Tag: Man City

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WSL

Manchester City undergo more exits than entries for 2026/27

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Photo from @bethmead on Instagram

Manchester City have been flying under the radar with more players leaving than coming. Only two new signings will join the Sky Blues. Both being players who had large impacts against City while at their former clubs.

One retirement struck Man City, as Laura Coombs announced her retirement from football altogether. The 35-year-old has played for a wide range of clubs in England, having started her professional career in 2007 for Arsenal. Since then she has also played for Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Liverpool and finally Manchester City. A lasting impact was made throughout her career as a steady contributor in the midfield as she succeeded whenever she got called upon. Also playing for England, Coombs made appearances in two group stage matches during the 2023 World Cup, where England reaches the finals.

Four youngsters mark their exits from the club, each of which went on their own loans last season and look for more gametime and development as players.  Codie Thomas departs from her childhood club after spending over ten years at the club.  The move to Nottingham Forest will serve vital to her career, as the 19-year-old fullback struggled to compete against more experienced fullbacks such as Kerstin Casparij. Poppy Pritchard completed her move to Leicester City after a loans to Durham and Celtic last season. Pritchard has signed a three-year deal for the foxes.

Tara O’Hanlon also underwent two loans last season, spending the first half at Sunderland, and the latter half with teammate Pritchard at Celtic. O’Hanlon struggled to find her footing at Manchester City following a MCL tear, and a tear in her calf prior to the 2025/26 season. The young defender has joined Wolves having no senior appearances for Manchester City, hoping to have a more stable at Wolves. Lily Murphy has joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan after making 22 appearances for City since signing her professional contract in 2024.

Goalkeepers have made their exits from the club, with Eve Annets, Katie Startup and Khiara Keating leaving. Khiara Keating’s exit hits hard as she leaves with the expiration of her contract. Keating became City’s first-choice goalkeeper in 2023-24 as she won the WSL Golden Glove, but then struggled to fight for gametime against Ayaka Yamashita. The 22-year-old has also starred for her country, often being called up by Wiegman for England.

Katie Startup made her way into Man City’s squad as an emergency loan in the 2023/24 season coming from Everton, before joining on a permanent basis. This transfer means that Startup will hopefully increase her gametime as she joins Birmingham City. The final move from between the posts is Eve Annets’ loan to the Scottish WPL side Hibernian. Despite being signed with City for two seasons, Annets has yet to make an appearance for the club, having had gone on loan each season she’s spent at the club.

A centre back exit is from Naomi Layzell who has joined Everton on a season long loan, last season Layzell struggled to establish herself as a starting centre-back, having to face Knaack and Greenwood for the position. Consistent injury struggles also shortened her season with a hip surgery in December of 2025. Joining this exit is Spaniard Leila Ouahabi who has been a trusted player for Jergletz’ defence. With the conclusion of her contract, Ouahabi moves to the NWSL as she penned a three-year deal with Chicago Stars. The left-back spent four years at Manchester City and so, established herself as a regular starter for the club.

Undoubtably the name that has made the most headlines this transfer window is Kerolin Nicoli, who has left Manchester City for FC Barcelona with a record breaking fee of £1.28m, removing Arsenal’s fee for Olivia Smith from the top spot. Kerolin signed for City in January 2025 from the NWSL. Scoring 9 goals in 15 matches, Kerolin’s transfer will be noticed.

Two new signings both hail from London, with Beth Mead from Arsenal joining the frontline, and Chelsea’s Niamh Charles reinforcing the backline. Widely regarded as one of England’s best forwards, Mead pens a three-year deal, inevitably planning to make her mark on her new club. Mead’s perseverance and consistency has made her a country favourite, making her mark in Sarina Wiegman’s starting line-ups helping the Lionesses to European Championship triumph in 2022 and 2025.

Chelsea’s Niamh Charles has also has high levels of success with England internationally. Having won the WSL with Chelsea 5 times, Charles’ experience and versatility will come strongly into play. Held back by ankle issues, Charles struggled with game time last season, however her abilities do not only rely on defending as she scored a vital penalty in the 2025 Euros final, bringing the victory to England.

