Gareth Taylor has described Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw as a unique player after the Jamaican became the Club’s record goalscorer.

The forward fired home City’s third in a memorable 3-1 triumph over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium just 30 seconds after the restart.

Shaw’s 18th strike of the season, it saw her surpass Georgia Stanway as City’s leading scorer, grabbing her 68th goal in just her 82nd appearance.

Reflecting on the memorable milestone, Taylor highlighted the Jamaican’s impact both on and off the pitch for his side.

“It’s amazing how short the time it’s taken her to get there,” the boss said of Shaw.

“She’s a unique player, not only does she give us the goals, she’s a big focal point.

“She gives everything for the team. Her game’s improved a lot since she first came from France.

“She’s a good personality to work with, she’s honest, helps the team and her goals are so important for us.”

Barclays WSL
1 Chelsea FC Chelsea Chelsea 22 18 1 3 71 18 53 55 WLWWW
2 Manchester City Manchester City Man City 22 18 1 3 61 15 46 55 WWWLW
3 Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal 22 16 2 4 53 20 33 50 WWDWW
Last updated: 19 May 2024

Taylor also provided an update on Laia Aleixandri after the defender was forced off in the pre-match warm-up.

The boss explained that he and the medical team had been monitoring an existing issue, but was impressed with how her replacement Alanna Kennedy stepped up to the plate in such a pressurised environment.

Talking about Aleixandri, he said: “She’s okay, she had an issue after a tackle at Brighton last week.

“She trained fine, we knew it was a concern, it was just in the warm-up she couldn’t make any long passes.

“We already anticipated it, but we spoke to Alanna straight away and she adapted so well.

“She’s probably been unfortunate not to have the game time she feels because of how well Alex [Greenwood] and Laia have done.

“So, for Alanna to come in and play as she did was spot on. She’s got high standards, she said she felt more like herself in the second half. It takes time.”