Manchester City ‘in a good place’ in WSL title race after big thumping win over Leicester to go 11 points clear

Andree Jeglertz said he does not need to "motivate" his players after they moved 11 points clear at the top of the WSL table with a thumping 6-0 win over Leicester City. In their first match since defeat to Arsenal, a first loss since September, City showed their title credentials and resilience with a win of champions. They now have an 11-point lead with five matches left.

Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz said he does not need to "motivate" his players after they moved 11 points clear at the top of the Women's Super League table.

Vivianne Miedema scored twice, and Lauren Hemp put on a show as City eased to a 6-0 thrashing over Leicester City.

In a clash between the league leaders and the side at the bottom of the table, it always seemed inevitable it would be one-sided and once City got up and running, there was no stopping them.

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There was a nervy moment early on, when new Foxes signing Alisha Lehmann struck the upright after 16 minutes, with the ball somehow dragging across the goal-line without going in.

Miedema then hit the post herself after a mazy run, weaving in and out of defenders, but any sign that the defeat to Arsenal last week was more than a blip was quickly quashed when Khadija Shaw headed in Hemp’s cross to give City a 1-0 lead five minutes later.

From then on, it was one-way traffic and, after Ashleigh Neville failed to clear the ball twice, the Dutch forward made it two before adding a third just six minutes later from another pinpoint Hemp cross.

Vivianne Miedema scored twice but it was Lauren Hemp (left) who caught the eye for City, with six chances created.

Image credit: Getty Images

Before half-time, City made it four when Yui Hasegawa tapped in Kerolin’s pass. The Brazilian made it five shortly after the break with a thunderbolt from outside the box.

Jeglertz made wholesale changes after the fifth goal, with one of those substitutes, Aoba Fujino, scoring the sixth eight minutes after coming on. Shaw was only denied a seventh by an outstanding block on the line by Julie Thibaud.

The defeat to Arsenal last week was City’s first since September and, with such a resounding win and just five matches left, they have more than just a hand on the title.

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Jeglertz insists the players will have to deal with that pressure, particularly in the Manchester derby on March 29 that may well be the title clincher.

He told Sky Sports: "The ability to keep moving forward - even if we score three or four goals - the attitude from the players, the substitutions we keep on doing, it keeps raising the level, and we keep on chasing more goals - that's what I'm mostly pleased with.

"I don't need to motivate these players. They are fully aware of where we are in the league and what we have done so far, even though last weekend's game was not what we hoped for - they are really working hard every day and week.

Kerolin scored Manchester City's fifth with a brilliant strike from outside the box.

Image credit: Getty Images

"You can see the smiles on the players' faces during and before the game. We are in a good place. I don't need extra motivation for them.

"It's always going to be discussions around [this being City's year], it's important for the players to deal with it.

"We are never pleased, and we need to be happy what we have done so far, be proud of that, but at the same time being humble.

"There's still a long way to go, and I have confidence that if we play the way we play today, it will take us very far this season. We still know we can do even better in some parts of the game."

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