Khadija Shaw Breaks WSL Goalscoring Records In Manchester City ...

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Khadija Shaw of Manchester City celebrates after scoring her team's ... [+] third goal during the Barclays Women's Super League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at Manchester City Academy Stadium on April 21, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Khadija Shaw once more spearheaded Manchester City's charge towards the Women's Super League with two goals against West Ham, setting three records in the process.

After Leila Ouahabi gave Manchester City a first-minute lead at the Academy Stadium, the first of Shaw's goals came two minutes later. That was her 20th league goal of the season, equalling her tally in the last campaign with three matches still left to play.

It also made her only the second woman to score 20 goals in two different Women's Super League seasons. Only Australian Sam Kerr had previously achieved the feat, scoring 21 times for Chelsea during the 2020/21 season and 20 more the following campaign.

That goal was Shaw's 49th goal in Women's Super League history and she only had to wait another 19 minutes to make it 50 in only her 57th appearance in the competition. She became the eleventh woman in history to achieve the feat and did it in the second-fewest number of games after Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema who was the first to score 50 goals in an astonishing 50 games. Shaw is only the second non-European after Kerr to score 50 Women's Super League goals.

Her 21st goal of the season was a new personal record for the Jamaican, surpassing her 20 in the last campaign. With three matches left to play, the odds would be on her to break the all-time record of 22 goals in a single season shared by Miedema (2018/19) and Aston Villa's Rachel Daly (2022/23).

22 is also Shaw's best tally in Europe during the 2019/20 season. That was enough to earn her the top scorer award in France, something she is yet to achieve in England having been pipped by Daly last season. Currently eight goals ahead of the second-placed Lauren James it now seems inconceivable that Shaw will not collect the Women's Super League Golden Boot award next month.

Just last month, Shaw became Manchester City's all-time leading goalscorer in all competitions. Today's two goals move her on 72 goals in just 83 appearances for the club since she signed for them from Bordeaux in June 2020. For her country she is even more prolific, scoring a staggering 55 times in just 42 international appearances.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 02: Khadija Shaw of Jamaica prays on the centre circle at the full ... [+] time whistle during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group F match between Jamaica and Brazil at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on August 02, 2023 in Melbourne / Naarm, Australia. (Photo by Alex Pantling - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Shaw today also became the first woman in Women's Super League history to record goal involvement in ten consecutive league games going back to December 17, 2023. She had scored in nine of those games, and made the first goal for Lauren Hemp in the other, a 2-0 win over Leicester City on February 4.

The 5-0 victory over West Ham put Manchester City three points clear of champions Chelsea, who have a game in hand. Should Chelsea and Manchester City win all their remaining league games, the two teams will finish level on 58 points each and the title will be decided by goal difference.

After Chelsea won 3-0 in the week, Manchester City edged ahead once more with their five-goal margin of victory. Currently their is only three goals difference between the two teams in what promises to be a nail-biting title race.

Their win today means, Manchester City have now become the first team in Women's Super League history to win thirteen consecutive games within the same season, surpassing the record they themselves set during the 2021/22 season.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Khadija Shaw of Manchester City celebrates scoring her team's second ... [+] goal with teammates during the Barclays Women's Super League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at Manchester City Academy Stadium on April 21, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Only Arsenal, with 14 consecutive wins over two seasons - from March to November 2022 - have now recorded a longer winning streak. Should Manchester City win away to the bottom club Bristol City next Sunday, it will be Arsenal who they face next at the Academy Stadium on May 5 with the London side hoping to end their run and preserve their own record.

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