Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images

Liverpool saw an early chance go begging, and were thrashed throughout the rest of the match.

Manchester City 4 - 0 Liverpool

Manchester City: Shaw 30’, 43’; Roord 60’, Prior 77’

Liverpool:

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Pre-Match

The Liverpool FC Women travel just down the road to take on fourth place Manchester City. The Reds have won three games on the bounce, including two FA Women’s Cup wins over West Ham and Rugby Borough sandwiched around a WSL victory over West Ham. The Reds will face a stiff task today, however, as they look to progress up the table.

The big news for Matt Beard is Olivia Smith is suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation. Leanne Kiernan gets the start up top in her stead as part of a 3-5-2 formation. Sam Kerr is the preferred option in the holding midfield role to Fuka Nagano, while Gemma Evans is given the nod in central defense ahead of Gemma Bonner.

First Half

Liverpool very much on the back foot in the early goings. The Reds get one foray forward, but it ends with Taylor Hinds frustratingly under hitting a cross from the left with only Leanne Kiernan in the box, surrounded by defenders. The ball is easily cut out and Manchester City stream forward again.

Eep, Manchester City off the base of the post from close range in the 10th minute. Taylor Hinds misjudges a cross and go just over her head to Aoba Fujino. The Japanese international side-foots the ball first time and it nicks off of Hinds and hits the post from a few yards out, with the ball bouncing into the center of the six yard box. The Reds scramble it out, and another shot comes in from deeper, but this time Teagean Micah is able to make the save.

Chance for Liverpool! Goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita hits a poor clearance that is intercepted by the Liverpool midfield. The ball loops up over the head of a Manchester City defender with Leanne Kiernan racing forward to claim the ball and drive into the left side of the box. She gets a shot away under pressure, but it is from a tight angle and can only put it into the side netting.

Kiernan is proving to be a positive attacking force for the Reds early on. She makes a run through the middle and does well to take down a cross with her chest while between two defenders. She can’t keep the ball close enough too her, however, and it is claimed by the goalkeeper.

HOW TO LIVERPOOL NOT SCORE?!?!?! Sophie Roman Haug knocks a ball forward down, and it is played ahead to Ceri Holland in the left channel. Leanne Kiernan races forward, and Holland slides the ball across to the striker as a defender closes. Yamashita dives in and clatters Kiernan as she sets to shoot in a clear foul. The ball stays alive with Ceri Holland, however, and her shot is directly at a defender on the line and deflected out for a corner. Don’t know how Liverpool are not awarded a penalty here as Kiernan was clearly fouled by Yamashita in the initial attempt.

Goal Manchester City. Twice during the sequence Liverpool thought they had caught Manchester City players offside on simple balls through the lines, but in both cases the Reds had a defender who failed to step with everyone else. The second ball through is to Bunny Shaw in the box, and the Jamaican striker makes not mistake with her calm finish, slotting it past Teagan Micah. Shaw celebrates by holding her fist up in the Black Power salute. She’s been the target of racial abuse recently, so fair play to her for the celebration.

Goal Manchester City. It has been a sustained period of possession for the home side as they easily play that ball through and around Liverpool. The work the ball forward and look to slip it through to Shaw in the box. Grace Fisk goes to ground to block the pass, but it is picked up by Mary Fowler who drives forward into the box before cutting the ball back for Shaw. The striker has to contort her body as the ball is slightly behind her to control it, but she still manages to bring it down and get her laces through it on a side volley, lashing it past Micah in goal. That’s a dagger right before half time.

Second Half

Manchester City get a clean look at goal just a minute or so into the second half. The Liverpool defense plays a high line and thinks it has caught Aoba Fujina offside on a ball over the top. The linesman does not raise the flag, however, and Fujina races in on goal and hits a shot that goes just wide of the far post.

Liverpool attack back down the other side and earn a corner kick. Taylor Hinds puts the ball in, but it is easily cleared out for a throw in. Liverpool get the ball back in play, but Ceri Holland is immediately flagged for offside.

Liverpool get the ball forward again, with Ceri Holland set free down the left channel. She has options to play the ball to but cuts inside and shows too much of the ball to a defender and the ball is cleared away with another chance gone begging.

Goal Manchester City. Another deep cross is lifted into the box and Grace Fisk heads it to the top of the box, but it is collected by Jill Roord. The attacker sees her first time attempt blocked, but the ball rebounds kindly to her and she lashes a second effort through a pile of bodies and in off the far post.

Just a couple minutes after the goal, Matt Beard makes two changes. Mia Enderby comes on for Leanne Kiernan while Fuka Nagano enters for Sam Kerr. Kiernan worked her socks off and put in a great shift. She was hard done not to have been awarded a penalty. Sam Kerr was also on the field.

Mia Enderby looks to make an instant impact, getting the ball down the right wing and squaring it into the middle of the box. No Liverpool player attacks the ball however, allowing Manchester City to hurriedly clear it.

Some great work again by Mia Enderby as she works her way through a couple of tackles near midfield. She sprays the ball out left to Taylor Hinds as several players race forward on the counter. Hinds drives the ball down the left channel and into the box with eyes only for a shot despite several players with her. She gets a shot away, but it’s from a tough angle with a defender on her, and it is easily saved by Yamashita.

Matt Beard makes an attacking change with the Reds down by three goals. Cornelia Kapocs comes on in place of Gemma Evans. Liverpool will shift to a 4-3-3 now.

Goal Manchester City. It’s just one of those days I guess. Gracie Prior gets the ball midway into the Liverpool half on the right side. She pushes the ball forward towards the corner of the box and lofts a cross into the box. The ball doesn’t curl, however, and ends up drifting just into the top corner of the far post. No way that was meant as a shot.

One more round of changes for Liverpool as Matt Beard brings on Zara Shaw and Gemma Bonner. They replace Ceri Holland and Lucy Parry.

Liverpool look to find some consolation late in the match and twice see Cornelia Kapocs denied. The first chance starts with Zara Shaw making a turn in the middle and finding Kapocs on the left side of the box. The Swede takes a touch and drives a shot on goal, but it is saved and held by Yamashita. A few moments later Liverpool make a swift attack down the left, with Kapocs again on the ball as she enters the box. This time she has a better angle and rips a shot towards the far post, by Yamashita dives to turn the ball around the post for a corner.

Manchester City hit Liverpool on the counter, with Kerolin sent free down the left. The Brazilian turns Jenna Clark inside out before driving a shot to the near post. Teagan Micah gets down at full stretch and just gets her fingertips on the ball to push it onto the post to avoid conceding a fifth goal.

Liverpool almost find the breakthrough in extra time. Cornelia Kapcos gets the ball down the left side again and she drives a ball into the box with a couple of attackers making runs. The ball deflects dangerously off of a defender and spins towards the goal line, but the spin keeps the ball curling just away from the goal and just past the far post, staying in play long enough to be hacked clear.

That’s the last action of the match as the referee blows for full time.

Final Thoughts

Liverpool will feel hard done not to have taken an early lead, or at least been awarded a penalty for the chance. Beyond that one flurry, however, the Reds were yet again easily second best on the day in another disappointing performance. The WSL takes a halt for a couple of weeks as we hit an international break. Liverpool will return to action on March 2 when they head to London to take on Crystal Palace.