Alexia Putellas marked her Women's Super League debut with a commanding display as London City Lionesses defeated Manchester United 2-1 in their opening fixture of the 2026-27 season. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner captained the newly competitive side from midfield, setting the tone for a performance that exposed United's sluggish defending throughout the afternoon at the Copperjax Community Stadium.
The hosts controlled large passages of play, with an own goal from Julia Zigiotti Olme in the opening period and a clinical second-half finish from Danielle van de Donk securing the three points before Simi Awujo pulled one back late for United. Putellas acknowledged the physical intensity of English football while emphasising the team's trajectory remains upward. "I'm still learning, it's the first game," she told BBC. "It's a physical league. The ball always moves faster than the legs so we're going to try to improve that kind of thing. We are going to give better and better football to our crowd."
Seamless Integration Despite Missing Star Goalkeeper
Manager Eder Maestre rotated four players into the starting lineup, yet London City demonstrated impressive cohesion in their structure and pressing. Goalkeeper Elene Lete stepped in capably with Mary Earps sidelined by pre-season conditioning, making several routine saves to preserve the clean sheet until the final moments. Maestre praised not only Putellas's technical ability but her leadership influence within the squad. "Having this kind of player in the squad is very important because she represents the high standards," he explained. "The biggest impact is the way we played as a team, having everybody connected very well."
The commanding victory provides London City momentum heading into next weekend's away fixture against West Ham. Putellas will look to sustain her strong start in the WSL and drive her teammates toward consistency as the season unfolds across the competitive English top flight.
