Manchester City
How does Jack Grealish repay £100m of faith from Man City?
As recently as 2016, nine-figure price tags were unheard of in world football. That summer, a new transfer record was set when Manchester United splashed out £89 million on returning Paul Pogba to Old Trafford from Juventus.
Just 12 months later, the lid was blown off a combustible recruitment market in spectacular style. Once Paris Saint-Germain decided they were willing to trigger the €222m release clause in Neymar’s contract at Barcelona, nothing would be the same again.
Six deals worth £100m-plus have now been completed, with one of those raising a British-based bar in 2021. Said agreement saw Jack Grealish become the most expensive player England has ever seen when Manchester City lured him away from his West Midlands roots at Aston Villa.
Triumph
Jack Grealish. Premier League winner 🏆 pic.twitter.com/RS8xr2BOaX
— GOAL (@goal) May 22, 2022
It was always a safe bet football with markets relating to the Premier League would side with the team from East Manchester, and a title triumph was duly delivered in 2022. Pep Guardiola’s side remains a reliable pick in football tips as the Etihad Stadium ranks are loaded with proven performers of the very highest calibre.
Grealish slips seamlessly into that category, but he is yet to truly convince since completing a history-making switch to the North West. With all eyes on him last season, just six goals and four assists were recorded through 39 appearances in all competitions.
City are, with an abundance of creative riches at their disposal, in the fortunate position of being able to carry the odd passenger. If the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are pulling the strings, then time can be afforded to those still finding their feet.
There will, however, come a point when returns are demanded on sizeable investments. Despite boasting the deepest of pockets, billionaire owners in the blue half of Manchester are not in the business of throwing money away.
Guardiola has been keen to rein in expectations around Grealish, with the England international not in his plans to score 20 goals a season while teeing up a similar number of efforts for grateful teammates. He is there to occupy and torment opponents while contributing to the cause collectively.
The end product is a must, though, for any player operating in his position. He has shown what he is capable of, with hope carried almost single-handedly at Villa, and is no longer a big fish in a small pond. What does he need to do to justify City’s show of faith?
Elusive
Jack Grealish scores on his home Manchester City debut and hits the Memphis celebration 👉👈 pic.twitter.com/7dRRoDOPCB
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 21, 2021
A domestic crown has already been claimed, but he can hardly be considered to have contributed tellingly there and City would probably still have prevailed without him. The Blues are also accustomed to collecting various domestic cups and actually drew a blank on that front during Grealish’s first season on their books.
With Champions League glory still proving elusive, it would appear that only the collection of a European trophy will allow the most elaborate purchase in British football history to be deemed a success. That is a big ask, particularly when competition for places is considered, but that is what you get for boasting the heftiest of price tags.
Manchester City
Manchester United Women Suffer Unwanted Record for the First Time in 18 Months after Lackluster Display Against Manchester City
Manchester United Women endured their most toothless attacking display in 18 months during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, failing to register a single shot on target for the first time since facing Chelsea on May 18, 2024.
Despite controlling 60% of possession at the Etihad Stadium, United failed to test City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita once across the entire 90 minutes, managing just 11 shots with none finding the target.
Defeat in the derby. pic.twitter.com/6KImmqLhTj
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) November 15, 2025
It’s a damning indictment of Marc Skinner’s side, especially considering they came into this fixture as the only team with a perfect away record in the WSL this season. That unblemished run is now history, blown apart by Andree Jeglertz’s side who delivered three first-half goals through Rebecca Knaak, Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp.
Creativity Vanished When It Mattered Most
The absence of injured goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce certainly didn’t help defensively, but United’s attacking woes can’t be blamed on personnel. Jess Park started against her former club, Ella Toone was in the lineup, and Melvine Malard came off the bench. Yet none of them could fashion a single effort that genuinely troubled Yamashita.
United dominated possession but lacked any penetration in the final third. When they did manage to get shots away, it was either blocked, wayward, or hit straight at City defenders.
The worrying part is this wasn’t just a one-off. United collapsed 3-2 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League midweek despite initially leading 2-0, and now they’ve followed that up with arguably their worst attacking performance of the season.
