Manchester City Women have not lost a football match all season — ten games unbeaten in all competitions — yet in Europe they cannot buy a win. Three Women's Champions League games, three draws, and a place in the table that does not match the quality of this team.
Thursday night at the Joie Stadium was the pattern in miniature. City dominated Paris Saint-Germain for long spells, finally broke through when Khadija "Bunny" Shaw won and converted a penalty in the 85th minute — and then watched substitute Tara Elimbi Gilbert race clear to equalise three minutes later. Sky Sports' match report tells the story of a win that was in City's hands for roughly 180 seconds.
Three draws, and the hardest part of the draw is done
The PSG draw follows stalemates against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid — which is precisely the defence Andrée Jeglertz offered afterwards. "We need to win games if we want to qualify," the City head coach told BBC Sport. "We have three games left and we have played the three best ranked teams of the six we are playing, so I think we still have great opportunities to go to the next round." He defended his players' concentration too: "It's not a lack of concentration. They have a fast player. She was beating us one against one and scored. That was an individual skill that we couldn't cope with."
There is truth in that framing. City's official report notes the club remain unbeaten in all competitions — ten games without defeat, with their last loss coming back in April. Domestically they are the Women's Super League champions and set the standard. Europe, so far, is the one stage where dominance has not converted into results.
What the table says — and what it threatens
Three points from three games leaves City 10th in the league phase, four points behind the top four who qualify directly for the quarter-finals. Their remaining fixtures — Inter Milan, BK Häcken and Austria Wien — are, on paper, the friendlier half of their schedule, and City will be favourites in all three. Win them, and this winless start becomes a footnote. Drop points in any of them, and a play-off round — or worse — becomes a real conversation for a squad built to contend now.
Shaw's form is the reason for optimism. The Jamaica striker, who finished third in this week's Ballon d'Or — behind winner Alexia Putellas, whose third Ballon d'Or Féminin we covered — has scored 10 goals in her last 10 outings, and she was at the centre of everything on Thursday: a glancing header wide, a half-volley inches away, a low shot brilliantly saved, a header planted wide, and finally the penalty she earned and buried. The contrast with the night's other story is instructive — while City stall, Barcelona Femení are scoring eight in a game and pulling away at the top.
So what is City's actual problem?
It is not defending, and it is not chance creation — 15 shots against PSG tells its own story. It is game management in the final minutes and ruthlessness across the ninety: chances came and went all night before the penalty, and a one-goal lead earned in the 85th minute should never be surrendered by the 88th. At this level, that is the whole game.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: "unbeaten but winless" sounds like a riddle, but it is really a warning. City have survived their three hardest European fixtures without defeat — that part is genuinely impressive — but draws are a slow leak, and the top four will not wait. The next three games are now must-wins in everything but name. If Shaw keeps playing like this and City learn to close a door, this piece will read like a false alarm by December. Will City still reach the quarter-finals directly? Have your say in the comments.
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