Manchester City’s desire for excellence can be summed up by the attitude of Lauren Hemp, who was player of the match after supplying two assists and creating 11 chances for her team-mates.
Asked how satisfied she was, the England winger replied: “Yeah, but no goal – I think I need to practise my shooting! But I am really happy to contribute where I can.
“We are really pleased. We’ve got a really confident group, everyone is contributing and the substitutes got involved too.”
Missing out on a Champions League spot last season means Manchester City have played 22 games in all competitions this season while, at the end of this weekend, rivals Chelsea will have played 25, Arsenal 27 and Manchester United 28.
The squad looks fresh as a result of the extra rest, none more so than star striker Khadija Shaw, who has scored 15 league goals this season, surpassing the 12 she scored last campaign.
Even with the Asia Cup on the horizon and the departure of key players such as Yui Hasegawa, they look well equipped to prosper. Record signing Sam Coffey made her first start in this game and impressed in midfield.
On Sky Sports, ex-Manchester City captain Steph Houghton noted her old side’s determination to succeed this season.
“There is always an added pressure when you are top of the league with a big points difference, and as a player you naturally feel in those first few days after being beaten [by Arsenal],” she said.
“That was the perfect reaction.”
With six games left, Manchester City need 12 points to claim the title. If results go their way, they could even win it at Old Trafford in three games’ time on Sunday, 29 March.
Maybe that would be enough to satisfy Jeglertz and this hungry group of players.