Manchester City
(Photos) Not For the Faint-Hearted: Nasty Head-On Collision in Manchester Derby Leaves Stars With Lumps
Manchester United‘s Simi Awujo and Manchester City‘s Jade Rose caused a lengthy stoppage in the dying moments of Saturday’s derby after a brutal clash of heads competing for a goal-line clearance.
Medical staff immediately rushed on to carry out concussion protocols, with Awujo eventually forced off whilst Rose was cleared to continue post treatment.
Sickening Head Clash Stops Manchester Derby
The incident marred what had already been a punishing afternoon for United, who lost 3-0 to their cross-city rivals to fall seven points behind City in the WSL title race. Goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp handed City a comfortable victory, extending their unbeaten run to eight consecutive matches.
Jade Rose Shows Battle Scars on Instagram
Despite the severity of the collision, Rose appeared in good spirits afterwards when teammate Alex Greenwood snapped a photo showing the defender’s sizeable forehead bump. Rose posted the image to Instagram, writing: “Can’t say I didn’t put my body on the line.”
Manchester City Women’s Statement Victory
After tonight’s statement victory, City now sit four points clear of second-placed Chelsea, having played a game more, whilst United are stuck in third position seven points adrift of their rivals.
Jeglertz expressed delight at his first derby triumph despite the intensity. The Swedish manager particularly praised his side’s defensive solidity after keeping a clean sheet.
On the other hand, Manchester United boss Marc Skinner was left frustrated by his team’s individual errors.
United had been dealing with a tight turnaround after beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, when Awujo had made her first start in European competition before the unfortunate collision ended her afternoon prematurely.
Read more: Arsenal Women vs. Tottenham Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
Manchester City
Manchester City Women vs. Manchester United Woman Player Ratings: Hemp Returns With a Bang as Sky Blues Dominate Derby
Manchester City delivered a commanding 3-0 derby victory over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium, extending their WSL lead to four points with a ruthless first-half display that ended the contest before the break.
First-Half Masterclass Decides Derby
Rebecca Knaak opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a powerful header from Lauren Hemp’s corner, guiding the ball back across goal to beat Safia Middleton-Patel.
The hosts doubled their advantage four minutes before halftime when Kerstin Casparij‘s low cross found Bunny Shaw sliding in ahead of the keeper.
Hemp, making her first start since September after recovering from ankle surgery, capped her return with a thunderous strike on the stroke of halftime. The England international unleashed a left-footed rocket into the near top corner that killed any hopes of a United comeback.
Standout Performances
Lauren Hemp (9/10): The game’s standout performer on her injury comeback. Delivered attacking threat down the left and crowned her display with that stunning goal.
Vivianne Miedema (8/10): Pure class throughout. An early effort struck the post before she spent the match linking play beautifully with Hemp. Dropped into holding midfield for the final quarter-hour and looked equally comfortable screening the defense.
Bunny Shaw (8/10): A constant aerial presence who troubled United’s backline all afternoon. Her intelligent header set up Knaak’s opener before she doubled the lead with authority. Forced off after a head collision, ending what was already a destructive performance.
Defensive Solidity and Midfield Control
Rebecca Knaak (7/10) took her goal brilliantly and dealt with United’s second-half threats effectively, though she escaped a second yellow card when a lunging tackle on Melvine Malard went unpunished.
Jade Rose (7/10) rebuffed Malard’s dangerous runs and showed bravery with a late goal-line clearance that resulted in a nasty head clash.
Laura Blindkilde Brown (7/10) turned in a neat, composed display in midfield that will surely catch Sarina Wiegman’s attention for competitive England caps.
Yui Hasegawa (6/10) screened the back four efficiently after being denied an early goal by a goal-line clearance.
Kerstin Casparij (7/10) bombed forward relentlessly down the right and provided the assist for Shaw’s goal with an inviting cross.
Leila Ouahabi (5/10) looked indecisive at times, nearly setting up a United goal with poor judgment on a long ball.
United Outclassed
Marc Skinner introduced Melvine Malard at halftime to inject some threat, and the French striker’s pace pushed City back briefly. But the damage was done, and City controlled the tempo professionally to close out the match.
The victory puts City four points clear of Chelsea and demonstrates their title credentials. United, now seven points off the pace, must regroup quickly after seeing their perfect away record shattered in emphatic fashion.
Also read: Manchester City Women vs. Manchester United Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
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