Alexia Putellas Leads London City Lionesses to Victory Over Manchester United
Alexia Putellas arrived in England with a point to prove and wasted no time making it.
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner captained London City Lionesses to a 2-1 win over Manchester United at the Copperjax Community Stadium, launching their 2026-27 Women's Super League campaign with a statement that felt bigger than the scoreline.
Putellas takes the armband – and control
Under the watchful eye of owner Michelle Kang, Putellas led her new side with the authority of someone who has seen it all, yet still looked like a player discovering a new world. She dictated tempo, barked instructions, demanded the ball. This was her English debut, but it rarely looked like a first day at work.
The game itself was far more one-sided than the narrow margin suggested. London City swarmed United, sharper in the press, quicker in transition and far more inventive on the ball. United, by contrast, never found any rhythm and looked miles off the pace.
The pressure told early. Julia Zigiotti Olme, under pressure in her own box, turned the ball into her own net to hand the hosts a deserved lead. It was scruffy, but it reflected the pattern: Lionesses on the front foot, United scrambling.
After the break, London City tightened their grip. Danielle van de Donk, all guile and timing, added the second with a clever flick that summed up the hosts’ confidence. At 2-0, the contest felt almost done. United had offered nothing of note in attack.
That statistic told its own story: their first shot on target did not arrive until the 97th minute, when Simi Awujo finally beat Elene Lete to pull one back. It was a consolation, nothing more. The damage had long been done.
A star still adapting to a new league
For all the control and dominance, Putellas was honest about where she stands in this new chapter.
"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."
The contrast was striking: a world superstar acknowledging that she is still adapting to the physicality and rhythm of the WSL, while already raising the standard around her.
Maestre’s new-look side clicks early
Manager Eder Maestre had rolled the dice before kick-off, handing out four debuts in one of the most anticipated London City line-ups in the club’s history. The gamble paid off.
Star goalkeeper Mary Earps, still short of full fitness after pre-season issues, watched from the bench. In her place, Elene Lete stepped in without fuss, helping to anchor a back line that rarely looked troubled until stoppage time.
Maestre, though, kept circling back to one name.
"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, highlighting the influence stretching far beyond her passing range or vision.
"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."
That chemistry showed. London City looked like a side already tuned into a shared idea, even with new faces scattered across the pitch.
On a night billed as the start of Alexia Putellas’ English adventure, the bigger story might be this: if the Lionesses are already this cohesive in week one, what will they look like when their captain truly settles into the league’s brutal pace?