 

Overall, Manchester City are expected to make remaining signings, to cover for losses between the posts, as they currently have Cummings and Yamashita in the position.

 

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WSL

Knaak’s last grasp header sealed three points for City in tight race for the title 

Rebecca Knaak’s header | photo taken from @mancitywomen on X

Rebecca Knaak’s Injury time header sealed all three points for the league leaders after a tight game throughout. Heading into the final day, all Manchester City need to do is win against West Ham to win their first league title since 2016. 

Manchester City got the 90 minutes underway but Liverpool saw the opening few chances including one from Aurelie Csillag just three minutes in. Her header from close range just fired over the bar but just 16 minutes in, Liverpool had another chance. They continued to pile on the pressure as Jenna Clark was next to have a header with hers also going over the crossbar, after 16 minutes. 

League leaders’ Manchester City had their first chance in the 26th minute as Lauren Hemp crossed the ball in from the left hand side, finding Bunny Shaw in the box but the shot went wide. In the 30th minute, there was the exact same movement but this time with Kerstin Casparij on the right side, finding Bunny Shaw in the box – her effort was also fired high. 

One more chance came in the final few minutes of the first half as with two minutes to go of normal time, Aurelie Csillag for Liverpool had a strike just inside the box but fired it over the bar, like many others. 

Half-time: Manchester City 0-0 Liverpool 

Manchester City started the second half brightly and how they meant to go on with multiple chances coming from Lauren Hemp in the opening five minutes of the half. Her first effort came in the 48th minute but found the hands of Jennifer Falk in the Liverpool net, with her second effort coming just two minutes later. The second attempt went straight in front of goal, failing to find anyone in the sky blue shirt. After many attempts in the next ten minutes, Kerolin had her own chance but Falk got her hands to it again and tipped it over the bar. 

Liverpool had some chances back to back both from Ceri Holland in the 74th and 76th minute, after their first substitution of the game – with both heading over the bar. Just two minutes after the last two, Aoba Fujino for Manchester City had her own chance, but had a similar action to Ceri Holland’s just that few minutes earlier. 

Six minutes were added at the end, which proved to be just right for Manchester City as just one minute in, Rebecca Knaak scored another header in the league. The defender’s effort went into the back of the net after a corner from Alex Greenwood found her from close range in the box. 

Full time: Manchester City 1-0 Liverpool 

What’s next for the sides: 

Final day looms in the WSL with Manchester City finishing their campaign away against West Ham with Liverpool hosting Arsenal, both on Sunday 16th May. Prior to the WSL finale, both are in with a chance of heading to the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final. Manchester City visit Chelsea on Sunday 10th May with kick-off at 3:30PM BST and Brighton travel to Liverpool for a 12:15PM kick-off on the same day. 

How the teams looked: 

Manchester City: Yamashita, Greenwood ©, Knaak, Rose, Casparij, Hasegawa, Coffey, Hemp, Kerolin (Coombs 96’), Fujino (Fowler 84’), Shaw. 

Unused Substitutes: Beney, Blindkilde Brown, Clinton, Keating, Murphy, Ouahabi, Prior. 

Goals: Rebecca Knaak (90+1’) 

Yellow Cards: Greenwood (32’), Sam Coffey (42’) 

Liverpool: Falk, Bernabe, Fisk ©, Clark, Shimizu (Bergstrom 69’), Nagano, O’Sullivan, Holland (Woodham 88’), Olsson, Enderby, Csillag (Josendal 82’) 

Unused Substitutes: Evans, Kirby, MacLean, Shaw, Trueman. 

Yellow Cards: Fuka Nagano (51’), Ceri Holland (71’)

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WSL

Sixth Sense for Manchester City against bottom of the league, Leicester City 

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photo taken from @mancitywomen on instagram

Goals from Khadija Shaw, Yui Hasegawa, Aoba Fujino, Kerolin and a Vivianne Miedema double secured all three points. After 14 league wins (including this one), it puts them 11 points clear of rivals, Manchester United with six league games remaining. 

