Lucia Garcia scored a last-minute winner to help Manchester United produce one of the narrow football results of the weekend in the Women’s Super League. If United missed points, Emma Hayes’ Blues would have won the title without ever striking a ball because leaders Chelsea defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the first game of the day. The hosts took the lead after two minutes thanks to a stunning strike from Hayley Ladd, and after Chloe Kelly struck the crossbar twice, City custodian Ellie Roebuck was sent for a dangerous push on Nikita Parris.
Filippa Angeldahl’s cross went across the goal line when Mary Earps missed it, giving the visitors a chance to get back into the game. However, Lucia Garcia stunned the crowded Leigh Sports Village with a thrilling goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. A win over Liverpool and a slip-up by the Blues, either a loss at Reading or a draw with a six-goal swing, would see United win the championship instead of Chelsea, who remain in second place, two points behind them, going into the last day of play on Saturday. As a result, fourth-placed City has little chance of competing in the Champions League the following year. To reach an 11-goal swing, they must defeat Everton in their last game, and hope Arsenal loses to Villa at home.
United got out to a fast start. Skinner’s team understood their assignment and got to work right away. Parris, a former City forward, led a dangerous early break and reacted excellently after being pushed off balance. When Ladd received the ball, she rolled it in front of herself and fired a powerful effort into the top right corner, leaving Roebuck helpless. However, the unrelenting beginning only lasted for 15 minutes, which gave City the opportunity to advance for the first time. Bunny Shaw pulled the ball away from a challenge and had a powerful shot stopped, but the opposition-held possession of the ball, and Chloe Kelly connected with a stray ball to rattle the underside of the crossbar.
The atmosphere of the derby completely shifted just before the interval. After Roebuck sprinted out of the area to clear her out, Parris was let loose behind the City defenders and was later given a red card. Leila Ouahabi was sacrificed, and Khiara Keating, then 18 years old, took her place. Unexpectedly, United did not quickly recover after the interval. Instead, Alex Greenwood sent a teaser free kick that Kelly met and headed forcefully onto the crossbar just five minutes after the game resumed. Also prevented from receiving a penalty was them was Ladd’s unpunished foul on Shaw.
City evened the score with little over 20 minutes remaining. The ball flew over the goalkeeper’s head and inside the left post as Angeldahl floated in a cross from the right that took Earps off guard. If Maya Le Tissier’s stunning slide tackle hadn’t stopped Shaw in the last seconds of the 90, they may have also prevailed. However, United were not finished. Vilde Boe Risa deflected a ball from Hannah Blundell to the back post, and Garcia held his composure to advance to the six-yard box and score the game-winning goal beyond Keating.
“Tonight, Manchester must be crimson, right? I thought we were fantastic in the first half, but we didn’t play well in the second. When a team is down to 10 players, there are gaps that need to be filled but cannot be found, and to be fair, City pressed extremely hard,” Manchester United boss Marc Skinner said. “The Champions League is now certain, and that will serve as a carrot for them moving ahead. It is challenging to give them every one a shot with only one game per week, but they gave up their time for the squad. Because of the way they work together as a team, it is the most beautiful team I have coached.”
“We didn’t play well to open the game, but when we gave up, we were the team that was pushing the pace. Prior to the red card, we were the team with the most vigour. We had to make a few adjustments, but our message was to remain upbeat and capable of trying to win the game. Today, we did everything we could,” Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor said. “It was a stonewall penalty with Bunny Shaw; I don’t see how that is even somewhat in question. We needed a little bit of luck, but we didn’t get it at the end or from the referee. But once more, it appears like this referee consistently renders important rulings that are in our favour.”
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