by With just eight games left to play in the Women’s Super League, Manchester City produced an inspired display under the lights at Kingsmeadow to pull themselves level with Chelsea at the top of the table. In a victory that ended Chelsea’s 22-game home winning streak in the league, Gareth Taylor’s side cemented their credentials as title contenders with a controlled performance that epitomized their progress as a team.
22-year-old Jess Park has played a central role in City’s midfield in recent weeks. Her technical ability, pace and awareness were on display throughout and it was her aggressiveness in the media that forced the experienced Erin Cuthbert into a mistake on Khadija Shaw’s goal in the 14th minute.
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When Chelsea’s captain pounced on the ball as he faced his own goal, Park went back and waited for her chance to pounce. She made her presence felt, racing in to win the ball and feed the unstoppable Shaw to head home her 14th goal of the campaign. It was the move that ultimately won the game for City, but as well as her attacking qualities, Park showed a defensive maturity that particularly showed her development. A truly remarkable contribution from her first league start of the season and one that put the icing on the cake of a week that brought her back into the England team.
He continued his impressive run against Arsenal in the FA Cup last weekend and continued to prove his patience is paying off. Because she has hardly been given the opportunity, her time has been limited to the number of substitutes that have emerged since returning on loan at Everton at the end of last season. Park has had to bide her time but with City starlet Jill Roord – the Dutch international having previously suffered a cruciate ligament injury in January – taking up a place in midfield.
It was very eye-catching that she has to adapt quickly to a new job. Traditionally seen as a winger, Taylor Park has moved into a more central role where she can operate more as a No 8 and 10. “She’s so good at driving between the lines,” said her manager. “Jess has always been a player I’ve really admired… She had to be patient and her level of training and attitude was first class. We’ve adjusted her position a little bit but I’ve always felt she can play between the lines.”
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This is where she was positioned for much of the evening, and her relationship was clearly growing with Laura Coombs alongside her and Yui Hasegawa in the deeper midfield role. Those two players give her great support and experience to continue her development.
In Hasegawa, City have a player who has firmly established herself as one of the best No. 6s in the world, as demonstrated by her handling of Chelsea’s midfield duo and the electric Lauren James in the No. 6 role. 10. Despite her 5ft 2in frame, she is extremely strong in tackles and has recovered possession more times than any other player in the WSL this season.
At one point in the first half, she managed to keep the attention of Mayra Ramírez, eight inches taller, with ease. That left Chelsea’s new Colombian striker looking relaxed in the middle, James only able to offer his team-mate a light pat on the back as consolation.
It was this midfield control that essentially won the game for Manchester City, beating both Cuthbert and Melanie Leupolz who were so often in front for Chelsea. In the first half, it was their intensity in the press; in the second, their intensity in defense. This combined with the consistency of their backline and a commanding performance from their 19-year-old keeper Khiara Keating ensured that the Manchester-based side could protect their lead.
Alex Greenwood and Laia Aleixandri went all out in the closing stages, a hallmark of their no-nonsense central defensive partnership. The proof of this resilience is in the statistics. They are still the worst defense in the division having conceded eight.
It was a performance and result that delighted Taylor from the sidelines – a true example of the development his side has shown this campaign. He extended his team’s record to 11 wins in all competitions.
The story of this season has a long way to go, but this felt like a pivotal night. Had Chelsea won, they would have almost had one hand on the title but with their display of determination and maturity, Manchester City managed to reopen the title race and clearly announce themselves as the main challengers to Chelsea’s dominance.
