Manchester City's women target bigger wins after Super League success
Monday 26 September 2016 17:17, UK
Izzy Christiansen is targeting more silverware as Manchester City's women's team look to follow the lead of the club's men's side.
Just under four-and-a-half years after City's men won the Premier League for the first time - following previous title wins in 1937 and 1968 - the women won their first Super League on Sunday.
They defeated last season's winners Chelsea to do it with a game to spare, beating them 2-0 in front of a new record home crowd of 4,096.
City have invested considerable sums in creating a whole football club, with significant focus on youth development and the ladies side alongside the team Pep Guardiola now oversees.
With everyone based at the club's £200m City Football Academy, the women's side, managed by Nick Cushing, operate on a full-time basis just like every other squad.
More than that, they have spent big money in the same way too to cherry pick some of the league's best talent from many of their biggest rivals.
Much like many other things at City, the progress Cushing's team has made has been part of a long-term project and midfielder Christiansen is aiming to build on the inaugural title success.
She said: "It's an incredible feeling. We're so happy, pleased and relived that we've managed to secure the title with a game to go and we're just delighted for everyone at the club.
"It means a lot because I'd like to think it will be the first of many. We are building a legacy here in terms of what we are doing in the women's game.
"I'd like to think it's going to inspire us to go on and win more. Chelsea were the holders last year and we've taken it off them this year.
"I'm sure the rivalry will continue as we move forward. It's a great achievement for everyone at this club and I don't think it will sink in for a while.
"We've built this team on a foundation of character, strength, power and ability and I think that's really shone.
"The fact we've just won the league accumulates all those factors and I think everyone's just relieved our hard work has paid off.
"The stadium felt packed yesterday and the atmosphere was incredible. I was so pleased we could do it in front of our fans, who have supported us through thick and thin since we started."
In tandem with the men's team, City are looking to challenge on multiple fronts. Up next, they face Birmingham in the WSL Continental Cup final on Sunday.
After that they will focus on their Champions League debut, in which they will face Russian side Zvezda 2005 Perm over two legs in the last 32 next month.
Christiansen added: "There's loads more to play for with the League Cup final on Sunday, the Champions League to go into and our final league game, when we'll get the trophy.
"When you start gathering momentum, you just want the games to keep coming and that's what is happening at the moment.
"We're not getting too ahead of ourselves because we've still got a lot of improving to go and I think there's loads of work still to be done on the training pitch with this group this year.
"I'd like to think we can compete in the Champions League and go as far as possible but I don't want to think about winning it yet.
"Playing in Europe is going to be new to us as a team but I think we're going to be well equipped to deal with the challenges. It's one of the strongest squads I've been part of, if not the strongest."
