Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor has warned against getting carried away as his side look to maintain their impressive start to the season at St Polten in the Champions League.
City head to Austria top of the Women’s Super League after a stoppage-time goal from Khadija Shaw earned a 2-1 win at Liverpool on Sunday.
That came after Taylor’s side marked their return to the Champions League proper for the first time since 2020-21 with an impressive 2-0 victory over holders Barcelona in last week’s Group D opener at the Joie Stadium.
Barcelona had never failed to score in a #UWCL group stage game before facing City tonight ❌⚽️😮 pic.twitter.com/fjoxvQtKPr
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) October 9, 2024
St Polten lost to Swedish side Hammarby on matchday one, but are top of the Austrian Frauenliga with six wins from their seven league games.
And Taylor wants his players fully focused when they head to Vienna for Wednesday night’s game at the Generali Arena.
“People probably see it as a game that is won before it is played but I don’t at all,” Taylor said at a press conference.
“They were in the game for large parts against Hammarby and at 1-0 that game could easily have been drawn.
That was for you! 🫵
🔴 1-2 🩵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/QBM0UycpKs
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) October 13, 2024
“It is a big game for us and an opportunity to build on a great moment last week.
“We have taken loads of confidence, but it is worth being cautious around our ambition.
“We are novices in this competition after being out of it for a couple of years.
“We have beaten the reigning champions, but it is important that people don’t get too carried away.
“We are really enjoying the journey. We believe we can do well, but it is a process. We just have to keep taking that next step, whatever it may look like.”
City will make a late call on the fitness of Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema, who joined from Arsenal in the summer, after she missed the WSL game at Anfield.
“We are still assessing Viv and the slight niggles she has got, and that’s all it is,” Taylor said.
“We have placed big importance on this game tomorrow. We have one more game before the break.
“We will assess Viv over the next 24 hours and see if she can make the journey with us to Vienna.”
Taylor knows he will have to carefully manage his resources as the campaign pushes on at home and in Europe.
“Once you have qualified for the Champions League, the first thing you look at is the squad and realise it is going to be a big load on the squad, but this is what we want,” said Taylor, who expects to have defender Naomi Layzell back from an ankle problem after the international break.
“If it means we have to do less training between games then we will do it.
“Having (midfielder) Jill (Roord) back (from her ACL injury) is a really good addition for us and feels like we have got a new player.”
Man City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday desperate for victoryCityzens fell further into crisis with late Manchester derby defeatVillans hoping to further punish miserable Man City formManchester City make the challenging trip to Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League as they desperately look to end their three-game winless run.Last weekend's late and embarrassing defeat to local rivals M...
Team newsCrystal Palace will be without Eberechi Eze, who injured his hip in the midweek EFL defeat by Arsenal.Matheus Franca and Adam Wharton are still sidelined because of groin injuries, with neither expected to feature again in 2024.Defender Daniel Munoz, who served an EFL Cup ban in midweek, is again suspended as a result of accumulating five yellow cards in the Premier League.Arsenal midfiel...
After their dreams of EFL Cup stardom crashed and burned in midweek, Brentford make a welcome return to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, when Nottingham Forest visit for a Premier League battle.Thomas Frank's men fell to a 3-1 loss to Newcastle United in Wednesday's cup quarter-final, while the Garibaldi pulled off a tremendous late turnaround to sink Aston Villa 2-1 last weekend.Away days...
Looking to enjoy a top-flight success in front of their East Anglian faithful for the first time this season, Ipswich Town will welcome Newcastle United to Portman Road on Saturday afternoon for a Premier League clash.The Tractor Boys delivered a significant blow in the survival race last weekend by downing Wolverhampton Wanderers in the West Midlands, whilst the Magpies have enjoyed a pair of pro...
Vincent Kompany will hope his Bayern Munich side can take a huge step towards the Bundesliga title when they welcome RB Leipzig to Allianz Arena on Friday.Bayern lead the way in the top flight with 33 points after 14 matchweeks, but they lost for the first time in the league when they were beaten 2-1 by Mainz 05 on December 14, while Die Roten Bullen are fourth with 27 points and defeated Eintrach...
With their Serie A title hopes all but ended before reaching halfway, AC Milan hope to boost their pursuit of a top-four finish when they visit Hellas Verona on Friday evening.While Milan have slumped into mid-table following a run of one win from five, Verona ended a run of four straight defeats with victory last time out.Now 11 points behind arch-rivals Inter Milan and 13 shy of Serie A leaders ...
Girona will be bidding to halt a four-game losing run in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign with a clash against struggling Real Valladolid on Friday night.The hosts will enter the match off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Mallorca, while Real Valladolid moved off the bottom of the La Liga table courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Valencia last time out.Girona will bring a six-game ...
Lille will look to avoid a potential cup shock when they travel to third-tier Rouen in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France on Friday night.Bruno Genesio's side are currently 16 games unbeaten in all competitions, but face a team that have been rejuvenated since the arrival of manager Regis Brouard.This fixture has the potential to become one of the biggest stories of the weekend if Lille slip u...
Eyupspor will be eager to retain their place in the top four as they face Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig round 17 at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium on Friday.It will be the first meeting between both sides in over eight decades, with the hosts welcoming one of the most successful clubs in the country to their home for the first time in the top flight.Eyupspor are enjoying a solid start to their...
Enzo Maresca has said that Chelsea believe Mykhailo Mudryk is innocent following his positive drugs test and will continue to "support" the player.Mudryk and Chelsea released statements on Tuesday confirming that the FA had been in contact over the Ukraine winger supplying an adverse urine sample, with both player and club expressing their surprise.Head coach Maresca faced the media for the first ...
- 1 Benjamin Sesko has already said yes to Arsenal
- 2 Joao Felix eyed by ‘very interested club’
- 3 Liverpool flop and ex-Page 3 girl were 'freaked out'
- 4 Shaun Murphy copies Lionel Messi as he sleeps with Masters trophy
- 5 Teen arrested after shock abuse against Kai Havertz's wife Sophia
- 6 Daily Laugh - Chelsea 's back !!
- 7 Man Utd 'consider Jack Grealish transfer'
- 8 Mourinho makes drastic career change and launches 'The Special One' wine
- 9 Ex-Bundesliga star's WAG has intimate tattoo of footballer husband
- 10 City, Frankfurt reach deal for Marmoush