Record-breaker Shaw pushes Manchester City Women to top of the table

LONDON, England (CMC):

Jamaica Women's international Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw continued her rich vein of scoring form with a first-half brace to propel Manchester City Women back to the top of the Women's Super League (WSL) yesterday in England after they drubbed West Ham United Women 5-0.

The 27-year-old set three goal-scoring records at the Joie Stadium and helped propel Man City Women to their 13th successive WSL win, surpassing the previous best of 12 during the 2020-21 season and enabling them to leapfrog Chelsea to first place - albeit having played one more match than the defending champions.

Leila Ouahabi gave the hosts the perfect start with a goal in the first minute before Shaw scored her 20th goal of the season two minutes later, equalling her tally from last season with three matches remaining.

She brought down a drilled cross before impressively swivelling and firing into the top corner which enabled her to become the first player to record a goal contribution in 10 successive WSL matches.

It also made the Jamaican the second woman to score 20 goals in two different WSL seasons after Australia international Sam Kerr previously achieved the feat, scoring 21 for Chelsea during the 2020-21 season and 20 more the following term.

The goal also gave Shaw her 49th in the WSL, and she only had to wait another 19 minutes to make it 50 in only her 57th appearance in the tournament, becoming the 11th woman in history to achieve the feat.

She expertly lost her marker in the area to head home a pinpoint cross from Lauren Hemp on the left to reach the landmark in the second-fewest number of matches.

Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal was the first to score 50 goals in the League in an astonishing 50 matches - and Shaw is only the second non-European after Kerr to score 50 WSL goals.

Laura Blindkilde Brown then extended the lead late on with her first goal for City in the 81st minute before Jess Park added a fifth which, preciously, boosted the team's goal difference to 42 with three matches remaining.