Manchester City Women vs Tottenham Hotspur Women. Women's Super League.
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Report and free highlights as Rosella Ayane's handball leads to a late Karima Taieb own goal giving Tottenham Women a controversial 2-1 win at Manchester City Women in the WSL; Lauren Hemp's early header cancelled out by Rachel Williams after half-time
Monday 27 September 2021 16:33, UK
Rosella Ayane's clear handball in the build-up to Karima Taieb's late own goal winner sparked major controversy as Spurs Women stunned Man City 2-1 in the WSL.
The Tottenham substitute got her arms up to meet Angela Addison's cross, deflecting it into Steph Houghton and onto the Manchester City post. It nestled in the back of the net via Taieb's back for an 87th-minute winner which ended City's 33-game unbeaten home run.
Spurs had not managed a single shot on target in the first half at the Academy Stadium, with City denied anything more than Lauren Hemp's sixth-minute opener from a corner by their own poor finishing.
A rejuvenated and tactically refreshed Tottenham were a different animal after the break, and would have been good value for a point earned by Rachel Williams' side-footed equaliser on the hour mark. They snatched victory late on in fortuitous circumstances to earn their second win from as many games, and shock last season's WSL's runners up.
Manchester City began the evening looking at leapfrogging early pace setters Brighton to go top of the table, and looked well capable of chasing the three-goal win they needed with the intensity of their start.
Hemp capped their bright opening by nodding over a stranded Becky Spencer from Alex Greenwood's sixth-minute corner, but despite a further glut of first-half chances, Georgia Stanway's shot off the base of the post was as close as the hosts came to adding to their tally.
That left the door open for Tottenham despite their absence of attacking presence before half-time, and a half-time switch to introduce Chioma Ubogagu and change shape soon began to pay off.
They fired a warning 12 minutes into the half as Ria Percival stung Taieb's gloves from distance, before Williams beat them altogether from Ubogagu's square pass four minutes later.
City were clearly rattled, and Alanna Kennedy's defensive lapse soon allowed Jessica Naz to run clean through and missing the far post, before the hosts began to slowly build up their momentum again.
Stanway fired straight at Spencer when she should have restored the lead and as City took Kennedy off for striker Bunny Shaw, it became clear a point was not enough for the hosts.
Instead, they would end up with nothing. Addison's cross was flicked on by the arm of Ayane and, catching Houghton off guard, deflected onto the post off the England captain's leg before the stranded Taieb bundled it over her own goal line.
Spurs' celebrations were slow to materialise with the visitors clearly surprised the goal had stood until referee Abigail Byrne's signal shocked both sides and extinguished City's record unbeaten home run.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports on Ref Watch:
"It is handball. I'm not saying it's going to be handball, but the warning bells start ringing if you see a forward going through the air with both arms out. Why does she have her hands up there? It strikes her arm and goes in off Steph Houghton for an own goal."
Man City boss Gareth Taylor: "We need to take our chances, we had more than enough, especially in the first half, to win the game. When you don't take them, I've seen the second goal, it's a terrible decision, but we need to own it and make sure we don't get into that situation by putting the game to bed a lot earlier than that.
"Looking at tonight and the way we got to the final third was really impressive, I spoke to the players at half-time and said they should be dead and buried, but it's always dicey when that happens. I take full responsibility, and on another night we win that game by four or five goals."
Tottenham manager Rehanne Skinner: "We're able to play out when she's on the ball, we knew we were going to face a high press and had to find a way to play out with some quality. She's pulled off some amazing saves today as well.
"We set out with three things to stick to - they've given it everything all the way through, and been really disciplined, even when we were under pressure. We've shown a lot of character and resilience."
Manchester City Women are back on Sky Sports for their trip to Arsenal on Sunday, September 26, live on Sky Sports Football from 6.30pm; Kick-off at 6.45pm.
Tottenham are at home to Reading earlier the same day; Kick-off at 2pm.
