Brighton Shock Man City as Leaders Fail to Close in on WSL Title
Manchester City remain firmly in control of the Women's Super League title race, though recent results may complicate their path to the championship.
A 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday likely delayed their chance to secure the title next week, potentially pushing the decision to the final matchday.
Andree Jeglertz, in his debut season as head coach, had achieved 16 wins from his first 19 WSL games. However, his 20th league game proved challenging as Brighton recovered from an early goal to capitalize on City's missed opportunities.
"I'm not worried. You learn a lot in these games and I am fully sure that when we are back in training, we will be focused for Liverpool next week," Jeglertz told Sky Sports.
"It is still in our hands. We will do everything we can to finish off with two wins."
If Arsenal wins all three of their games in hand, starting with bottom side Leicester City on Wednesday, they could increase pressure on City. Nevertheless, the title remains City's to lose. They will seek decisive performances in their remaining matches against Liverpool at home and West Ham away on the final day to secure their first league title since 2016.
Victory in those fixtures would render Arsenal unable to prevent City from lifting the trophy.
Former Scotland captain Rachel Corsie, analyzing City's situation after the Brighton loss for Sky Sports, remarked:
"A tiny feeling of doubt has opened up. We thought it was cut and dried, but that was a bit of a wobble."
Former Manchester City and England midfielder Izzy Christiansen added:
"City were nowhere near their best and this makes the end to the season a whole lot more interesting."
What Went Wrong at Brighton?
Manchester City had won 13 of their opening 14 WSL games this season. On Saturday, despite creating numerous chances to extend Kerolin's fifth-minute opener, both she and Khadija Shaw failed to convert clear opportunities.
Brighton equalized just before half-time and carried that momentum into the second half.
"It's about details," Jeglertz said. "It was a tough game, but it is about scoring goals. We created a lot of chances in the first half and we needed to score."
Once Brighton gained momentum, City struggled to handle the hosts' transitions and appeared vulnerable to balls played behind their defensive line.
"Brighton challenged us a lot - we need to protect our penalty box a little better," Jeglertz said. "It's important we learn from this game. Today, we dropped a couple of percentages in some moments and we were punished."
Jeglertz acknowledged before the match that the international break had been lengthy. The nearly three-week gap between fixtures may have disrupted City's momentum, compounded by the absence of experienced forward Vivianne Miedema due to family reasons.
"Their performance was shaky and their possession nowhere near the level we've seen this season," Corsie observed.
Brighton, however, were commendable after a difficult start and earned only their second WSL victory over City in 15 attempts.
"In the first half we were, if I can be quite blunt, awful," said Brighton's former England midfielder Fran Kirby. "We were lucky not to be 3-0 or 4-0. But we had belief and the second half was a really good performance from everyone."
Will City Mess It Up, or Was This a Blip?
It has been 10 years since Manchester City last won the league title, and during that period they have experienced several close calls.
In the 2020-21 season, City won 12 consecutive games to maintain pressure on Chelsea, but a 2-2 draw with the defending champions with two games remaining cost them the title.
In the current 2023-24 season under Gareth Taylor, City held a six-point lead late in the campaign. However, after Chelsea won a game in hand to reduce the gap to three points, City conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 to Arsenal. Chelsea ultimately won the title on goal difference.
In an interesting twist, City will face their former manager Taylor's Liverpool in their next WSL fixture on Sunday, 3 May.
Arsenal face a significant challenge to capitalize on City's recent setback. Renee Slegers' squad must win all five remaining games while hoping City drop points. With a two-leg Women's Champions League semi-final against Lyon also on their schedule, Arsenal may face a demanding period.
"I don't think City should be worried. In situations all season they have shown tremendous character, resilience and creativity. Brighton caught them off guard a bit today," Christiansen said.
Nonetheless, Manchester City will remain cautious about the risk of further slips.
"While it is still in our hands, we need to stay really positive and look forward to next week. Two cup finals, two wins, that's the mentality moving forward," said City captain Alex Greenwood.
Ben Haines, Ellen White, and Jen Beattie return for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes are released every Tuesday on , featuring interviews and additional content from the Women's Super League and beyond.
