FIT-AGAIN IZZY IS SAVOURING BUSY TIME IN CITY MIDFIELD
IZZY CHRISTIANSEN is back and ready to boost Manchester City’s bid to win the Women’s Super League for the first time.
‘Busy Izzy,’ as the City fans call the all-action midfielder, returned from injury as a substitute in Thursday’s crucial top-ofthe-table 2-0 victory at Chelsea.
That was two months to the day since the England international damaged an ankle in City’s first game of the season, an FA Cup fifthround win at Liverpool.
Now, Christiansen (pictured inset), last month named as the PFA’s 2015 Women’s Player of the Year, is ready to face the Reds again in Wednesday night’s league game.
“It’s been a difficult couple of months for me,” admitted the 24-year-old former Everton and Birmingham City player, “but I’ve worked my socks off to get back.
“I was delighted to make my return at Chelsea, but most importantly on the night it was great that we won the match.
“It was a big win for us
against the champions and it kept our 100 per cent record going. It’s been a hugely impressive start to the season by the girls.
“But that result, as good and as potentially important as it was, will mean nothing if we don’t go to Liverpool on Wednesday and pick up more points.
“Hopefully, I’ll be involved again, but no-one gets automatically into this team because we’ve got a very competitive squad that’s really firing.
“We’ve been doing well in every area of the pitch so far. Not just going forward but defensively as well.
“We’ve not conceded a single goal in the league yet.
“That’s a record we’re rightly proud of and we want to carry on keeping clean sheets.”
Wednesday’s game will be City’s final outing before the Super League takes a month’s break from action.
Victory would keep them comfortably in pole position after stretching their lead at the top of the table to six points ahead of Chelsea, who have a game in hand.
With a third of the season gone, City are firm favourites to win the league after finishing runners-up to Chelsea last term. A slow start to the 2015 campaign cost them, but Christiansen said: “We came into this season determined to make a flying start.
“We’ve done that and now we aim to win the league, but we have to balance confidence with keeping our feet firmly on the floor and continuing to working hard.”