Going into this game, Manchester City had already won every single one of their matches in the FAWSL in the 2019/20 season, whilst also bettering their opponents in the Continental Cup and Champions League. Birmingham, however, were winless in the league and with their last game postponed, they had never lost their first three in a WSL season before.
Story of the match
Canadian international Janine Beckie found herself with the first proper chance of the game in the fifteenth minute of play. Inside of the 18-yard-box, she fired to the right of the goal but her shot fell just wide of the post.
Her side had already dominated, but when a defender played a long ball across the ground, it broke open Birmingham's backline leaving Beckie one-on-one with goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. Her shot low and to the right was stopped by the fingertips of the youngster who has previously impressed in the Lionesses' youth setup.
City would find themselves opening the scoring after the resulting corner in the 26th minute. An inswinging effort was cleared by the head of a Birmingham defender, only to land at the feet of Mancunian Keira Walsh. Walsh took a touch and smashed the ball at Hampton's goal, which fell into the back of the net after taking a deflection on the way - the keeper was able to get a fingertip to it, but it was not enough to divert the shot away.
City then dominated play for the rest of the first half, with a number of chances that they were not able to convert into the back of the net. Hampton helped to keep her club in the game, but the rest of her side were not on the same level and Ellie Roebuck was not troubled
The second half
It did not take long for City to double their lead and increase the blows to the midlands side. Janine Beckie was once again involved, sprinting down the line and beating Adrienne Jordan before her pinpoint cross was met by Belgian international Tessa Wullaert at the near post leaving Hampton stood still on her goalline - much to the delight of her family stood behind the opposite net.
An onslaught of chances for the home side followed. Caroline Weir's free-kick was hit over by Captain Steph Houghton just a handful of minutes later, Jill Scott had her effort stopped after she wriggled her way through the defence, and Janine Beckie had a shot saved on the line - an exquisite piece of goalkeeping by Birmingham's keeper. Tessa Wullaert then came close to making it three, hitting the post from one-on-one before the ball rolled slowly across the goalmouth before being cleared.
Both sides then made changes in the 70th minute. Birmingham brought off Claudia Walker for Harriet Scott to try and claw back anything from the match. Summer signing for City, Lee Geum-min was then brought on for Janine Beckie, and immediately made an impact.
Lee scored her first goal for City in the 79th minute. Hemp cannoned down the byline and worked her way past the defence before playing a ball into the air in the box. Her ball was not immediately connected with in the air by anybody, but it fell to Lee at the back post on the ground and she easily slotted into the back of the net.
City controlled the rest of the match, with Lee often breaking past the defence and creating chances - she could prove to be important to City in their time without a number of players due to injury. Jill Scott and Aoife Mannion left the pitch for Jess Park and Matilde Fidalgo as the game ended, and Keira Walsh was named as player of the match
Takeaways from the match
Manchester City are already setting themselves up well for a title push for this season, they have beaten all opposition put in front of them, and do not yet even have a completed side. When Ellen White and Georgia Stanway join the squad, they could provide an advantage against Arsenal in their race for the top spot.
Nick Cushing's side are back at the Academy Stadium on Wednesday when they take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16. They fell to the Spaniards in the first round of the competition last year, and will not want a repeat of that fate.
Birmingham have now picked up no points after their first three FAWSL games for the first time in their existence. Their squad was damaged over the summer with a number of their players who helped them to reach fourth in the league last year departed, and the Blues now look in trouble for this season.