Lauren Hemp ready for ‘tough tasks ahead’ after Manchester City’s ‘statement’ win against Barcelona

LAUREN HEMP insists Manchester City person made a connection with their gritty 2-0 triumph against Barcelona successful the Champions League.  

The City ace praised defender Naomi Layzell’s goalscoring show during the decision of the contest's winners earlier their instrumentality to WSL enactment connected Sunday.

Spain’s top-flight leaders, who Cityzens brag Gareth Taylor described arsenic the champion broadside successful the world, fell to their archetypal nonaccomplishment successful the tournament’s radical signifier connected Wednesday.

A prodded decorativeness from Layzell, her archetypal successful a Man City garment and successful the contest, gave Taylor’s broadside the pb successful the archetypal half.

And that opener, assisted by Vivianne Miedema’s flicked header, was followed by Khadija Shaw rounding Barca goalkeeper Cata Coll precocious successful the crippled to slot location to unafraid the points.

The effect saw the three-time Champions League winners beaten for the archetypal clip ever successful the competitions radical signifier and for the archetypal clip this season.

And Hemp and her team-mates maintained their unbeaten tally crossed each contests earlier their WSL clash with Liverpool astatine Anfield connected Sunday.

Hemp said: "Hopefully that puts a connection retired connected a bully commencement successful the radical stages.

"It was a large win. I thought successful the archetypal half, we dominated, possession.

"And we created a batch of chances and successful the 2nd half, but it looked a spot different.

“I felt similar we defended truthful well, enactment our bodies connected the line.

"We’ve inactive got to play them again. It’s going to beryllium a pugnacious task going to their place.”

City, who instrumentality connected Austrian squad SKN St Polten successful the tourney adjacent Wednesday, handed a radical signifier debut to centre-back Layzell.

The England Under-23s cardinal defender, signed from Bristol City successful August for a grounds fee, played arsenic a full-back successful the Joie Stadium duel.

The Wednesday nighttime crippled was the defender's archetypal clip playing successful the tournament’s radical stage.  

It besides came astir 5 years connected from Layzell making her debut quality successful the WSL for the Robins against the nine she would yet articulation this summer.

And the player, who went disconnected injured aft appearing to her rotation her ankle, rewarded brag Taylor’s religion by helping her nine unopen retired immoderate of the astir lethal attacking talents successful Europe

These included Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas and Barca striker Ewa Pajor.

Hemp added: "She’s done truthful good since she got here. I’m arrogant of her.

"Not lone did she score, but she defended truthful well, kept the shot astir of the clip and topped it disconnected with a extremity which was astonishing and we’re each truthful blessed for her."

Chelsea narrowly defeating Real Madrid successful their radical signifier opener 1 nighttime earlier Man City’s victory, made it bully week for English clubs going up against 2 of the champion sides successful Spain’s apical tier.

On her side’s chances of going each the mode successful the contest, Hemp said: "Every crippled is going to beryllium different.  

 "We cognize determination are truthful galore pugnacious tasks up of us. We’re conscionable going to instrumentality it 1 crippled astatine a time.