City must prove they’re more than Shaw ahead of Chelsea run

Bunny Shaw once again the difference for Manchester City but are they more than a one-woman team?

Bunny Shaw has been City’s top scorer this season. Credit: Getty Images.

Around 90 minutes before Manchester City emerged victorious in their quarter-final clash against Aston Villa, the young Jess Park told the BBC in a pre-match interview that the aim of the game was to “play the City way”.

It’s a cliché used by many a player and coach and sometimes it does accurately reflect a team’s core style of play and identity. However, against Aston Villa on Sunday, it felt like the only approach from City was to get the ball to one player and wait for her to work her magic: Bunny Shaw.

I exaggerate slightly. City certainly had some good spells against Villa, and they were undoubtedly the stronger side. But there were worrying signs that Gareth Taylor’s side were – not for the first time – struggling to find any kind of innovation or creativity and their only solution seemed to be Shaw.