Alexia Putellas Leads London City Lionesses to Victory in Season Opener
Alexia Putellas needed just one afternoon to show England what all the fuss is about.
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner, captain's armband strapped on from the start, steered London City Lionesses to a 2-1 win over United as they opened their 2026-27 Women's Super League campaign at the Copperjax Community Stadium. New league, new club, same authority.
Owner Michelle Kang watched on from the stands as her marquee signing took control of the occasion. The scoreline suggested a tight contest. The game did not.
Lionesses dominate opener
London City were sharper, quicker and far more cohesive from the first whistle. United never really escaped second gear and spent most of the afternoon chasing shadows.
The breakthrough came with a slice of fortune but owed everything to pressure. Julia Zigiotti Olme turned the ball into her own net, the kind of scrambled moment that usually reflects the pattern of a match. It did here. London City had their lead, and they rarely looked in danger of surrendering it.
The pressure built again after the interval. United, still flat, struggled to string meaningful attacks together, and the Lionesses sensed the chance to kill it. Danielle van de Donk did exactly that, glancing in a clever second-half flick to double the advantage and underline her side's control.
By then, Putellas was knitting everything together in midfield, dictating tempo and angles while her new teammates swarmed around a disjointed United side.
Only deep into stoppage time did United finally register a shot on target. It brought a goal, Simi Awujo firing in a consolation in the 97th minute, but it arrived far too late to change the story.
Putellas: delighted, but demanding more
For all her influence, Putellas insisted this was only a first step in a new and more physical chapter of her career.
"We are so happy," she told BBC. "We had a strong beginning so [we're] really, really happy. I'm still learning, it's the first game. It's a physical league. I'm the player who thinks the ball always moves faster than the legs so we're going to try to improve that kind of thing.
"It's the first game, we have to bring more improvement of course. We are going to give better and better football to our crowd. Very happy to start with three points and we keep moving."
There was no sense of a superstar merely passing through. Putellas spoke like a player intent on shaping a project, not just a season.
Maestre’s new-look side clicks early
On the touchline, manager Eder Maestre had every reason to be satisfied. Four debuts, a reshaped spine, and yet London City looked like a group that had been together far longer.
The big name who did not feature was Mary Earps. The England goalkeeper stayed on the bench as she continues to build fitness after pre-season, leaving Elene Lete to step in. She did so calmly, another encouraging sign for Maestre.
The coach reserved special praise for his new captain, focusing not only on the passes and touches, but the standards she drags up around her.
"Alexia knows all the things that can bring to others - because it's not only the thing that she's capable of doing on the field, it's all the things that can help us," Maestre said.
"Having this kind of player in the squad is very important because she represents the high standards and having her involved in the project [is important, because of] her performance and the leadership she can bring in terms of helping us to reach the standard [we want].
"The biggest impact is the way we played as a team, having everybody connected very well. The chemistry we are building around the players is the most important thing today."
On day one, that chemistry already looked dangerous. If this is London City Lionesses still “learning”, what happens when they truly click?
