When Manchester City took to the pitch on Sunday to face Liverpool, they will have no doubt been aware of the Vivianne Miedema masterclass going on at Meadow Park, where Arsenal faced Bristol City.
The Dutch international was the star of the show in one of the greatest individual performances the Women’s Super League has ever seen – scoring six goals and assisting a further four in the 11-1 win over Bristol City.
The only goal she was not involved in came when she had been substituted off, getting a well-earned rest for her efforts in the early kick-off.
It was some marker to lay down and some act for City to follow, particularly as they prepared to take on the WSL’s other winless side, Liverpool, at home.
They would respond with a win, but it was nowhere near as emphatic.
The Citizens find themselves slipping down the table after Arsenal’s massive result and brilliant performance. While they took their foot off the gas following an early goal from Gemma Bonner in their 1-0 victory, almost letting Liverpool grab an equaliser in the process, the Gunners did anything but in a display that perfectly encapsulated Miedema’s own description of herself as a player.
“I used to be the playmaker but now I’m responsible for scoring goals,” she explains.
“That’s a different type of pressure but it’s one that I’m really enjoying. I’m not an out-and-out No.9, I like to think I’m a mix of a No.9 and 10.”
The 23-year-old is a unique talent and while she does not single-handedly drive Arsenal’s title challenge, she offers them a unique element in a squad already packed with talent.
When Sam Kerr arrives at Chelsea in the New Year, she will offer the Blues, who are the only unbeaten side left in the WSL this season after they beat the Gunners, their own wildcard.
The latter is something that makes Man City’s task, as fellow title challengers, much harder.
Getty Images
Nick Cushing has done a fantastic job in the north west, winning six trophies since he took over in 2014 – the year the women’s team entered the top tier for the first time as a professional side.
But his impressively consistent team, who have finished in the WSL’s top two in each of the last four seasons, now face their biggest challenge yet.
There is no doubting the quality among City’s ranks. In Ellen White, they have one of the deadliest finishers in the game, one who can rival Miedema and Kerr in that aspect.
Midfielder Keira Walsh has been declared by Cushing himself as being “up there unrivalled with the most intelligent players [he has] ever worked with”, with fellow England internationals Steph Houghton and Jill Scott providing quality and experience both behind and alongside her, respectively.
Lauren Hemp, Caroline Weir, Tessa Wullaert and Georgia Stanway are all lively talents behind White, but this team has no genuine world-class star like Kerr or Miedema. Stanway has the potential to be that, of course, but is still just 20 years old.
City’s qualities are in their team ethos, hard-working spirit and patient approach to breaking down teams.
There are plenty of players in the squad capable of finding that killer final ball and providing a necessary moment of quality – see Weir’s long range strike against Manchester United on the opening day as a prime example.
But they do not have the same unpredictable individual in the squad that Arsenal have with Miedema or that Kerr will give Chelsea.
Cushing has created an impressive winning machine in Manchester, but the fitting comparison is one very close to home.
Getty
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were a similarly relentless last season in the Premier League, but Pep Guardiola’s City side were producing moment of magic after moment of magic to deny them the title.
It might be early doors, but Cushing’s side – who have won seven of their eight league games this season, their only defeat and only goal conceded coming in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal – feel like Klopp’s 2018-19 Liverpool side in this metaphor.
The only difference is in this title race, though, is that there are two of those Guardiola-esque sides in their way.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)