London City quiet the doubts with a 2-1 win over Man United

London City Lionesses made their Women’s Super League opener count, beating Manchester United 2-1 at Hayes Lane in front of 5,402 home fans. BBC Sport frames the result as more than just star power: the team looked organised, pressed with purpose, and bonded quickly.

A statement start

The match set its tone in the first minute, with Alanna Kennedy forcing an early corner, and London City quickly stopped United settling. The article highlights that they pressed from the front and pounced on hesitation in possession, with Alexia Putellas—a two-time Ballon d’Or winner—making her debut in midfield as the key “glue” behind the structure. Grace Geyoro and Kennedy also stood out frequently.

Delphine Cascarino summed up the feeling in the camp, telling BBC Sport: “It was really fun to win today… We are trying to build something huge and achieve big things and I think we have a chance.” Head coach Eder Maestre echoed that pride: “Yeah, I think we were really strong, mostly in the first half…”

The opening goal came when Kennedy’s header deflected in off Julia Zigiotti. London City’s first-half control suggested the scoreline could have been heavier.

Van de Donk delivers

Danielle van de Donk, who had spent much of last season injured, starred and scored. On the other side, Manchester United were coming off a fourth-place finish in the WSL and a Champions League quarter-final run, but under new manager Eva Olid, the opening 45 minutes were tough.

BBC Sport quotes Olid saying the issue was largely confidence and belief: “It’s a process… In the first half, I didn’t feel like the players were believing.” She acknowledged that United looked more like themselves after half-time, though the match ended with London City able to manage the final momentum.