Nikita Parris put in a player of the match display for Manchester City on Sunday as she helped her side to a comfortable 4-0 win over Liverpool - a result that took them two points clear of Chelsea at the top of the WSL.

Parris also chipped in with an assist as City rounded off their win through Abbie McManus whilst the 23-year-old was also fouled for Izzy Christiansen's penalty.

No pressure

With three of Man City's main players missing on Sunday, their match with Liverpool had the potential to be a stumbling block.

Experienced professionals Karen Bardsley and Steph Houghton were both missing through injury whilst they were also without the midfield presence of Jill Scott through illness.

However City had no trouble seeing off their opponents and Parris revealed that herself and the players dealt well without some of their usual starters. "I'm definitely not feeling the pressure," she said.

Parris added: "No matter who steps into this team we always put in a performance and every player has just got to lift that little bit more and give that little bit extra. At the end of the day you've seen how the girls performed today - four goals - and it was a really great performance from us all."

However the forward played down her overall contribution on the day, "That's just my job. It's what I should be doing each and every week and I'll continue to push myself to do that," Parris asserted.

Nick Cushing was full of praise for his players following yesterday's display - and Parris was also quick to praise her manager as well - after explaining why she's in such good form. "That's credit to Nick and his coaching staff because it hasn't been an easy road. He's been determined to keep on pushing me in ways that I didn't even believe he could," she commented.

Bizarre opening goal

Parris opened proceedings by scoring the most fortunate goal she's likely to score in her career. With not even a minute played, Liverpool defender Sophie Ingle - in attempting to clear the ball - smacked it straight into the face of Parris. The ball then rolled towards goal and beat a sprawling Becky Flaherty.

Parris reflected: "I was too busy rubbing my face to even realise it was a goal but I'll take any goal as it comes!"

Assessing the timing of the strike she mentioned: "The early goal when it came was a big positive for us because they were always going to sit deep.

"It came with a bit of luck but it was the persistence to keep on pressing them and keep grinding them down because in the second half we got more goals and they lost momentum and fitness," Parris assessed.

The title race is hotting up now with both Manchester City and Chelsea swapping places momentarily over the weekend - and Parris offered her thoughts on how City see things at the moment. "We'll just take each game as it comes then at the end of the season we'll see what happens then."

The two title favourites now meet later in the month, as the Blues travel to the City Football Academy on the 24th February.