By OkayGoal
FA WSL · Regular Season – 6 · 18 Oct 2026
Manchester City3 – 2Brighton
Khadija Shaw 5′
Khadija Shaw 16′
Niamh Charles 17′O. Garcia 31′
C. Hayes 37′
Half-time 3–2 · Venue: Manchester Regional Arena · Referee: Leigh Doughty
Khadija Shaw scored twice inside the opening 16 minutes on Sunday 18 October, with Lauren Hemp providing both assists, as Manchester City made it six wins from six matches in the WSL. Niamh Charles added a third a minute after Shaw’s second, and the hosts then had to hold on after Brighton struck twice before the interval.
Shaw and Hemp combine twice in 16 minutes
Shaw opened the scoring in the 5th minute and doubled the lead in the 16th, both times from a Hemp assist. She finished with five shots and a match rating of 9.07, the highest on the pitch. Her two goals take her to five for the league season, level with Tottenham Hotspur’s Pelova at the top of the WSL scoring chart.
Hemp, rated 7.91, has four league goals of her own to go with her two assists here. Charles made it 3-0 in the 17th minute.
Garcia and Hayes give Brighton a route back
Brighton replied in the 31st minute through Garcia, and Hayes cut the gap to one in the 37th after Francesca Kirby set her up. That was the final goal of the afternoon. Neither side scored after half-time.
Dario Vidosic’s side made the most of limited chances: three shots on target produced two goals, from expected goals of 1.03. City had the better of the other numbers, with 59% possession, 17 shots to 9, 8 corners to 1 and expected goals of 2.37. Brighton goalkeeper Nnadozie made five saves. The only card came in the fourth minute of stoppage time, a yellow for Manuela Vanegas for dissent.
Manchester City two points clear of Chelsea
Andrée Alexander Jeglertz’s side are top with 18 points, 2 ahead of Chelsea and 3 ahead of London City Lionesses. City are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions, a run that includes a 4-2 win over Arsenal and draws with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
This was City’s fifth win in the last six meetings with Brighton. The exception came on 25 April, when Brighton won 3-2 at home in the WSL. The sides met again on 31 May, and City won 4-0 in the FA Women’s Cup.
Brighton are 12th with 5 points from 6 games and a goal difference of 0. They host West Ham on Saturday 24 October. City travel to Manchester United a day later, on Sunday 25 October.
Read also: Diani stars as London City Lionesses hit Tottenham for six in 6-1 WSL win
📷 Manchester Regional Arena: ANDY RAMMY, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
