

Mary Fowler’s second-half double helped Manchester City beat Bristol City to move six points clear at the Women’s Super League summit and confirmed the Robins’ relegation.
The visitors toiled for the first hour until Fowler broke the deadlock from distance, before the Australian finished a Lauren Hemp cross at the near post.
Amy Rodgers then turned into her own net before Alex Greenwood headed in the league leaders’ fourth with the last touch of the game.
Bristol City, who fell to a 10th straight home league defeat, will make an immediate return to the Championship having won just once all season.
Man City have equalled the WSL record of 14 successive victories and are six points above Chelsea at the top, albeit having played two games more.
The visitors had the bulk of possession and chances in the first half, but struggled to test keeper Shae Yanez.
Chloe Kelly shot straight at Yanez when well placed, before Hemp spurned the visitors’ best first-half chance in stoppage time by sending a free header into the keeper’s arms.
It was a sloppy showing from the title contenders and they continued to misfire after the break, with Hemp skewing a far-post volley wide just before the hour.
Fowler finally delivered a moment of quality for Gareth Taylor’s side in the 62nd minute – unleashing a left-footed rocket from 25 yards that gave Yanez no chance.
The Australian attacker then escaped the defence to turn home Hemp’s cross with 15 minutes to play, while Rodgers shanked an attempted far-post clearance past her own keeper soon after.
City captain Greenwood capped her side’s latest win – which equals the WSL record set by Arsenal in 2022 across two seasons – by heading in a corner, although the beleaguered Yanez nearly kept it out.
The win piles more pressure on Chelsea, while boosting Man City’s goal difference to +45 compared to their rivals’ +39.
More follows.
Line-ups
Bristol City Women
Formation 4-5-1
- 30Yañez
- 15Bull
- 5AspinSubstituted forStruckat 89′minutes
- 6Connolly
- 4LayzellSubstituted forWardat 67′minutes
- 24MorganSubstituted forHarrisonat 45′minutes
- 16Syme
- 8Rodgers
- 10FurnessSubstituted forEvansat 73′minutes
- 11Napier
- 17ThestrupSubstituted forJonesat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Bentley
- 2Powell
- 3Struck
- 7Harrison
- 9Hayles
- 18Stratigakis
- 22Evans
- 23Jones
- 29Ward
Man City Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 35Keating
- 4Aleixandri
- 33KennedySubstituted forCasparijat 45′minutes
- 5Greenwood
- 15Ouahabi
- 16Park
- 25Hasegawa
- 7CoombsSubstituted forBlindkilde Brownat 73′minutes
- 8Fowler
- 9Kelly
- 11Hemp
Substitutes
- 6Houghton
- 12Angeldahl
- 14Morgan
- 17Pritchard
- 18Casparij
- 19Blindkilde Brown
- 30Mace
- 40Startup
- Referee:
- Cheryl Foster
- Attendance:
- 8,749
Live Text
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Match ends, Bristol City Women 0, Manchester City Women 4.
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Second Half ends, Bristol City Women 0, Manchester City Women 4.
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Goal! Bristol City Women 0, Manchester City Women 4. Alex Greenwood (Manchester City Women) header from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Chloe Kelly with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Sille Struck.
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Attempt missed. Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high.
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Lauren Hemp (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Sille Struck (Bristol City Women).
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Foul by Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City Women).
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Carrie Jones (Bristol City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Substitution, Bristol City Women. Sille Struck replaces Brooke Aspin.
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Delay in match because of an injury Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City Women).
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Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Jamie-Lee Napier (Bristol City Women).
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Attempt saved. Lauren Hemp (Manchester City Women) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kerstin Casparij.
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Hand ball by Lisa Evans (Bristol City Women).
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Own Goal by Amy Rodgers, Bristol City Women. Bristol City Women 0, Manchester City Women 3.
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Goal! Bristol City Women 0, Manchester City Women 2. Mary Fowler (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lauren Hemp with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Laura Blindkilde Brown.
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Attempt missed. Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City Women) header from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Lauren Hemp.