Shaw doubles up as Manchester City mark WSL title by thrashing West Ham

Khadija Shaw set the agenda again, scoring her 20th and 21st goals in 22 WSL games in what could be her penultimate game in sky blue as City secured a 4-1 win over West Ham before they hoisted the WSL trophy aloft for the first time in 10 years.

What will Manchester City look like without the Jamaican forward? City fans will be hoping they don’t have to find out, but with bigger offers in from other clubs the striker is on the cusp of an exit unless the Blues do a sharpest and most grovelling of u-turns.

Shaw, arguably the best centre-forward in the world, celebrated both goals in front of the City fans packed behind the goal at Dagenham and Redbridge’s ground. After the first she lifted praying hands aloft in thanks towards them and was engulfed by her teammates after her second.

The celebrations were joyous on the final whistle, with the Blues finally able to celebrate their second ever league title on the pitch after its destination was confirmed following Arsenal’s draw with Brighton 10 days prior.

It was a bit flat at Victoria Road in the end, with nothing on the line and an FA Cup final on the horizon for the champions, the game itself felt like a bit of an irritation. That didn’t matter though, City weren’t here for the match, they were here for the afterparty.

The result was predictable regardless of how City played, the Blues having won 12, drawn one and lost one of their 14 WSL games against West Ham, but the Hammers didn’t make it easy for the visiting team. Rita Guarino’s team had won back-to-back league games for the first time since February 2024 and came into the fixture full of confidence.

It was Jade Rose’s first goal for City that divided them in the first half, the centre-back rewarded having heavily impressed in her debut season.

Shaw extended their lead in a more aggressive second half from City before Seraina Piubel pulled one back for the hosts, turning in Ffion Morgan’s low cross and City started to put on a show.

Shaw’s second was low and into the far corner from the left and then Laura Coombs provided the cherry on top, her strike for City’s fourth coming in the final league game, having called time on her 19-year career.

The job Andrée Jeglertz has done off the pitch with City this year has been perhaps more impressive than the job on it. He arrived last summer to a squad stacked with world-class talent but a culture and staleness that set in and stagnated under Gareth Taylor, before his departure in March 2025.