Greenwood Keeps Man City Perfect as Putellas Lifts London City

Manchester City needed only one goal at The Valley, and captain Alex Greenwood supplied it. Her 36th-minute free kick proved the difference in a 1-0 victory over newly promoted Charlton, keeping the defending champions perfect through four WSL matches. City controlled 75 percent of possession and put six shots on target, but Sophie Whitehouse made five saves to keep Charlton within reach. At the other end, Eartha Cumings made an acrobatic stop on Jodie Hutton and finished her first start of the season with City’s first clean sheet of the campaign.

Mary Fowler nearly marked her 100th City appearance with a goal, while Niamh Charles made her club debut from the bench and forced another save from Whitehouse. Bunny Shaw headed narrowly wide late as City searched unsuccessfully for a second. It wasn’t City’s most explosive performance, but after a midweek 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich and with Real Madrid and Arsenal coming next, Greenwood’s free kick was enough.