Citizens Can - Can't They?

Leicester City 0-3 Manchester City (Women's Super League)

I've not watched a women's game for a while. The wife has banned me from covering Sunday matches when I'm working Saturdays but she's had two Xmas do's this weekend so something had to give. Stuck dog sitting both Friday night and Saturday afternoon, I'm finally let out on the leash this Sunday morning, to do my first WSL game since May.

It'll be my first viewing ever of Manchester City women. A chance to see Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw play live. The division's top goalscorer is nearing 100 goals for the Citizens who are top of the league, three points ahead of reigning (six successive times) champions Chelsea after nine matches played.

Leicester are a whopping 18 points behind today's opponents with just one win and three draws this season so far. They lie ninth in the twelve team table but are four points ahead of lowly Liverpool who occupy the only relegation place at the foot, Leicester's only WSL victory so far this season coming against Liverpool in September.

These days managed by Rick Passmoor, who's previous clubs include West Ham, Leeds and Notts County, Leicester have never even taken a league point off Manchester City, who have won their last eight games after opening day defeat at Chelsea, the Foxes in a run of three defeats from four which includes a 3-0 loss at WSL2 Crystal Palace in the women's league cup two weeks ago.

I'm out early, dog walked, I'm on the road with a flask of coffee in hand for a quarter past ten, down the A42 from Nottingham to Leicester and arriving at the King Power for little gone eleven, today's kick off scheduled for midday.

The Venue

It's grey and drizzling as I slap on a big thick winter jacket, before getting out of the car which I've parked across the way in car park C at a cost of £5 (plus £1.50 booking fee).

It's a short hop from the car park to the stadium where there's a big Christmas tree in front of the club shop, not too many around there's usually only a few hundred inside for women's games which is sad, because Leicester do make an effort, a stadium which houses 30,000 when full, but at least today it's easy to get in and out of for me.

It's too early for pies, as I wonder aimlessly around the concourse before deciding to head up stairs, sat positioned in the top corner of the stand on row MM (the equivalent to Z here at Leicester) I'm out of sight above the corner flag, out of trouble, kids singing high pitched and waving flags well down below, I'm comfortable on an end of aisle seat with no-one near me for a good five or six rows in front.

Spectacular internally the stadium covered in blue seats is vast, sparse, but intimate as the roofing above offers plenty of cover, the players on the pitch warming up are the ones getting wet, no chance of that up here but the odd draft of wind provides a sporadic nip every now and again.

The Game

Kasabian has finished playing over the tannoy and the teams are out, Manchester City in a rather ugly lime green and grey, Leicester in more traditional all blue, the home side content in the consistent rain to sit deep and defend, to nullify their opponents attacking threat, and it's a first half of few chances, Leicester on the odd occasion break over the half way line but it's largely the league leaders in possession, right forward Aoba Fujino looks lively whilst on the opposite flank, England's Lauren Hemp glides and floats forwards with the ball to cause danger.

The target is Bunny Shaw, City's Jamaica international is one of the world's best strikers, she's had a couple of chances in the first half, snatching at a shot that goes wide early on, heading over a cross from Fujino later in the half, before Hemp forces Leitzig into a save from an acute angle on the stroke of half time, Leicester are good value for their clean sheet after keeping the league leaders largely at bay.

The Score

It's similar scenario in the second half, the odd cry of 'Leicester, Leicester' is shouted by young girls below as Manchester City attack, Leicester City sit back, they look comfortable bar another Bunny Shaw effort wide and another header over, Leitzig in goal has hardly been tested but for a couple of corners right under her crossbar.

You start to look at the business end of the match and wonder if Leicester can hold out for a first ever WSL point v City, Swedish coach Andree Jeglertz brings on England international Grace Clinton and Brazilian forward Kerolin, but the Foxes hold firm, until, that is, minute 74, when a hopeful cross from the right is completely misjudged by Boureille, it's the first error any Leicester player has made all match, the ball falls at the feet of Bunny Shaw, she's not going to miss again.

That goal sparks the visitors into life, ten minutes later a Lauren Hemp corner is deep to the head of Shaw who rises to nod home her second, and deep in stoppage time Kerolin, who's been lively since coming on, she's running through to dink home brilliantly after a wonderful threaded pass by Shaw, nervy times initially but in the end patience is a virtue, Man City didn't have it all their own way, but kept probing and pushing, until the Leicester defensive display crumbled.

The Stars

For large periods of this game Bunny was not on the money, i counted four chances she perhaps should have done better with, but perhaps I was being overly critical, expecting high standards, in the end Khadija Shaw gave me those high standards, two good finishes, one assist, and probably three more at least, she should have hit the target with.

I don't watch enough football to know if Shaw is the best in the division, but she's top of the scoring charts for a third season running, tall, athletic, quick, powerful, aerially good, predatory in the box, and good in possession, I did like that although she was often on the periphery, as true strikers do, she stuck to within her zone and always provided target to be found.

Finding her, more often than not, was Brazilian substitute Kerolin, who came on when space opened up and caused Leicester real problems, she's a very good player with 54 selecao caps, I was impressed with the speed and tenacity of young Japan international Aoba Fujino, who caused Leicester problems down the right, whilst on the left Lauren Hemp glided lovely across the surface, not the quickest from 0-50 but powerful like a purring Bentley Continental.

Defensively Man City were hardly tested but both centre halves Knaak and Rose looked at ease, full backs got forward well and in midfield, you always felt they had control.

As for Leicester, some tigerish performances that tired late on, I'm always impressed with their goalkeeper Janina Leitzig who stood firm, they played with Janice Cayman, usually a midfielder, helping out as asecond right back in a back five, Sam Tierney as ever, gritty in midfield, whilst young Olivia McLoughlin took my eye, in central midfield she passed the ball well and technically looked good.

The Verdict

I think Leicester will be ok, because with just one relegation place this season (due to expansion next year from 12 to 14 teams) they'll most very likely have enough points to avoid getting caught by Liverpool. Winnable games coming up against London City Lionesses, Tottenham and West Ham might help towards their points tally for survival.

As for Manchester City, well it was very much their day, not only did they win to stay top of the division, Chelsea, who have 8 WSL titles in the last 9 years, well they lost their first game in 35 against Everton, perhaps the writing is on the wall, change is going to happen? Perhaps the Citizens can win the title at last? 2016 was the last time they won it, well they now have a six point lead at the summit, and perhaps no better chance since then?

The Teams

Leicester City: Janina Leitzig, Julie Thibaud (Nelly Las 85), Chantelle Swaby, Janice Cayman, Celeste Boureille, Asmita Ale, Sam Tierney, Olivia McLoughlin (Rosella Ayane 85), Hannah Cain, Hlin Eiriksdottir (Emily van Egmond 35), Shannon O'Brien (Missy Goodwin 72).

Manchester City: Ayaka Yamashita, Kerstin Casparij, Jade Rose, Rebecca Knaak, Leila Ouahabi, Laura Blindkilde (Grace Clinton 64), Yui Hasegawa, Aoba Fujino, Vivianne Miedema (Kerolin 69), Lauren Hemp (Iman Beney 89), Khadija Shaw.

12:00pm Kick Off. Sunday 7th December 2025, Leicester City Stadium, Leicester (att 500).