Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City began their Women‘s Super League title defence with a 3-1 win over Birmingham City.
City were champions for the first time in a decade last season and they again showed they will be the team to beat thanks to Mary Fowler’s opener and Shaw’s brace.
City’s record goalscorer scored 21 goals last term and made a flying start this time around as Andree Jeglertz’s side kicked off their season in style.
Shaw would have had four or five had it not been for inspired Blues goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley, with Oceane Hurtre bagging a late consolation.
Indeed, City came up against a one-woman wall in the first half as Baggaley made a string of saves.
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She was in the right place to keep out two Shaw headers as Lauren Hemp twice produced inviting deliveries.
Her stop to deny Alex Greenwood was the best of all of them as she flung herself to her right and got a strong hand to a downward header.
She then rushed out to deny Aoba Fujino as City peppered her goal in search of an opener.
Baggaley could not stem the tide in the second half and City took a 49th-minute lead as a loose ball fell to Fowler and she coolly stroked home from 12 yards.
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Shaw finally got on the scoresheet six minutes later when she headed home Kerstin Casparij’s corner.
Baggaley kept the score respectable when she denied Shaw again, throwing herself across goal, and then watched Hemp fire over.
But she was picking the ball out of the net again in the 86th minute when she headed home Beth Mead’s corner.
Hurtre notched a consolation in the 90th minute when she slotted home after a defensive error.
