Manchester City signed off their remarkable Women’s Super League title-winning season in style with a dominant 4-1 victory over West Ham, as Khadija Shaw once again stole the spotlight with a brilliant brace before the champions lifted the trophy in front of their fans.
After reclaiming the WSL crown for the first time since 2016, City were welcomed onto the pitch with a guard of honour from West Ham before kick-off — a fitting tribute to a side that has been outstanding throughout the campaign under manager Andree Jeglertz.
The celebrations started early at the Joie Stadium when Canada defender Jade Rose opened the scoring in the 13th minute. West Ham struggled to clear a corner, and Rose reacted quickest inside the six-yard box to smash home her first-ever WSL goal.
City controlled the game comfortably, but it was league top scorer Khadija Shaw who delivered the standout moments once again. The Jamaican striker doubled the lead in the 57th minute after expertly finishing Aoba Fujino’s low cross from the right.
That goal was another milestone in Shaw’s incredible career. She became the first player in Women’s Super League history to score 20 or more goals in three different seasons. Even more impressively, she also reached 100 goal involvements in the league in just 93 appearances — a feat only team-mate Vivianne Miedema has achieved faster.
West Ham briefly threatened a comeback when Seraina Piubel pulled one back five minutes later, calmly finishing from Ffion Morgan’s cross. But City quickly regained control, and Shaw struck again in the 72nd minute with a composed finish into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.
The final goal of the afternoon carried extra emotion. Veteran midfielder Laura Coombs, who is set to retire at the end of the season after a 19-year career, found the net with 10 minutes remaining. Her deflected effort looped over the goalkeeper and into the net, giving the 35-year-old a memorable farewell moment.
The only concern for City came in the first half when England forward Lauren Hemp was forced off with an ankle injury. With the Women’s FA Cup final against Brighton coming up on 31 May and England facing Spain in a World Cup qualifier shortly after, City and Lionesses fans will be hoping the injury is not serious.
For Shaw, this performance felt symbolic. If it proves to be her final WSL appearance for Manchester City amid reported interest from Chelsea, she leaves behind another unforgettable display that underlined just how important she has been to City’s success.
Her numbers tell the story: 83 goals and 18 assists in the WSL, making her one of only six players to surpass 100 goal contributions in the competition’s history.
After the final whistle, City’s players disappeared briefly before returning in special “Champions 26” shirts to lift the trophy and celebrate with supporters. It marked the end of a long wait for league glory after several near misses over the past decade. Since their previous title win in 2016, City had finished runners-up six times before finally returning to the top this season.
They ended the campaign four points clear of Arsenal, while Chelsea’s six-year reign as champions came to an end.
As for West Ham, they finished 10th in the table after winning five of their 22 league matches, doing enough to stay clear of relegation trouble. There was also an emotional moment for the visitors as captain Katrina Gorry, who recently announced she will leave the club, received flowers and a framed shirt before making a late substitute appearance to warm applause from the travelling fans.
