Manchester City Women edged Liverpool Women 4-2 in a breathless WSL thriller, powered by a Lauren Hemp brace and late stoppage-time heartbreak.
Late Drama and Hemp Brace Propel Manchester City Women Past Resilient Liverpool
Manchester City Women claimed a thrilling 4-2 victory over Liverpool Women in an exhilarating Matchday 3 encounter of the Barclays Women’s Super League 2026/27. A seesaw battle packed with relentless attacking enterprise appeared headed for a tense conclusion until City struck twice in the dying minutes—benefiting from a cruel own goal before Lauren Hemp put the final exclamation mark on a breathtaking contest. See also: Arsenal Women Snatch 1-1 Draw Against Manchester United
Fast and Furious First Half Produces Four-Goal Fireworks
The fixture ignited from the opening whistle with blistering tempo and relentless attacking ambition. Manchester City women seized the early advantage in the 13th minute when Lauren Hemp showcased her electric pace, cutting inside from the flank and finishing with clinical precision to make it 1-0.
Liverpool refused to sit back and responded with magnificent fighting spirit. Just six minutes later, in the 19th minute, A. Bergstrom leveled terms for the visitors, pouncing on loose defensive marking to slot home a crisp strike. The Reds carried that momentum forward, stunning the home crowd in the 28th minute when V. Endemann found space inside the box and curled an exquisite effort into the net to give Liverpool a shocking 2-1 lead.
City rallied in search of an equalizer before the interval. Deep into first-half stoppage time (45+2′), star striker Khadija Shaw delivered, rising to meet a searching delivery and powering home a header to ensure the sides entered halftime locked at 2-2.
Resolute Defending and Late Heartbreak for the Reds
The second period transformed into a strategic arm-wrestle. City controlled larger shares of possession, testing Liverpool’s backline with sweeping diagonal balls and incisive passing through the central corridors. Liverpool defended courageously, crowding the penalty area and launching dangerous counter-attacks to keep the contest finely balanced.
Heartbreak arrived for the visitors in the 90th minute. City’s dangerous cross created chaos in the six-yard box, leading to an unfortunate deflection off Liverpool defender Grace Fisk into her own net, restoring City’s lead at 3-1.
With Liverpool Women throwing numbers forward in desperation, City sealed maximum points on the break. In the 95th minute (90+5′), Hemp struck again, completing her brace with a cool finish past the stranded goalkeeper to cement a dramatic 4-2 triumph.