3 things we learned from Gotham FC's 4-0 win over Angel City FC | OneFootball

Kicking off a three-game week in the best way possible, NJ/NY Gotham FC earned a 4-0 win over Angel City FC, handing the Los Angeles side their first loss of the season. This is now two consecutive wins for Gotham, which has seen them jump up from twelfth to fourth in the NWSL regular season standings.

Gotham had control over the game from start to finish in what was by far their best performance of this young season, and arguably one of their best under head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. In addition to the season high of four goals, Gotham held Angel City to zero shots on target. While the absence of Alyssa Thompson for Angel City certainly affected their attacking capabilities, it should not be controversial to say they still would have been held off the scoresheet with her in the lineup.

Starting the week with a win was crucial, not just to carry on the momentum from last week, but also to start the upcoming week with a win. The team must now shift their thinking to their match on Tuesday against Portland Thorns FC, who are just three points behind Gotham in the standings and coming off a loss to their fierce rivals, Seattle Reign FC. The Thorns will be motivated to get back in the win column, especially in front of their home fans at Providence Park. Gotham then will finish things off next Saturday when they visit the Washington Spirit for the first time since losing to the D.C. side in last year's playoffs.

There were, of course, plenty of positives to take away from this win. Here are three things we learned from this match.

3 things we learned from Gotham's 4-0 win over Angel City

3. "Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated"

After an offseason with plenty of roster turnover and a slow start to the season, many people were ready to write off Gotham FC's chances in 2025. And while there's no guarantee they'll reach the same lofty heights they did in 2024, this year's team is still clearly talented and capable of competing at the top of the table.

The thing that makes this year's team so enticing is the potential uptick in attacking potential from this year's group compared to last. Gotham did not score three goals in the 2024 regular season until the 23rd match. They have now managed to do it twice in the first five games of 2025.

And while their struggles to score goals did not cost them much as they only dropped six points from winning positions in 2024, the third-fewest in the league, their inability to score a second goal was most likely what cost them against Washington in the playoffs last year. And while there is still a lot of season to go, this year's team might not have that issue.

2. Esther continues her red hot form for Gotham

Esther González scored her second consecutive brace and tied Washington's Ashley Hatch for the Golden Boot lead. The forward tends to be a pretty streaky scorer, a perfect example being 2024, where she went 12 consecutive games without scoring, and then scored seven goals in eight games. Many speculated she might be starting one of these scoring binges when she scored in consecutive games for Spain. And boy were they right.

The impressive part is not just the volume, but also the variety of how she scores. She has taken advantage of a Casey Murphy brain fart, to turrned the Angel City FC backline into knots, and somehow managed to win two headers despite being just 5'3". The fact that she isn't just a one-trick pony when it comes to how she scores her goals should provide confidence that she can finally put together a more consistent goal-scoring season.

1. Gotham FC is finding the right balance

On paper, Gotham FC is especially forward-heavy, even with the departure of Cece Kizer. On the field, this team has seemingly found a happy medium that allows them to be offensively dangerous while still maintaining defensive solidity. This is something that could make them incredibly dangerous moving forward.

Being able to score four goals while also conceding zero shots, in an away game nonetheless, is seriously impressive. This is not just indicative of a balanced game plan, but also perhaps a more balanced offensive game plan as well.

Truthfully, nobody would say that Lynn Williams and Yazmeen Ryan are bad players by any means, for the former Bats were critical to the club. However, having creators like Sarah Schupansky and Gabi Portilho instead of goal-scorers, like the two mentioned earlier, in the lineup with Esther as more of a focal point of the attack, perhaps provides a much more streamlined game plan that allows for a more effective attacking output for Gotham FC.