Khadija Shaw became Manchester City‘s record goalscorer on Saturday, with her strike against Manchester United taking her past Georgia Stanway‘s tally of 67 goals and carrying City to the top of the Women’s Super League (WSL) table.
The 27-year-old, who joined City in 2021, has reached the top of club’s goal scoring charts in just 81 games. She scored 19 times in her debut campaign before following it up with a seminal 2022-23 season, where she scored 31 goals in all competitions. The feat made her City’s highest-scoring women’s player across a single season.
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“[It’s] amazing how short of a time it’s taken her to get there. I think Bunny is just a unique player, she really is,” City boss Gareth Taylor told a news conference after the game.
“Not only does she give us the goal, she’s a big focal point for the team. She has good games, she has her poorer games, but she gives everything for the team.
“I think her game has improved a lot since she first came from France, and she’s a really good personality to work with. She’s honest. She helps the team and her goals are so important for us.”
The record-breaking strike came two minutes into the second half, with Shaw played into the box after neat work by Jess Park and clinically slotting into the bottom corner for City’s third goal in the Manchester derby.
City had gone into the break two goals up courtesy of a brace from Park — the England international’s two volleyed finishes, which came within eight minutes of each other — were her first WSL goals for the club.
Shaw’s goal tarnished any hopes Man United had of a second half comeback. Kerstin Casparij‘s own-goal in the 73rd minute raised the visitors’ intensity but it proved a mere consolation as City comfortably ran out as winners in front of 40,086 crowd at the Etihad Stadium.
The Jamaica international, who is the WSL’s top scorer this season with 17 goals, has been driving City’s charge for a first league title since 2016. Saturday’s result took them three points clear of Chelsea at the top of the table, with Emma Hayes’ side playing West Ham on Sunday.
Information from ESPN’s Emily Keogh contributed to this report