Manchester City started positively out of the blocks with multiple chances from Bunny Shaw being saved from Leicester City Goalkeeper Olivia Clark. Chances continued to come until the first goal 22 minutes in, with efforts from Lauren Hemp, Sam Coffey, Bunny Shaw, Kerstin Casparij and Vivianne Miedema all finding wide of the goal. 

22 minutes in, a diving header from Bunny Shaw caused the start of a goal-scoring rampage from the hosts, after the cross from Lauren Hemp on the left side found Bunny in the box and breezed it past Clark in net. 

After chances from Kerolin and Alex Greenwood in the blue of Manchester City, Vivianne Miedema found the two goal cushion six minutes after the first goal. Just outside the 18 yard box, she cut it across, and fired it into the bottom left side of the net. 

Although it was predominantly Manchester City, the visitors did have a couple of chances from Alisha Lehmann but Ayaka Yamashita did well to keep them out of it. Chances continued to come for Bunny Shaw after her and Lauren Hemp were comfortable with the ball but nothing came from then until another Vivianne Miedema goal 36 minutes in. 

She saw the cross from Lauren Hemp on the left side with her head finding the ball, and firing it past Clark in the Leicester net. Just two minutes later, Yui Hasegawa made it 4-0 after a cross from Kerolin on the right side found Hasegawa in the box and her first time attempt looped over Olivia Clark. 

Half-time: Manchester City 4-0 Leicester City 

Right off the blocks in the second half saw a fifth for Manchester City just three minutes after the restart from Kerolin. Her first-time effort from outside the box found the top left corner after the initial shot from Vivianne Miedema was blocked. 

Chances for the home side kept coming in following the first goal of the half with Aoba Fujino rounding off the scoring in the 66th minute. After pressure on Leicester, the effort went past the keeper and slotted into the back of the net and just minutes later, even had another shot on target. 

Both Home and Away sides saw chances in the final 20 minutes including Leicester looking to reduce the demolition with chances from Noemie Mouchon, hitting the top netting twice. They ultimately saw their 10th loss of the season, with Manchester calling home a fortress after scoring 22 and conceding two in the last five games.  

Full-time: Manchester City 6-0 Leicester 

What’s next for the sides: 

City remain at home as they welcome WSL2 side Sheffield United in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, on 22nd February. For Leicester, they now have a full month off with their next game being away from home against Liverpool on 15th March in the league. 

How the teams looked: 

Manchester City: Yamashita, Rose, Greenwood © (Ouahabi 58’), Shaw, Miedema (Clinton 58’), Hemp, Kerolin (Fujino 58’), Coffey (Blindkilde Brown 77’), Casparij (Beney 77’), Hasegawa, Knaak. 

Unused Substitutes: Keating, Coombs, Lohmann, Prior. 

Goals: Shaw (22’), Miedema (28’, 36’), Hasegawa (38’), Kerolin (48’), Fujino (66’).  

Leicester City: Clark, Kees (Ale 69’), Van Egmond, Mouchon, Lehmann (Williams 59’), Thibaud, Mayling, McLoughlin, O’Brien (Payne 59’), Neville ©, Swaby.

Substitutes: Keane, Goodwin, Cain, Ayane, Walne. 

Yellow Cards: Neville (62’) 

Categories
WSL

Kerolin Nicoli- History Maker

Image Credit: Mancity.com

Kerolin lit up her name in headlights on matchday fourteen of the Barclays Women’s Super League by slotting not one but three goals past reigning champions Chelsea.

However, it wasn’t just this game week that has shown just how good she can be; going quietly under the radar this season, she’s been one of the Citizens’ most influential players.

Her first appearance this season came as a substitute against Brighton and Hove Albion in a 2-0 win, playing twenty-seven minutes. Her next appearance would again come off the bench, this time against Tottenham Hotspur. Replacing an injured Lauren Hemp, she came on with a point to prove; playing just sixty-eight minutes, she managed to register an assist, and in an impressive performance, she collected her first of many player of the match awards.

