Manchester City Women are one of the favourites for the title, but they have had a stuttering start to this WSL season, with draws against Brighton and Hove Albion Women and Reading Women, as well as a loss to defending champions Chelsea Women, all on their results list so far. However, this game against the league’s bottom side, Bristol City Women, offered them a chance to put on a good performance and increase their goal difference, such is the situation that Bristol find themselves in. This tactical analysis will look at Manchester City’s attack and Bristol’s defence, as Bristol didn’t attack much and Manchester City’s defence had a quiet afternoon. The analysis will look at how Bristol gave Manchester City so many chances to score, and we will also analyse the role of the holding midfielder in the home side’s overall attacking tactics.
Lineups
Manchester City Women made just two changes from the team that drew away at Reading in their last game. Left-back Alex Greenwood, who featured as a centre-back in that game, moved back to left-back with her England teammate Demi Stokes making way for her in that position; Stokes was left out altogether. The other change saw USA midfielder Rose Lavelle move to the bench, with Laura Coombs coming off the bench to take her place. Georgia Stanway, who started this season as a false nine, was again deployed as the left-sided attacker, with her England teammate Ellen White given the striker role.
Bristol City Women, meanwhile, had a hugely depleted squad, with coronavirus meaning that five first-team players, Charlie Wellings, Gemma Evans, Ella Mastrantonio, Abi Harrison, and Meaghan Sargeant, were all in self-isolation. As a result, Bristol boss Tanya Oxtoby had to make five changes to the starting XI that lost at home to Birmingham City Women in their last WSL match, with another absentee being Aimee Palmer, who was injured during that game. Belgium’s former Liverpool Women forward Yana Daniels came in at right-back, with Florence Allen, Jasmine Matthews, and Naomi Layzell forming a central defensive trio. On-loan Brighton defender Laura Rafferty played in midfield, whilst Emma Bissell and Australia midfielder Chloe Logarzo acted as the wingers. Ebony Salmon was asked to play at the top of the pitch by herself, with Bristol looking to defend as much as possible against their hosts.
