The Sky Blues were on the front foot in Sunday's grand final rematch at Leichhardt Oval thanks to a long-range strike by Lucy Johnson before a poor pass from Franco landed at the feet of City livewire Holly McNamara.
Franco had intended for the ball to reach Faye Bryson but it fell short, and McNamara easily broke away to set up Leticia McKenna's 62nd-minute goal and extend City's undefeated streak to 10 games.
Later on Sunday, Sophie Harding scored a double to fire Western Sydney to a hard-earned 4-4 draw with Melbourne Victory, spoiling Matildas star Emily Gielnik's return from injury.
The draw with City was a sucker punch for Sydney FC, the reigning champions last on the table with only one win after nine games and winless in their past five.
City is enjoying the opposite trajectory as the only undefeated side in the league, top of the table with six wins and four draws.
Johnson had stunned the visitors when she sent a rocket from outside the box in the 29th minute.
.— Ninja A-League (@aleaguewomen) @MelbourneCity are BACK in the game! 💪Holly McNamara makes an instant impact off the bench by setting up Leticia McKenna who scores the equaliser 🔥📺 Watch #SYDvMCY live NOW on Paramount+ & 10 Play pic.twitter.com/pNZcideXveJanuary 5, 2025
At the Home of the Matildas, Western Sydney - without coach Robbie Hooker - salvaged a point against Victory thanks to a brace by Harding.
After drawing first blood in the fourth minute, Harding struck again in added time to scrape the draw.
Wanderers captain Amy Harrison could have won the match after Claudia Bunge gave away a free kick just outside the box for ahandball foul, but Harrison was wasteful.
Geoff Abrahams, youth director of the club's women's academy program, stood up as interim coach, with Hooker on personal leave.
Victory (18 points) could have risen to second on the ladder with a win but remain third, while the Wanderers (6 points) are 11th.
Harding had plucked the ball off Bunge to score her first before the Victory defender found redemption in the 45th minute with a headed goal.
Victory then leaped ahead courtesy of a 51st-minute strike by English defender Ellie Wilson but 18-year-old Sienna Saveska restored parity four minutes later.
Gielnik joined the fray in the 63rd minute after missing two games with soft tissue injuries and was at the source of Gemma Ferris's own goal.
Shan Khamis dived but could not cleanly take Gielnik's pass from the left wing and the ball deflected off Ferris's foot towards the net in the 77th minute.
Chidiac then hit the scoresheet 10 minutes later but Western Sydney remained relentless, with Talia Kapetanellis returning serve in the 89th minute before Harding completed her double.
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