LONDON — Alexia Putellas has told London City Lionesses fans there’s more to come from her and the team after they opened their WSL season with a 2-1 win over Manchester United on Friday at the Copperjax Community Stadium.
Putellas, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, was one of London City’s star recruits over the summer, and she captained the team on her debut as they began their 2026-27 season with a win far more comfortable than the eventual scoreline. An own goal from Julia Zigiotti Olme and a second-half flick from Daniëlle van de Donk handed London City the win over a poor United side whose first shot on target came in the 97th minute and resulted in a consolation goal from Simi Awujo.
But it was Putellas who was at the centre of attention after her move to the WSL over the summer. In front of watching London City owner Michelle Kang, Putellas took her first steps in England and was delighted to get the season off and running with a victory.
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“We are so happy,” Putellas told the 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.”
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For London City manager Eder Maestre, he was pleased with his team’s performance. He handed four debuts out, and had Mary Earps on the bench. Earps had some fitness issues in preseason and they went with Elene Lete who had had more consistent game time before this opener.
But the attention was on Putellas. “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.
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“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.”
And of the difficulties which come with bringing together a team of new players, Maestre said: “I think it’s one of the most challenging situations you have: talented players but maybe this kind of clash of cultures and trying to align everybody on the same page, trying to create something where everybody can feel represented. I’m really pleased, we had all the players on the same page.”
There was a strong Spanish contingent in the stands to witness Putellas and Mapi León’s debuts. “I think having this kind of support is very important because we have a lot of Spanish players and we are trying to create that identity where we consider all the culture that we have in the team. The more attractive we play, the more fun and engagement we can have.”
For Olid, this was her first match in charge of United as she stepped into Marc Skinner’s shoes. She said the performance wasn’t what she expected from her team, but was pleased with improvements she saw in the second half. “I always say that it’s a process. In three weeks, I have tried to get the team to believe that we can be a team that dominates with the ball and attack,” Olid said. “And of course, I think it’s something more mental, the first half, we could feel like the players were not believing.
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“At half time I say that this is not us, we need the ball to be ourselves and of course we can see a change in the second half. I think that if we play 90 minutes like the second half, we will be in the game.”
They had to wait until the 78th minute to muster their first shot, with their goal coming deep into injury time. Olid added: “It’s not enough. We want to score goals from open play, set plays, create more chances. That is my job, fix that to create more chances and have more confidence with the ball.”
