Brighton Women 1-4 Manchester City Women: Visitors claim 10th straight WSL win

Manchester City kept pace with Women's Super League leaders Chelsea with a routine win over Brighton and Hove Albion at Bradfield Stadium.

City are second in the WSL, trailing only Chelsea on goal difference.

Former City player Lee Geum-min added a late consolation for Brighton, who remain eight points above the relegation places.

The visitors immediately dominated as Brighton sat deep, but had to be patient before finding the breakthrough on 27 minutes.

Jess Park had space to turn and twist a through ball in midfield to finish off Hemp's chase from the corner of the six-yard area.

Brighton keeper Sophie Bagheli should have done better, either coming out for a through ball or stopping a Hemp shot that squeezed under her body and over the line.

All three points were secured five minutes before half-time, when a slick team move ended in Hemp's excellent cross from the left, before a sliding Fowler finished in the acre.

Shaw made it 3-0 to make it 3-0 when Hemp hit the post from the edge of the area for his second and the start of City's second half.

The fourth came when Combs coolly finished off Fowler's cut-back from the edge of the area – City just couldn't find the six goals they went above Chelsea on goal difference.

Instead Brighton scored the final goal of the game in stoppage time, Lee turning home a low cross from close range.

The city responds after a tricky week

It was a must-win game for Gareth Taylor's City after a difficult week.

Since last playing in the league, City Knocked out of the League Cup by Chelsea And the FA Cup On penalties at the hands of TottenhamThe Blues dispatched Arsenal on Friday, taking a three-point lead in the WSL.

City were expected to hit back with a win here, but will be suspended by memories of last November's reverse league fixture, where Lee earned a late winner. Shock win for Brighton.

City, who kept 35 shots clean in that defeat, were so efficient that they risked no shock here.

That November defeat was City's second in league games. It was their 10th win since that loss.

Only once in 2020-21 has a team won 10 or more straight games in a single WSL campaign.

It's a challenge City must pursue, emulate and defy to deny Chelsea a fifth straight league title and Taylor to avoid a second consecutive trophy-less campaign.

Tough day for Terland

Seagulls striker Elizabeth Terland is third with 11 goals this season – now five behind City's Shaw in what Brighton will have hoped would have been a battle of the WSL top scorers.

However, their need to sit deep under City pressure left Derland largely out of service and unable to add to his tally.

Brighton have now won just one of their last 11 home games in the WSL, losing eight.

Crucially, that win came against Bristol City in January and with the Robins rooted to the foot of the WSL, Brighton have been increasingly assertive in defense this season.