Shaw's hat‑trick pushes Man City ahead of Chelsea in title race

On Saturday, Manchester City surged two points clear of Chelsea after a 5‑0 victory over West Ham, while the Blues were held to a 1‑1 draw by Everton, keeping the Women's Super League title race level on points.

Shaw's hat‑trick propels City

Khadija Shaw, who has scored 12 goals in nine league appearances and accounts for 44 percent of City’s WSL strikes, completed a hat‑trick at the Joie Stadium.

Her hat‑trick trimmed the goal‑difference gap that had previously seen Chelsea edging the reigning champions thanks to a comfortably better margin.

Chelsea, despite dominating at Stamford Bridge with 20 shots, an expected‑goals total of 2.14 and 55 touches in Everton’s penalty area, could not find a breakthrough.

Everton’s Lucy Bronze scored an own goal, costing the Blues three points, and both clubs recorded the same number of shots on Saturday,

Title race tightens ahead of Chelsea‑Man City clash

Chelsea captain Erin Cuthbert said the side were “not at the races” and could not afford many such days if they want to stay in the title race.

Sonia Bompastor’s City side were forced to settle for a point after Everton, ranked eighth, held them to a 1‑1 draw.

Lauren James missed the Chelsea match after a hamstring injury ruled her out for at least five games following a 6‑0 win over Charlton.

Shaw, a summer transfer target for Chelsea, warned the team must focus on each game and not become complacent ahead of the Champions League mid‑week tie.

City’s Lauren Hemp, also missing the Fifpro Women’s World XI shortlist, praised the partnership with Shaw, saying “we just click” after their fifth combined goal this season.

City boss Gareth Jeglertz highlighted the squad’s depth, noting five games in two weeks will require rotation and that all players are vital for success.

Bompastor added that her side need to move on quickly and keep expectations balanced ahead of the upcoming clash with Chelsea.

The upcoming Saturday match between the two clubs could decide the title, as a win for Chelsea would restore them to the top spot.

City have won their last two meetings with Chelsea, including last season’s FA Cup semi‑final, but remain wary after losing the 2023‑24 title on goal difference despite being three points clear with two games left.

Jeglertz, when asked about Chelsea dropping points, said he does not care much at the moment but acknowledges both sides must battle the whole way to win the league.