Manchester City’s ability to win without producing their best football could prove decisive when they face Chelsea in a meeting between the only two unbeaten sides in the Women’s Super League this weekend.
Andree Jeglertz has changed the champions’ mindset rather than overhauled their approach. Before the Swedish manager arrived, title talk was considered taboo. Now winning the WSL is an expectation displayed on the walls of the club’s training base.
City already have a potent attack, a threat from open play and set-pieces, and goals from across the team. Their latest development, however, has been finding a way through matches when their preferred style is not working.
They showed that in a 2-1 victory over London City Lionesses in Bromley a fortnight ago. Mary Fowler assisted the winner as City battled to victory despite being under pressure for long periods.
“The way we won it, it was not our best performance in any way. But we won using a different style,” Fowler said.
“All the girls knew the shift they would have to put in. There were loads of chances created against us but we put bodies on the line. We saved opportunities. Sometimes those kinds of wins feel deflating but we should actually celebrate it more.
“It was such a big shift for us to have to hold onto a win. It’s a great mentality to keep belief until the bitter end. This group should be proud of that.”
City also had to recover from difficult moments last season, including a defeat by Brighton and a narrow escape against Liverpool, although they remained in control of the title race. The season after winning a championship is often regarded as the most difficult, and the reigning champions are now being forced to adapt.
Lauren Hemp described their approach last weekend as “winning ugly” – a phrase not commonly associated with either City or Jeglertz. Fowler accepts it is not their preferred method, but believes it could become an important weapon.
“It’s not our intention to win games that way,” she said. “It always feels nicer when we have won in a way that feels comfortable. But being able to win ugly shows another side to this team. We aren’t going to give up, we won’t stop fighting for momentum and that one moment that can decide a game.
“That is something we showed in parts last season, we scored a lot of goals late in games. Whether it’s an addition, or it’s something we haven’t had to use that often, I think it’s a great quality to have and to recognise. It’s good for confidence.”
Chelsea were renowned under former manager Emma Hayes for their ruthless ability to win by whatever means necessary. City are drawing on that example without attempting to imitate it.
“We love playing beautiful football but sometimes you have to scrap,” Fowler added. “Just because we have a plan to play a nice style doesn’t mean it will always work. We have to have a fallback quality, even if it’s messy. It’s about getting stuff done.”
City have won only one of their past nine visits to Chelsea, losing six. They will also face a side with the best shots-per-90 rate in WSL history.
“It’s a big game and a great match-up,” Fowler said. “Some wins have lacked performance so far but we have all the tools we need.”
City’s 2-1 comeback against Arsenal in October provided another example of their resilience. They have conceded twice as many goals as Chelsea this season but lead the table by two points.
“We’re in a great place but we’re fuelled to want to perform even better,” Fowler said.
Follow Chelsea v Manchester City in the dedicated live blog from 13:00 on Saturday, with kick-off at 13:30.
