Champions Manchester City signed off their league campaign in style by beating West Ham 4-1, including two goals from Bunny Shaw to take her incredible tally to 21 for the season.
Recently crowned Women's Footballer of the Year, Shaw celebrated both strikes with a wry smile in front of the travelling Man City fans, with her future at the club still unresolved - and rumours swirling of a possible switch to Chelsea.
The speculation did nothing to quell her performance, scoring City's second after Jade Rose had put the visitors ahead from a corner. Andree Jeglertz's side have found the net 14 times from corners this term, more than double the total of any other team.
But Shaw was keen to show her repertoire from open play, too, enjoying a usually abundant amount of touches in the opposition box and creating more chances (3) than any player on the park. She was found by Aoba Fujino to thump home her first of the afternoon before latching onto a through ball from Laura Coombs to plant a second past Kinga Szemik.
The afternoon would not have been complete without a sprinkling of sentimentality, with Coombs then looping a fine effort over Szemik on her final WSL appearance. The midfielder is calling time on her seven-year Man City career, having completed nearly two decades in the game and will go down as a WSL great.
West Ham certainly played their part, too, scoring a well-worked goal via a combination of Ffion Morgan and Seraina Piubel. Young Swiss forward Leila Wandeler also drew an excellent save from Eartha Cumings late on, with the goalkeeper proving how stacked City's reserve of talent really is. Cumings had not featured in the WSL for four years. She made three top saves in total and spoke afterwards of how 'special' it is to be a part of such a relentlessly gifted group.
Analysis by Your Site' Laura Hunter:
Bunny Shaw has left plenty to the imagination. Her two goals in victory over West Ham were not celebrated in her trademark way. She's typically a run-and-jump kind of celebrant. But this time she stood motionless twice, wearing a knowing smile, arms folded. At one point she made a prayer sign.
What did it all mean? If the rumour mill is to be believed Shaw will depart City upon the expiry of her contract this summer. The loss would be a huge blow to City's ideas of domestic domination, especially if they lose her to Chelsea.
But hopes of a change of heart linger.
"I've always said Manchester is my home, it's where I want to be, but there's a lot of things which go on behind the scenes which I won't talk about now but I've always been proud of all the girls and everything," she told Your Site on Saturday.
"Manchester is where I would want to be, but ultimately we'll see."
I spoke to Andree Jeglertz this week and he reiterated his desire to keep her. Perhaps there is another chapter to be written yet. Man City better get their cheque books ready. Shaw's class is surely worth any price.
Man City captain Alex Greenwood to Your Site:
"Once of the best moments I've had. I've been fortunate to have a lot of incredible moments and this is right up there.
"It's a special day, sharing it with these incredible people.
"We've worked hard all season for this moment and we deserve it and deserve to enjoy it."
Man City forward Lauren Hemp to Your Site:
"I can't believe it. This group is so special and it bought a tear to my eye walking up there.
"We've waited so long for this and it's incredible to get our hands on the trophy.
"The togetherness in this team is something else. It's something I've never been part of before, it's so nice to see smiles on everyone's faces.
"Everyone has done their bit for this team to win this trophy."
Man City head coach Andree Jeglertz to Your Site:
"It's amazing. It's also a little bit unreal. You've worked so hard, and then suddenly you are there.
"Of course, though, it's amazing to be a part of this with what we have done this year, where we started and where we are today.
"We have too many good players and too few games! There are so many great players who deserve to play more than they have done, we have so few games in the league and we weren't in the Champions League.
"To keep the balance and motivation up is a tricky part.
"But I'd rather have it that way than the opposite. And next year we will play more games so we will have more opportunities."
