Highlights: Man City go top of WSL after comeback win against Aston Villa
Manchester City moved top of the Women's Super League as they beat Aston Villa in their third comeback win in the space of a week.
City fell behind for the third successive match when Villa took the lead against the run of play after 20 minutes, Gabi Nunes flicking in her first goal for the club.
The hosts had dominated possession and chances without truly troubling the Villa goal. The closest they came before the break was Jill Roord being inches away from sliding home Lauren Hemp's dangerous cross.
But City continued to pressure Villa in the second half, and eventually found the equaliser when Hemp lobbed the ball home after away keeper Sabrina D'Angelo was caught out of position.
And with 20 minutes remaining, Roord scored her first goal since returning from a serious knee ligament injury as she fired past D'Angelo following skilful work by Hemp down the left.
"I thought we were fantastic in so many ways," City manager Gareth Taylor told BBC Two.
"It was a great fightback in the second half. What I loved about it was the fact we stayed calm."
It means City take advantage of previous top two Brighton and Manchester United drawing with one another on Saturday, and end the weekend top of the WSL.
Villa meanwhile remain winless in the league, picking up just two points from their opening five games.
- Published20 October
Gabi Nunes scored her first Aston Villa goal after joining from Levante in the summer
Comeback queens City find way to win again
Lauren Hemp (centre) lobbed Manchester City in front after 62 minutes before setting up the winning goal
Going behind regularly in games is a bad habit - but it is one for which City have not yet been punished this term.
Seven of their 13 league points this season have now come from games in which they trailed, and they have now won five of the last six matches in which they have conceded the first goal.
These include their three wins in the last seven days - away to Liverpool last weekend, at St Polten in the Champions League on Wednesday, and at home to Villa.
“We are really happy because it continued our run," added Taylor, whose side are in stellar form with 19 wins from their last 21 league games.
"I have to say, and it was hard for me to say in the press conference yesterday, this is an excellent start.”
Villa meanwhile are still winless in the WSL under new manager Robert de Pauw, as they failed to capitalise on a well-worked first-half opener.
A slick breakaway from Villa ended with Kirsty Hanson doing well to fire in a cross from the left which Brazil international Nunes - a summer signing from Levante - got to ahead of the defender to flick the ball past City keeper Ayaka Yamashita.
It was around this point last year that City's WSL challenge came ultimately undone, as they were beaten at home by Brighton in similarly dreadful weather at Joie Stadium.
But unlike last November, Taylor's team are finding ways to win even when not at their best.
Here they were indebted to both the skill of Hemp and a poor decision from D'Angelo.
The Villa keeper was unable to claim a high cross just past the hour mark and he deflected ball fell to Hemp, who flicked the ball over the flailing Canadian keeper for the equaliser - before jinking through the away defence to set up Roord to slam home the winner from 12 yards.
