Man City strike late to beat Liverpool 4-2 and stay perfect
Manchester City scored twice in stoppage time to beat Liverpool 4-2 and stay perfect in the Women's Super League.
Lauren Hemp scored twice at the Joie Stadium on 18 September 2026 as City made it three wins from three to maintain their 100% record, according to The Guardian. The league is the top flight of women's football in England. City were already the only side to have won both of their opening two games.
City struck first through Hemp. Liverpool answered quickly. Alice Bergström finished for 1-1 after good work from Vivien Endemann.
Endemann then put Liverpool ahead herself. She made it 2-1 before the half-hour mark. It was a sharp start from the summer signing, who had opened her Liverpool account with a debut goal at Charlton Athletic on the opening weekend.
Khadija Shaw brought City level before the break. She scored shortly before half-time to make it 2-2. That was the score at the interval. Two goals each. Nothing settled.
The second half stayed tight for a long stretch. City pushed. Liverpool held firm.
Then came the late twist. In the 90th minute, Grace Clinton delivered a cross from wide and Liverpool defender Grace Fisk turned it into her own net. An own goal is credited when a player puts the ball in their own team's goal. It put City 3-2 up.
Liverpool had little time to respond. City finished the game on the counterattack, a quick break forward as the opposition pushed up. Hemp scored again deep in stoppage time to make it 4-2 and seal the points, as noted by BBC Sport.
The result kept up a strong home record under Andrée Jeglertz, who took charge of City in the summer of 2025. City had not dropped any points in home league fixtures since his arrival. The match, played at the Joie Stadium per Manchester City, also pitted Liverpool manager Gareth Taylor against his former club.
There was a poignant moment early on. The crowd applauded in the 13th minute to honour Matt Beard. Beard was the former Liverpool manager who led the club to the first of two consecutive WSL titles in 2013. He died on 20 September 2025.
What makes this stand out is how quickly the mood swung. Liverpool led away from home and were level with minutes to go. City found another gear when it mattered most. For fans, this means an early-season statement: three played, three won, and a team that keeps going to the final whistle.
