Andree Jeglertz doesn't usually single players out. The Manchester City head coach prefers to spread praise evenly across his squad, wary of upsetting the balance that keeps a dressing room happy. But after City beat Liverpool 4-2, even he couldn't help himself.
"Lauren Hemp's performance is amazing," Jeglertz said, unprompted, in the first question of his post-match press conference. "She's such a fantastic player. She plays on a different level at the moment."
It wasn't just talk. Hemp scored twice against Liverpool, having already shone in City's 3-1 win over Birmingham City and their 4-1 victory over Aston Villa. In that Villa game, she became just the seventh player in Women's Super League history to reach 100 goal involvements, setting up Khadija "Bunny" Shaw for the landmark.
That assist took her WSL tally to 52 goals and 48 assists in 154 appearances. Her two goals against Liverpool have since pushed her overall contribution total to 102.
A different kind of 100
What sets Hemp apart from the other six members of the WSL's 100-club - Vivianne Miedema (138), Beth Mead (127), Bethany England (114), Fran Kirby (111), Nikita Parris (111) and Shaw (106) - is the balance of her numbers. Where the others have reached the milestone mostly through goals, Hemp's split between scoring and creating is almost even.
Her all-round game was on full display against Liverpool. Shaw's equalising goal came after Hemp latched onto a pass from full-back Carlotta Wamser and forced a mistake from goalkeeper Khiara Keating. According to Opta, Hemp led all players in the match for total carries (24) and progressive actions (17), ranked second for involvements in attacking sequences (nine), and created a match-high four chances.
She had already created 11 chances across the wins over Birmingham and Villa - more than any other player in the WSL this season.
A record of consistency
Last season, Hemp topped the WSL charts for chances created (49), big chances created (15) and expected assists (6.8). She has also created more open-play chances than anyone in league history (322), and the 29 chance-ending carries she recorded in the 2021-22 season remain a competition record. Before this season, she had also won the ball back 196 times in the final third across her WSL career.
After the win over Liverpool, Hemp posted about the result on Instagram, prompting former City team-mate Laura Coombs to jokingly kickstart a "2027 Ballon d'Or campaign" in the comments. It's a playful nod to Hemp's talent, even if her best finish in the award's history so far is 28th, back in 2024.
Three matches into the new season, it's far too early for grand declarations. But watching Hemp glide past defenders again on Friday night, it was easy to see why Jeglertz, for once, felt compelled to break from his usual script.
