Cushings tactical masterclass as Man City put one foot in semis

Nick Cushing joined the squad last Tuesday after Gareth Taylor was sacked

Its been some week for Manchester City interim manager Nick Cushing.

After enduring a painful defeat by Chelsea in the Womens League Cup final - having had just five days to prepare - Cushing had to lift his side to face the same team again in the Womens Champions League quarter-finals.

He did more than lift them, guiding them to a remarkable 2-0 win at Joie Stadium, thanks to a double from substitute Vivianne Miedema.

It inflicted a first defeat of the season on Chelsea - ending their 31-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

"Of course winning is important but just being back here in front of our fans... Its the first time Ive been back here since [2019]," said Cushing.

"It was important for me that the team put in a performance that I believe reflects us in this stadium - and I really wanted to win for the fans."

Cushing released his emotions at full-time, walking around Joie Stadium with a beaming smile on his face as he applauded supporters.

He stayed back to soak up the plaudits as they sang Blue Moon and chanted "City, City, City".

Former City midfielder Izzy Christiansen described it as a "tactical masterclass" from Cushing but he insists the foundations were laid, and it is about belief.

"For me it was about making sure we could compete against the top teams. To win trophies, you have to beat the best," said Cushing.

"We have to be a threat in every phase of the game and have that presence. Its how you win tight and critical games."

City imposed themselves early on and controlled possession but momentum swung throughout a tense first half.

Cushing switched formations in the second half, moving from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 and introduced Miedema - back to form after returning from knee surgery in January - as a substitute to make a significant impact.

He called for bravery and confidence from his side following their defeat in the cup final and Miedema believes they delivered it.

"Champions League nights at the Joie Stadium have been pretty special so far, so Im really happy that we got the win," Miedema told BBC Sport.

"You always want to start but I am not in a position where I can play four lots of 90 minutes in a row. We need to be smart.

"[Cushing] really wants us to play forward and take risks. At times we did that really well. Hopefully we can take it to another level on Sunday and Thursday."

Former England captain Steph Houghton has returned to the club

Cushing has been thrown in at the deep end with four back-to-back games against Chelsea on his return to England.

It was a bold move by the club to sack Gareth Taylor in the week of a cup final and Cushing had not been involved in womens football for five years.

But former Chelsea midfielder Karen Carney said Cushing was "the difference" in Citys 2-0 victory.

"He has got to take a lot of credit. At half-time I thought it was the same old story - I thought Chelsea would do what they usually do," Carney told TNT Sports.

"This time the big difference was the Manchester City manager. He had a different game plan and he got the best out of them.

"City pressed [Chelsea]. They were aggressive. Cushing brought on Miedema and she had two moments of brilliance. Outstanding from the manager."

Cushing says he embraces the tactical challenge of coming up against Sonia Bompastor.

As well as making tweaks to their formation and encouraging his players to be more aggressive, he has added to his coaching staff - with former England captain Steph Houghton on the touchline with him on Wednesday.

"Its not ideal to come in mid-season. Its definitely not ideal to come in five days before a cup final, to play a team four times in a row and one that hasnt lost," said Cushing.

"But the greater the challenge, the more exciting it becomes. We lost the final which was incredibly difficult - but we won tonight and we roll on to the next one."

City twice reached the Womens Champions League semi-finals under Cushing in his previous spell in charge - he will hope to get there again next week.