Putellas Leads London City Lionesses to WSL Victory in Bromley
Seven years ago, the idea would have sounded absurd. Millwall Lionesses splitting away, rebranding as London City Lionesses, and one day walking out behind Alexia Putellas – the former Barcelona captain, two-time Ballon d’Or winner – for a statement WSL opening-day win in Bromley.
Yet there she was. No Camp Nou, no Champions League anthem, just the tight, sold-out confines of Bromley FC’s ground and a roar that felt like it was trying to convince itself this was really happening.
Putellas bent to pick up the coin after the toss, as she always has. The referees will get used to that. So will opponents. Her new teammates must adapt to something else: the constant pull of cameras and eyes drifting past them to lock on to the No 11 who used to run Europe from midfield.
Leaving Barcelona for a club only in its second WSL season is, on the pitch, a clear step down from a three-time European champion. Off it, the gap is closing. Owner Michele Kang has made it her mission to strip away excuses, committing to elite standards for female athletes and pushing ahead with a new world-class training facility. The infrastructure is catching up with the ambition.
Before kick-off, Kang circled the pitch in a ‘Kang 27’ home shirt, stopping for photos with fans. Her visibility and enthusiasm stood in stark contrast to Manchester United’s part-owner Jim Ratcliffe and his bleak public remarks about his women’s teams. This night felt like a showcase for two very different versions of what ownership can look like in the women’s game.
A new reality for a global star
Putellas led London City out to a raucous welcome, her expression fixed, serious. Only when she glanced down to the mascot gripping her hand did the steely stare break into a quick smile and a few words.
Here, on the fringes of south-east London, she got her first real taste of this new life. No grand stage. No guarantee of trophies. Just a hard-running WSL side and a manager trying to fuse together a squad full of new faces.
At 32, this was not the all-conquering version of Putellas that defined an era at Barcelona. Her display was tidy, controlled, influential in moments, but not the showpiece performance many had come to see. Others stole the spotlight. Rosa Kafaji buzzed and probed. Lucía Corrales impressed until her night ended worryingly, taken off on a stretcher after overstretching for a ball late on.
“Everybody knows what [Putellas] can create and bring to us,” said head coach Eder Maestre afterwards. “It’s not just the things she’s capable of doing, it’s the things she facilitates for other players too.
“Having this kind of player in the squad is very important because she represents the highest standards and having her involved in it is not only because of her performance, but also because of the leadership she can bring in terms of helping us to reach that standard. But it is not only about Alexia, she is only one player, and I think the most impactful thing was the way everybody connected, the chemistry that we are building around the players.”
That chemistry is Maestre’s main assignment. London City have recruited heavily, not least in goal, where former England No 1 Mary Earps watched from the bench while Elene Lete started.
“Mary had some issues in pre-season so that was why there was inconsistency in game involvement,” Maestre explained. “We have two strong goalkeepers. Today, Elene deserved to be in the lineup. She was very strong in her actions.”
Playing like they did as kids – and bullying United
Maestre has been clear about the identity he wants: football that taps into the joy of playing as children. That idea was written all over this performance.
London City went straight onto the front foot. It was not always elegant, but it was bold, aggressive, and laced with a sense of enjoyment. They pressed high, snapped into duels, and attacked with intent. When the opener arrived on nine minutes, it felt like the inevitable consequence of sustained pressure.
From a set piece, Alanna Kennedy climbed and challenged, forcing Julia Zigiotti Olme into a desperate crouch. The United player could only turn the ball into her own net. A harsh way to introduce Eva Olid to life as Manchester United manager in the WSL spotlight, and an early sign of the problems ahead.
For Olid, appointed after a subdued summer window and handed a brutal opening run of fixtures that includes Chelsea and Arsenal, this was a harsh reality check. Her side were outplayed, ceding 60% of the ball and rarely looking like they believed they could disrupt London City’s rhythm.
United did muster three shots, but by the time they threatened, the game was slipping away. The home side tightened their grip from a corner, Mapi León’s delivery recycled to Delphine Cascarino, whose cross was deftly flicked into the far corner by Daniëlle van de Donk. A lovely finish, and a goal that underlined the gulf in conviction.
Olid’s uphill start, Maestre’s solid platform
“It’s a process,” Olid said, trying to frame the defeat as a starting point. “I think it was something more mental in the first half, we could feel like the players were not believing.
“At half-time I say that this is not us, we need the ball to be ourselves … in the second half, we were building through the middle, finding the free player, playing between the lines. That is us, and I can feel my team in the second half. It’s my job to help them to believe that we can always be the team of the second half.”
United did at least leave with a sliver of consolation. Deep into added time, a free-kick broke loose on the edge of the box and Simi Awujo reacted quickest, driving the ball into the unguarded space and past Lete. It trimmed the scoreline, not the verdict.
By then, the damage was done and the mood in Bromley was unshakable. London City had dominated, imposed their style, and showcased the depth around their new superstar. Putellas was not the sole architect, and that may be the most encouraging sign of all for Maestre.
For a club that once had to break away just to control its own future, this felt like more than a bright opening day. With Kang’s backing, Maestre’s clear vision, and Putellas adjusting to a very different kind of challenge, this was the kind of performance you build a season – and maybe something bigger – upon.
