Manchester City show quality and fight, but defensive Brighton impress

Ailsa Cowen on how Manchester City came from behind to beat Brighton on Friday night

Bunny Shaw (right) celebrates scoring the equalizer for Manchester City against Brighton | Credit: Manchester City Women

By Ailsa Cowen, at the Joie Stadium in Manchester

Manchester City's opening home game of the new Women's Super League season concluded with a 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Joie Stadium.

But the performance highlighted that there is still significant work to be done for Andrée Jeglertz's side. Despite securing the three points, City's display was far from flawless, with Brighton exploiting several gaps in their set-up throughout the match.

Brighton's early dominance was rewarded in the 14th minute when Fran Kirby broke the deadlock. Following a deflected shot from Michelle Agyemang, Rachel McLauchlan squared the ball to Kirby, whose sweeping effort found the back of the net, silencing the majority of the home crowd. The first half continued to be a frustrating affair for City, as they struggled to maintain possession and break down Brighton's resolute defence. The palpable frustration of the home fans was a testament to the team's struggles.

The second half began in a similar vein, with City struggling to find their rhythm. However, the breakthrough finally came in the 58th minute. Leila Ouahabi delivered a high cross into the Brighton box, and City's prolific goalscorer, Bunny Shaw, was on hand to head the ball into the net at the back post, levelling the score.