Man City 'made a statement' after dismantling Man Utd as Vivianne Miedema & Co edge closer to WSL title success

Dutch sensation Miedema scored twice in the first half to silence the home crowd and put City in total command. Manager Andree Jeglertz was understandably delighted with the display, noting that his side executed their gameplan with "confidence and big belief" despite the testing weather conditions.

"The weather wasn't helping," Jeglertz joked as he began his post-match news conference away from the wind and rain. However, the performance on the pitch was anything but a joke. The City boss described the opening 45 minutes as "one of the best" he has witnessed from his side. His team controlled every facet of the game, leaving United chasing shadows in front of their own fans.

"Definitely, I enjoyed that," Jeglertz added. "It wasn't relaxing, because it never is for a coach, but I felt we had control of the game. The players were enjoying finding solutions to a lot of things. They created chances. It was a fantastic game. It was amazing to watch and be a part of."

This control has been a hallmark of City's season, which saw them go on a 13-game winning run between September and February.

City have established themselves as the best team in the country this season, benefiting from a deep squad and the absence of European distractions. With the likes of Alex Greenwood commanding the backline and Yui Hasegawa pulling the strings in midfield, the gap between the two Manchester rivals looked wider than ever. Jeglertz believes the manner of the victory sends a clear message to the rest of the league.

"I really believe in my group of players, that no matter what team we play. If we play with this confidence, then many teams will struggle against us," the manager explained. "Things can still happen in the three games left and we need to keep performing but I can't see that pressure being too much because we are so open with it. The players have been very good at handling it. Winning a game is one thing, but winning in the way we win - by making a statement – of course, that brings confidence."

After narrowly missing out on the title on goal difference in the 2023-24 campaign, City appear to have learned from their past heartbreaks. Rather than wilting under the spotlight, the pressure appears to have galvanised the squad. Jeglertz admitted that while the coaches try to keep things level-headed, the internal belief within the playing group is what separates them from the chasing pack.

"They are believing so much in what we are doing and the capacity of each team-mate, that it gives them belief in the game that we will find a way to win," Jeglertz said. "We talk about how good we are as coaches but we have shown now that when we are at our highest level, few teams are on that same level. We all have a little bit of pressure on the group. We have talked about it and it's natural. But we can still do the things we're good at and if you can handle that, and also feel you have great players around you, it's easier to deal with. That's what we've done all the time. Of course, it means something to be able to handle that. To still perform, shows something about the group."