The new-look London City Lionesses announced themselves to the WSL on opening night, strolling to a dominant 2-1 victory against a poor Manchester United side that looked out of ideas from the first whistle.
Alexia Putellas captained London City in her first competitive game for the club, and while all build-up to this game focused on the two-time Ballon D’or winner and the home side’s ambitious summer spending spree, all the post-match talk quickly shifted to just how much are United going to struggle.
And boy did they struggle. An early own goal by midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme and a beautiful backheeled flick finish from the Lionesses’ Danielle van de Donk sealed their fate late on. United substitute Simi Awujo’s late consolation goal flattered the Manchester side, who were the architects of their own downfall.
United boss Eva Olid told Sky that her side were “nervous, without confidence”, and this may have been an understatement. They had to wait until the 78th minute for their first shot on goal. Jess Park hit the side netting in United’s brightest moment in normal time, before Awujo halved the lead with the final kick of the game.
Olid’s side played like a team that had only just been patched together, rather than a starting XI that only featured one new signing in left-back Andrea Medina. They folded under London City’s early press and struggled to play out from the back, panicking in possession and finding themselves forced to kick long on a number of occasions.
There can be sympathy for the disrupted pre-season United suffered after Olid was brought in with just weeks to go before the start of the new campaign, but this performance will leave her with very little to build on.
Teammates shrugged and pointed after every turnover of possession – of which there were many – and at one stage in the first half, Jayde Riviere was hurried along by referee Emily Heaslip because she was at risk of exceeding the new five-second throw-in countdown, such was her lack of options. Her throw ended up going straight to a London City player.
It only took nine minutes for London City to take the lead – Zigiotti Olme heading into her own net from a Janni Thomsen corner – and United never seemed to recover.
The game already felt out of United’s grasp at 1-0, but it was well and truly over when van de Donk doubled London City’s lead with a beautiful backheeled finish in the 82nd minute. A short Mapi León corner was worked to the near post by Delphine Cascarino, leaving van de Donk to put the cherry atop the cake.
Despite their opponents, London City will rightly come out of this match with plenty of credit. They spent much of the game in second gear but turned up the heat when they had to, starting the game strongly with and without the ball. The Lionesses ended the game with 60% possession and pressed well, especially in the first half.
The imperious Putellas was happy to facilitate the game at her own leisurely pace, and fellow new arrival Mapi León was a consistent threat with her delivery from corners and free-kicks, enjoying a night off from defensive duties until the very last.
Aside from conceding late on, London City’s only concern will be the loss of winger Lucía Corrales, who was stretchered off in the second half with what appeared to be a freak non-contact upper-body injury.
The only positive for United is that new signing Medina looked at ease alongside her new teammates, perhaps more so than her existing teammates did with one another.
It’s odd to say that London City Lionesses’ thunder was stolen by an opposition that performed so poorly, but such is the reality of Manchester United football club, where expectations are so high.