Jess Park mirrors Phil Foden as Man City topple Manchester United to boost WSL title hopes

If this is to be viewed as Jess Park's breakthrough season at Manchester City, then it was against Manchester United at the Etihad where she truly came of age.

When big-money summer signing, Jill Roord, ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) back in January, it was hard not to fear that the Blues' title charge might start to veer drastically off course. But Park, who joined City as a winger in 2017, is relishing her newfound responsibility in the no. 10 role and has inspired Gareth Taylor's side to huge wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and now United.

For the lifelong City fan, who grew up aiming to follow in the footsteps of Sergio Aguero, it simply doesn't get much better than this; netting a brace against your arch-rivals to send your club - at least temporarily - top of the Women's Super League (WSL) table. Boyhood City fan Phil Foden did the same for men's side against United earlier in March, winning at the Etihad by the same scoreline - and now it was Park's turn.

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It is worth noting that it was only a few short months ago that United took to the pitch at Old Trafford two points better off than their city rivals, hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to their league campaign and truly assert themselves in the title race.

Perhaps that afternoon, which ended with the visitors celebrating in front of the East Stand, was the turning point; the moment where the gulf in quality between the two sides first became apparent and the significant chasm that now separates them in the table first began to forge.

Certainly, the landscape heading into this weekend’s showdown at the Etihad was very different. This