Mary Fowler is enjoying the thrill of the WSL title chase as Manchester City prepare for the second half of the season.
One-time WSL champions City return to action from the competition s winter break on Sunday, when they take on Liverpool.
As it stands, City are second, three points behind leaders Chelsea and level on points with third-place Arsenal, with Manchester United and Liverpool four points behind.
With such a tight title race, the pressure is well and truly on, but City s Fowler, who scored in a 4-0 FA Cup win over Durham last week, believes that helps keep her team-mates on their toes.
Fowler told Stats Perform: I think it s really exciting actually. It just makes us all so much more competitive and I think you can see it out on the training field, everyone just wants to win so much.
I think sometimes when you re in that third place, fourth place position, you ll want it but you re like, Damn it, we re not going to come first .
So I think being in such a close battle at the top, it just keeps everyone on their toes and at the top of their game.
Obviously, there s a bit of pressure that comes with that, but we ve earned the right to be up there and try and contest to win the title.
FOWLER MAKES IT FOUR!!
0-4
— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen)
Jill Roord, Lauren Hemp and England star Chloe Kelly are among the superstar names in City s squad, and Fowler sees those big names as another source of motivation.
It helps greatly, the 20-year-old said.
I think the competition that we have within the squad is great and it s lifted training a lot and having players who are all performing at the top of their game, it s great to watch.
I think they ve all done so well, we ve all done so well to get to this point and I think everyone appreciates that and then kind of puts it aside because now it s the second half [of the season].
If everyone stays in form from what we had first half, I think we ll do well.
City striker Khadija Bunny Shaw is the leading scorer in the WSL, with nine goals from as many games.
She s been amazing, Fowler said of Shaw. I think you get the ball to Bunny, you know it s going to go on the back of the net.
We re super lucky to have her in the team and it s amazing getting to work with her and to watch her play. It s a big weapon that we have, to be able to have Bunny in the box and have her getting so many goals, every game.
While Shaw spearheads City s attack, their title rivals Chelsea will be without Sam Kerr – Fowler s Australia team-mate – for the rest of the season, after the 30-year-old suffered a serious knee injury.
I sent her a message, I think she s probably got a lot on her plate at the moment, Fowler said. I think the way that people see her reacting is a testament to her character.
She s a very resilient kind of person. It was terrible to hear that news and I feel bad for her. So hopefully it s a quick recovery for her. I feel for her.
