London City Lionesses Begin New Era with Win Over Manchester United
The lights were on Alexia Putellas, but it was London City Lionesses who stole the show.
On a packed night at Hayes Lane, in front of a sell-out crowd drawn by the arrival of the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, London City opened their star-studded era with a controlled, convincing 2-1 victory over Manchester United that felt far more one-sided than the scoreline suggests.
Putellas’ debut was the headline. The performance belonged to the team.
Own goal sparks Lionesses’ season
The first big moment of the 2026/27 Women’s Super League campaign came with a cruel twist.
Nine minutes in, a routine set-piece turned into a nightmare for United. Julia Zigiotti, grappling with Alanna Kennedy in the box, mistimed her header and steered the ball past her own goalkeeper. London City had the lead, and Hayes Lane had its first roar of the season.
From there, Eder Maestre’s side never really loosened their grip.
London City pushed up, squeezed United high, and dictated the rhythm. They kept United at arm’s length, moving the ball with authority and using their new-found depth to dominate territory as much as possession. The visitors, by contrast, barely laid a glove on them.
Maestre liked what he saw.
“Starting with a win is very important to keep building confidence,” the London City boss said. “I think we were very dominant through the whole game. I really think we deserved this win. That’s the identity we want – that’s why I’m very proud of the team.”
New faces, same message: control
The club’s summer rebuild was on full display.
Rosa Kafaji, Mapi Leon, Putellas and Janni Thomsen all started and all impressed, knitting quickly into Maestre’s structure. Kafaji went closest early in the second half, forcing a strong save from Phallon Tullis-Joyce with a stinging long-range effort on 49 minutes.
Behind them, Mary Earps and Kadidiatou Diani stayed unused on the bench – a reminder of just how much firepower London City now have in reserve.
Owner Michele Kang watched from the stands as her investment took shape on the pitch. London City looked organised, ambitious and brave in possession. They took risks, just as Maestre demands.
“Sometimes you need to take some risks to play in that way,” he said. “The team played with the togetherness that I think are going to be the most important value to respect. I think we are one step closer to hitting the targets. I’m very excited and very happy.”
There was one sour note for the hosts: Lucia Corrales left the pitch on 64 minutes clutching her shoulder, an early injury concern in an otherwise near-perfect night.
Van de Donk magic seals it
United clung on at 1-0, hoping for a late swing. It never came.
With eight minutes of normal time left, the pressure finally told. A clever move ended with Danielle van de Donk producing the moment of the match, a deft flick that wrong-footed the defence and doubled London City’s lead.
It felt like a goal that summed up the difference between the sides: sharp, confident, expressive.
At 2-0, the contest was effectively over. London City managed the closing stages with the calm of a side that believed it belonged at this level – and at this standard.
United’s late goal masks a wider gap
Only in stoppage time did United find any reward.
Deep into added time, substitute Simi Awujo slipped in to tuck away a consolation with virtually the last kick, United’s only shot on target all game. The goal trimmed the scoreline to 2-1 but underlined a more uncomfortable truth for Eva Olid’s side: they had been second best across almost every department.
“I think none of us are happy with the first half. We were not us,” the United manager admitted. “Nothing that we have been working on was happening in the first half.
“In the half-time, it was me saying to them, this is not us, we need to have confidence, belief, show we want the ball, that has to be us.
“There was a change in the second half but I said at the end that needs to be 90 minutes. It’s not enough just 40 minutes trying to have the ball.”
United did improve after the break, seeing more of the ball and slowing London City’s tempo, but they rarely turned that into threat. A single shot on target across 100 minutes told its own story.
A new contender, or opening-night surge?
London City wanted this to feel like a beginning. It did.
They unveiled their stars, played on the front foot, and backed up the off-field noise with on-field control. The crowd came for Putellas; they left talking about a team that suddenly looks built for more than survival.
Maestre called this “one step closer” to their targets. If this is step one, how far can this team climb once the new pieces truly click?