Unfortunately, after the Spurs game, she suffered an injury that would keep her out until early December. Her long-awaited return was made in the game against Leicester City and she made an instant impact, first assisting Bunny Shaw for the opening goal before getting herself on the scoresheet, grabbing the third goal; this was arguably the turning point in her season. 

She has kicked on massively since then, grabbing an assist against West Ham United in the Subway Women’s League Cup quarter-finals before then going on to score against Everton in a two-nil win at the Joie Stadium before picking up her second player of the match award of the season. 

Against London City, Kerolin slotted the ball home to give City the lead in a tense affair in Bromley, and her impressive performance she earned her a second consecutive player of the match award.

Ultimately it was the top-of-the-table clash that really showed the best side of her, as she became the first ever player to score a hat-trick past the reigning league champions. The first goal came after Hannah Hampton parried a shot right into the path of Nicoli, who struck home into the bottom left corner. 

The second goal was even more impressive; latching onto a long ball and beating Keira Walsh to it, she chipped Hannah Hampton expertly to get her second of the game. Finally, the perfect day and hattrick was rounded off with her third goal, getting onto the end of a cross from Lauren Hemp and slotting it into the back of the net, making history in a perfect individual performance. This incredible individual performance earned her a third consecutive player of the match award, a credit to all the hard work she’s put in over the past season so far.

Categories
England Women

Esme Morgan: “Being on England camp feels like home”

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photo taken from @esme.morgan on Instagram

Following on from the success in the summer, she returned to America and helped her side, Washington Spirit, secure a play-off place but returned to England this break to help her international side in a number of friendlies. 

First up, she returns to her old stomping ground as England face Brazil at the Etihad Stadium. Esme is a lifelong Manchester City fan, and during her time with the blues she played a number of games at the Etihad which meant a lot to her younger self. When speaking to the media today at St George’s Park, she stated: “It’s very exciting for me being a lifelong City fan. It should be a great occasion!”

“It’s a special time for us to be able to come back and be in front of our fans again and celebrate what we did over the summer with those who possibly couldn’t have got out to Switzerland themselves.”

Esme as a young child and her at the Etihad | photo taken from @esme.morgan on Instagram

Millie Bright announced her retirement from International football prior to Sarina Wiegman’s squad announcement with this being the first squad after the news. Esme played with Bright for a number of years in the England senior set up and even faced up against her whilst she was playing in the Women’s Super League.

When at her first England camp, Millie made the effort to get to know her and made her feel settled and part of the team. Esme also stated that Millie was “rock” as a player and “reliable, dependable presence at the back.” 

“I feel very, very grateful to have been able to create memories together and learn from her both on and off the pitch.”

“She has a lot of passion for everyone in the squad achieving their best…we’ll miss her a lot and I just want to congratulate her on such an incredible career.”

Millie and Esme at Women’s World Cup 2023 | photo taken from @esme.morgan

In the 2024 Summer transfer window, she left her childhood club and headed out on new adventures to Washington Spirit in the NWSL. When playing in the NWSL, Esme said she can “challenge herself on a week to week basis through playing consistently against lots of different types of forwards.” 

After the win in Switzerland, she headed to the trophy parade at Buckingham Palace but shortly after the celebrations, she had to head back to the states to continue her NWSL campaign. She said to the media today that the Spirit girls celebrated the triumph with her and made her feel special. “It’s nice to be back in an England camp because it feels like home and she can reminisce over [the win] again properly.” 

This is the first time the players have returned since the European Championship win in July and when reflecting on the win, Esme said “It is nice to see euro [pean championship] branding everywhere, it feels pretty special!” 

On the following Tuesday, she and the rest of the England squad head to Derby as they face Australia, another few familiar faces for both herself and the England squad. After the games in England, she returns to the USA for the final stretch of NWSL games including their play off games. 

Esme with the winning medal | photo taken from @esme.morgan on Instagram