Shaw the best striker in WSL, says Aston Villa boss

MANCHESTER, London (CMC):

Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo has described Jamaican international and Manchester City forward Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw as the best striker in the Women's Super League (WSL).

The 28-year-old Shaw continued her impressive start to the season by bagging a beaver-trick in City's 6-1 thrashing of Villa on Sunday, which gave them a six-point cushion at the top of the WSL table.

Shaw's opening goal, scored in the 37th minute, was her 100th in all competitions for City in just 120 matches, making it the first time a female player had reached that landmark for the club in the professional era.

She has now scored 12 times in just 11 matches in the WSL this season, with her nearest challengers trailing by seven goals.

Following her historic performance against her side, Arroyo was full of praise for Shaw, saying it was a "privilege" to face such a player.

"She is the best striker in the league, probably. The energy you can see from the team is different from last year. All of that is quite visible on her.

"She was a nightmare for us. She knows where to be for the second balls and the first action. We tried to minimise her impact, but we couldn't. She is too good," Arroyo admitted.

"How she is growing and how consistent she is being ... she scores a lot of goals. I'm just sad that she's adding goals to her list against us!

"It's a privilege for me to be around these challenges and to try to find the best way to minimise her next time as we couldn't do that today," she added.

Former England defender Lindsay Johnson has also been impressed with Shaw's play throughout the season.

"It's so difficult because you can't get too tight to her as she rolls you. She's so good at using her body. You've got to give yourself some space.

"She's got all the attributes you want in a striker. She's got power, she's got pace, and she's very clinical," Johnson said on BBC Radio 5 Live commentary.

"You've got to work together, double up on her and be relentless. I'm glad I didn't have to come up against her."