scare of the season with flair and have kept their hopes of the domestic treble alive.
At the break they were 1-0 down to an Everton side who are second from bottom in the table. City had been pressed to Kingdom Come and had spent so much time in their own half that their own supporters had the desperation to remind them: “The goal’s down there.”
Instead, second-half goals from Keira Walsh, Janine Beckie and Nikita Parris saw a turgid first half give way to a comprehensive destruction of their opponents. City are still alive on all fronts, top of the table with a League Cup final against Arsenal on Sunday and an FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool.
How thankful they must be that they emerged from those difficult first 45 minutes. The Toffees’ opportunistic opener from a botched clearance exemplified City’s offcolour start and set the tone for a half in which Nick Cushing’s side looked like a shadow of the team boasting the league’s meanest defence. Ellie Roebuck sent the ball cannoning off Megan Campbell and Chantelle Boye-hlorkah, a persistent menace, ghosted through the gap to hook the ball home.
In the face of Everton’s wise and calculated pressing, City were left scrambling for a foothold. Gabby George excellently marshalled Lauren Hemp and City – with six changes from the side that drew against Chelsea here – had no joy playing out from the back with the sprightly Boye-hlorkah snapping at their heels.
Tessa Wullaert and Jill Scott were the closest thing City had to a release valve and, such was their desperation to pull one back, they wheeled out the goal music anyway on 40 minutes, long after the flag was up for Hemp’s header to convert Claire Emslie’s cross.
After the break, City reverted to type and Walsh scooped up a loose ball in the box to level with a low drive. The closing down that had served Everton so well was nowhere to be seen in the moment Beckie stole away for a free header. From then, City were untouchable, and Parris, introduced on 70 minutes, did what she does best with a sublime flick over Kirstie Levell. Manchester City
Subs Everton
Subs Referee