Manchester City’s domestic double signals the beginning of what the club hopes will be a sustained period of trophy-winning success.
Striker Khadija Shaw announced a shock four-year contract extension on Monday at the club’s celebratory parade, reversing weeks of speculation about her departure.
Around 19,000 fans at the Co-op Live arena erupted with joy as Shaw confirmed she would be staying, ending an emotional rollercoaster for supporters.
Shaw had been linked with a move away from City, with Chelsea poised to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding her future.
She proved her value immediately at Wembley, scoring the opening goal in a commanding 4-0 Women’s FA Cup final victory over Brighton.
Shaw also provided the assist for Aoba Fujino’s third goal, contributing directly to two of City’s four strikes on the day.
Her header in the 38th minute came at a critical moment, with Brighton having dominated the opening 30 minutes of the final.
The goal shifted momentum entirely, and captain Alex Greenwood’s strike just before half-time gave City a commanding lead they never relinquished.
A final goal from substitute Vivianne Miedema confirmed the victory, completing a remarkable afternoon for Jeglertz’s side.
The FA Cup triumph followed City’s WSL title win three weeks earlier, ending Chelsea’s six-year stranglehold on the league championship.
Shaw finished the WSL season with 21 goals in 22 matches, also claiming the WSL Player of the Year award and Golden Boot.
“To get the double is a good feeling,” Shaw said. “I’ve always said that Manchester is my home. It took a while, but we finally got [the contract agreement] done.”
Manager Andree Jeglertz praised Shaw’s composure throughout months of intense transfer speculation surrounding her name.
“I’m very impressed with how she handled that [speculation],” said Jeglertz. “She has never showed any mood that has affected her performance.”
“Of course, she knows about the writings. But at the same time, she has been so professional, always performed and always been a good person.”
Jeglertz was equally clear about how central Shaw is to the way his team operates on the pitch.
“We have Bunny Shaw in our team and we play a certain way to get the best out of her, to put her in these [goalscoring] situations.”
“She’s staying and that is what we want to keep doing with her.”
The challenge ahead for City involves balancing domestic dominance with the added demands of Champions League football next season.
Former City striker Ellen White believes the club must continue strengthening their squad to build the dynasty they are chasing.
“Manchester City want to be dominant on all fronts so they have to keep evolving. They have to get more players in,” White told TNT Sports.
“It has been a long wait for them to win this, their 10th trophy since going professional in 2014. That is no mean feat. But they need to keep evolving, progressing and finding consistency.”
Ex-England forward Sue Smith believes European competition will present Jeglertz’s squad with a significantly different challenge next season.
“They have been able to focus domestically but now have to balance European football and utilise the squad. They will have to adapt,” Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“That’s where they want to be – testing themselves against the best teams.”
