Man City striker hits milestone as title hopes boosted in West Ham rout

23 seconds. That's all it took for Manchester City to send a message to their rivals in the Women's Super League (WSL) title race.

The Blues had slipped to second place - albeit only on goal difference - after Chelsea's 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday night, prompting manager Gareth Taylor to urge his side to "step up and do (their) bit" in Sunday's clash with 11th-placed West Ham United.

“All we’ll do is attack the next game, do our best and secure the game, then maintain high levels which we’ve always done," the City boss said in his pre-match press conference. "Sometimes we’re successful, sometimes not, but I'm excited about this period. It’s a great opportunity for us."

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Certainly, against the Hammers, the Blues quickly showed they had no appetite for letting the opportunity to return to the summit of the WSL table slip from their grasp, with left-back Leila Ouahabi putting them in front after just 23 seconds at the Joie Stadium. It was a fine, side-footed finish from the Spain international but a goal which owed a lot to the ingenuity of Jess Park, who had done well to slalom through the West Ham defence on the right flank before cutting the ball back into Ouahabi's path.

It was the perfect nerve-settler for Taylor's side, with fans duly erupting into a chorus of Domenico Modugno's 'Volare', reworked to include the name of City's goalscorer. And the party atmosphere in east Manchester only intensified when the talismanic Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw doubled the hosts' advantage in the third minute.

The Jamaica international - who became the first player in WSL history to record a goal involvement in 10 consecutive appearances - controlled Lauren Hemp's sumptuous cross on her chest before turning and rifling the ball brilliantly into the top corner. Eager to see their dominance pay off even further - and also boost their goal difference - City continued to rack up the attempts, with both Park and Yui Hasegawa going close.

But, inevitably, it was Shaw who made it 3-0, diverting Hemp's cross into the back of the net to record her 50th WSL goal after 24 minutes. "Feed the Bun and she will score," was the cry from supporters in the East Stand. Indeed, when you consider the striker's propensity for constantly tearing up the record books, it is a hard assertion to argue with.

West Ham did threaten to reduce the deficit with their first real attack of the game, with Viviane Asseyi arriving at the back post to poke a dangerous cross goalwards. However, City goalkeeper Khiara Keating - declared fit after withdrawing from the England squad with a knee problem earlier this month - was alive to the danger and smartly parried the ball to safety.

The visitors came close again when Riko Ueki's strike was blocked superbly by the sliding Alex Greenwood before Jessica Ziu's deflected effort rattled the crossbar. But City responded well and nearly extended their lead on the stroke of half-time when Park's effort from distance was well-saved by Mackenzie Arnold.

The most troubling moment of the Blues' afternoon came when Shaw picked up a knock before the break, with the striker replaced at half-time by Chloe Kelly, who has been relegated to a role on the bench in recent weeks. And it was West Ham's forward line who looked most likely to find the back of the net early in the second half as both Asseyi and Ueki saw well-struck efforts bounce off the crossbar.

As the visitors tried to work their way back into the contest, Ueki should have done just that after getting in behind the City back line, with the Japan international unable to beat the lively Keating, who stood her ground well to turn the ball to safety.

With West Ham playing with renewed vigour, Taylor's side struggled to recover the fluency that had seen them romp into a 3-0 lead. Laura Coombs saw her strike deflected behind while Alanna Kennedy's excellent free-kick was tipped past the post by international teammate Arnold.

But it was substitute Laura Blindkilde Brown - scoring her first goal for City since joining from Aston Villa in January - who managed to extend the hosts' lead, smashing home from close range after being teed up by the unselfish Mary Fowler.

Park's sublime strike in the 87th minute put the icing on the cake for the Blues, who now find themselves three points clear of Chelsea with a superior goal difference, though Emma Hayes' side do have a game in hand.

"We have to keep going," Taylor said after the match. "We have three left. We have to focus on the next game now and put this one to bed. We're doing really well, we've been playing some really impressive football but of course we still have a job to do and we have the opportunity next week (against Bristol City) to make the table look better.

"We've always said we want to be in the position that we're in to have a chance and want to take a hold of that chance for sure."

The only blemish on the afternoon was the sight of Shaw on crutches with her foot in a protective boot and Taylor revealed the striker will undergo further assessment on a foot injury. "We decided not to take the risk," he said. "It was touch and go whether she was going to come back onto the pitch so we'll get more of an assessment tomorrow."

The City boss will hope to have his star forward available for a three-game spell that could help produce the club's first WSL title since 2016. Certainly, in the form they are in at the moment, you would not bet against them.