Alexia Putellas Leads London City Lionesses to Opening Victory
Alexia Putellas did not ease her way into English football. She took it by the collar.
On a sharp, noisy afternoon at the Copperjax Community Stadium, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner captained London City Lionesses to a 2-1 win over Manchester United, launching their 2026-27 Women's Super League campaign with a statement that felt bigger than the scoreline.
Putellas at the heart of a new project
This was Putellas’ first competitive outing in England, the beginning of a new chapter after years of dominance in Spain. She walked out wearing the armband, the focal point of a project carefully built by owner Michelle Kang and head coach Eder Maestre.
From the stands, Kang watched her marquee signing knit play together and dictate tempo, even as Putellas herself insisted she is still adapting to the league’s intensity.
"We are so happy," she told BBC afterwards. "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."
The message was clear: this was good, but it is only the start.
Scoreline flatters a sluggish United
The match itself never felt as tight as 2-1 suggests. London City controlled the contest, pressed with purpose and moved the ball with a confidence that made United look strangely flat.
The pressure told early. Julia Zigiotti Olme, under strain, turned the ball into her own net to give the hosts a deserved lead. United never really recovered their rhythm.
After the break, London City tightened their grip. Danielle van de Donk, buzzing between the lines all afternoon, added the second with a deft flick that summed up the hosts’ superiority: sharp movement, quick thinking, ruthless execution.
United, by contrast, laboured. Their first shot on target did not arrive until the 97th minute, a damning statistic for a side with top-four ambitions. Simi Awujo’s late strike offered a cosmetic consolation, not a comeback.
Debuts, standards and a new spine
Maestre had taken a risk, rolling out four debuts on opening day. It paid off handsomely.
With star goalkeeper Mary Earps not yet ready after pre-season fitness issues, Elene Lete stepped in and handled the occasion with calm assurance. Behind an assertive back line and a midfield marshalled by Putellas, she rarely looked troubled.
For Maestre, though, the story of the afternoon was collective, not individual.
"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," he 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."
The chemistry was obvious: Putellas demanding the ball, Van de Donk snapping into spaces, the new faces slotting into a structure that already looks well-drilled.
A powerful opening statement
London City walk away with three points, a marquee performance from their captain and a display that hints at a side capable of far more than simply competing.
Putellas called it a first step. If this is her still “learning” and adjusting to the physicality of the WSL, the rest of the league has a pressing question to answer: what happens when she and this team truly hit their stride?
