Early tactical lessons from Manchester City’s season opener

City’s opening game against Chelsea offered hints of change but plenty still to resolve.

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The opening game of the season offered Manchester City Women more than just a result: it provided a first glimpse of what Andrée Jeglertz’s project might look like. After finishing fourth last season, the club turned a page in the summer by appointing the Swedish coach, and the match against Chelsea immediately became a useful testing ground. The context was complicated: several key attacking players were missing – Kerolin, Fowler and Fujino – while new signing Clinton had just arrived and was unavailable. In defence, Knaak was also absent. It was, in other words, a first step taken with a makeshift structure, but also a revealing one.