3 weeks ago
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Three times in the last seven days, Manchester City have trailed. Three times in the last seven days, they have emerged victorious.
And three times in the last seven days, a large portion of credit for those comeback victories has to go to Lauren Hemp – the woman who, arguably more than any other, is sparking City's trophy tilt so far in 2024-25.
Against Liverpool last week, Hemp's fine cross from the left was headed home by Khadija Shaw for City's equaliser, before they came from behind to win 2-1.
Then in midweek, Mary Fowler scored the winner from Hemp's corner as City came from 2-1 down in Austria to beat St Polten 3-2 and maintain their 100% Champions League group stage start.
But Sunday was Hemp's finest performance of the season so far. The 24-year-old forward scored the equaliser before setting up Jill Roord's winner as City beat Aston Villa 2-1, having trailed at half-time following Gabi Nunes' surprise opener at Joie Stadium.
Hemp was City's lead creative force on a day when they were far from their best, with top scorer Shaw effectively neutralised by Villa.
The England international provided most of the threat until she finally lobbed her side level on 62 minutes - then laid off for Roord to smash home the winner eight minutes later.
"That girl there, Lauren Hemp, was outstanding today," her former club and international team-mate Steph Houghton told BBC Two. "Really driving the team forward, everything she seemed to do really caused Villa problems.
"Hemp, everything she's touching at the minute is turning to fire, so I'm really made up for her."
"She's brilliant honestly," added former City goalkeeper Karen Bardsley. "The desire to get everywhere on the pitch in and out of possession, she's a constant 1v1 threat."
Hemp's talent is hardly fresh news, but this season she has maintained her rise from wonderkid, via mercurial talent and supporting actor, to key player and go-to woman.
City manager Gareth Taylor sent her on after an hour against St Polten to help find the winner – which she did – and he praised her leadership here, as well as her skill.
"She was everywhere," he told the BBC. "She just gives such energy, when she has that mindset of doing everything with and without the ball, she's such a role model for every player we have.
"In the second half, the game changed. When we went 2-1 up they started to jump out, press us, spaces were more open that what we'd seen previously.
"We are really happy because it continued our run. This is an excellent start.
"Of course we have got to thank Lauren for a brilliant goal and a fantastic assist. That second goal was really special."
That second goal saw Hemp cut in from the left – having swapped wings all afternoon – and beat three players before laying the ball back to Roord with barely a glance as if the players were telepathically connected.
That connection was disrupted last season by Roord's serious knee ligament injury. If both players, plus goal machine Shaw, stay fit, there will be few teams who can stop City's attack.
"I actually think from last season also I really clicked with her on pitch," Roord said of Hemp. "She is very easy for me to play with - I just have to pass her the ball and she does the work."
Hemp has two goals and two assists from five league matches so far, having played all but 20 minutes of a WSL campaign which has City top on 13 points - seven which have come from matches where they trailed.
Regularly going behind in matches and expecting to win is not sustainable, but Hemp does seem a reliable source of moments of magic when needed.
Her equaliser at Villa on Sunday typified this when, after home keeper Sabrina D'Angelo flapped at a cross, Hemp reacted quickest after the loose ball bounced unexpectedly off her head. In one movement, she repositioned her body and deftly flicked the ball over the Canadian and into the net.
"We seem to keep doing it the hard way but we got three points in the end," Hemp told the BBC.
"The goal, it was a good cross, she [D'Angelo] managed to get her hand to it, so I just tried to get anything on it, and it happened to come off my head. I knew the goalkeeper was off her line so I just tried to kick it over her and it managed to do the trick."
Hemp has won the FA Cup and League Cup after joining from Bristol City in 2018, but not a WSL title – a trophy City have not claimed since 2016.
They had been leading the race last season in a thrilling climax, but defending champions Chelsea triumphed on the final day.
"It was heartbreak for us last season when we didn't manage to win the title," admitted Hemp.
"That's one of our aims this season. Hopefully if we keep putting in performances like that who knows where we could go."
For now, Hemp's attentions turn to England duty, with the Lionesses facing friendlies against Germany and South Africa over the next fortnight as they warm up for the defence of their Euros title next summer.
As at City, her importance for the national team has grown. Not only did she start all six qualifiers, but she has kept her form and fitness while all around are losing theirs.
Lauren James will be absent for this international break through injury, while club team-mate Chloe Kelly is in the squad, despite losing her place in the City team, where she has made one start all season.
Beth Mead is also out of favour at Arsenal, benched by interim manager Renee Slegers against West Ham on Sunday. Neither Alessia Russo nor Ella Toone have scored in the league in 2024-25.
This could be Hemp's year and, if it is, never count City out of the title reckoning.
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