The WSL is up and operating and massive spenders London Metropolis Lionesses have put their cash the place their mouth is, recording a formidable 2-1 win over Champions League-chasing rivals Manchester United.
It has been a summer time of change within the ladies’s high flight and nowhere extra so than at London Metropolis Lionesses, who, with the backing of their bold proprietor Michele Kang, have introduced in a bunch of superstars to their squad forward of their second season within the high flight.
It wasn’t any of their new signings that made the distinction on Friday evening, nonetheless, with Australian defender Alanna Kennedy giving the hosts the lead within the ninth minute with a header on the again put up from a nook.
Danielle van de Donk then doubled their benefit late on with a beautiful flick earlier than United’s Simi Awujo scored a comfort with the final kick of the sport.
Right here, Each day Mail Sport’s ladies’s soccer reporter TARA ANSON-WALSH seems to be at what we discovered from the opening WSL sport of the season…
London Metropolis Lionesses have seen a bunch of superstars via the door this summer time
It has been a summer time of change within the ladies’s high flight and nowhere extra so than at London Metropolis Lionesses with the backing of their bold proprietor Michele Kang (above)
Alexia Putellas brings stardust
London Metropolis Lionesses definitely made a splash within the switch market this summer time, underlining their ambitions with a collection of high-profile signings.
The unbiased membership, backed by bold proprietor Michele Kang, who additionally owns Lyon and NWSL aspect Washington Spirit, has attracted a bunch of world stars, together with former England goalkeeper Mary Earps and Spain defender Mapi Leon. But none catches the attention greater than Alexia Putellas, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner with 4 Ladies’s Champions League titles to her title.
Putellas is a model in herself, and there’s no denying that her pull because the second most-followed ladies’s footballer on this planet on social media, behind solely Alisha Lehmann, has been and can proceed to be a helpful advertising and marketing software for the Bromley-based membership. The early indicators recommend it’s working. Friday’s fixture was a sell-out at 5,402, the largest dwelling crowd within the membership’s historical past, and also you’re left to marvel what the gate might have been if that they had a much bigger stadium at their disposal.
Not like Lehmann, who’s extra of an influencer who performs soccer lately, Putellas is among the greatest footballers on this planet, if not the perfect. At 32, the attacking midfielder is getting into the twilight of her profession, though she made it clear when she signed that the membership’s ambition, coupled with the problem of a brand new league, was a major think about prizing her away from her beloved Barcelona, the place she had spent the earlier 14 years.
Not like Lehmann, who’s extra of an influencer who performs soccer, Putellas is among the greatest footballers on this planet, if not the perfect
Her debut struggled to stay as much as the billing, nonetheless. She recorded simply the one shot, which was hoofed into the evening sky to chants from the visiting finish of ‘who’re you’, and dropped deeper all through the sport with a view to get extra of the ball away from the congested midfield. There was nothing to concern her new supervisor, although.
‘Alexia Putellas, everybody is aware of the issues that may be gained, as a result of it’s not solely the issues that she’s able to doing however the issues that she will facilitate,’ stated London Metropolis boss Eder Maestre. ‘Having this sort of participant within the squad is essential as a result of she represents the excessive requirements.
‘However it isn’t solely about Alexia, she is just a participant. I believe probably the most impactful factor is the best way that we play as a workforce, being linked and the chemistry that we’re constructing.’
It’ll take time to construct connections and adapt to a totally completely different league and squad, but when there’s any likelihood of this aspect getting previous the likes of Manchester Metropolis, Chelsea or Arsenal for the largest prizes, they are going to want their new captain firing.
Man United’s youth challenge will get off to a bumpy begin
If London Metropolis Lionesses determined that dropping the large bucks can be their path to success this season, it’s truthful to say that Manchester United have taken a dramatically completely different strategy.
Youth is the phrase being knocked round Carrington lately, with defender Andrea Medina (22) and Sweden winger Monica Jusu Bah (23) two of this summer time’s 4 signings alongside back-up goalkeeper Janina Leitzig (27), in addition to one skilled signing in Rebeca Bernal, who’s 29.
In the meantime, United have seen loads of the elder statesmen depart in Leah Galton, Gabby George, Millie Turner and Lisa Naalsund. Additionally they offered star striker Melvine Malard to Chelsea for a substantial sum of £850,000.
For former supervisor Marc Skinner, who persistently complained a couple of lack of funding within the ladies’s workforce, this summer time proved one disappointing switch window too many, and he stepped down originally of final month.
United struggled in massive parts of this match underneath new supervisor Eva Olid
United confirmed their lack of expertise within the opening phases of Eva Olid’s first match in cost, struggling to deal with London Metropolis’s excessive press and missing composure from the 2 set items that led to their opponents’ targets. They did, nonetheless, look a lot improved within the closing phases, with Awujo’s stoppage-time comfort a testomony to their improved perception.
‘It’s a course of,’ stated the composed Spanish supervisor Olid after the match. ‘In three weeks I attempted to inform that we could be a workforce who can dominate with the ball and assault. I really feel it’s one thing extra psychological. Within the first half I felt just like the gamers weren’t believing to have the ball.
‘At half time I stated “this isn’t us, we want the ball for ourself” and we will see the change within the second half.’
Olid has constructed up a popularity for increase kids, and if there’s anybody to get a tune out of this squad will probably be her – however she will likely be involved by how a lot United have been outplayed by London Metropolis’s huge names on this assembly.
Mary Earps again within the WSL however not again on pitch
The narratives round London Metropolis Lionesses really feel pretty limitless, however one value relating briefly is the return of Mary Earps to the WSL.
To recap, the 33-year-old left Manchester United, the place she rose to prominence, for PSG two seasons in the past, retired from the Lionesses on the eve of the Euros final summer time, wrote an autobiography which ticked some individuals, together with Sarina Wiegman off, and is now again within the ladies’s high flight able to shake issues up as soon as once more.
Earps nonetheless has icon standing within the ladies’s sport, not least in Manchester, the place she grew to become a defining determine of their rise into the highest 4 and their first FA Cup triumph in 2024. There stays a ‘Welcome to Manchester’ mural across the nook from the well-known Lou Macari’s chip store close to Outdated Trafford that includes Earps elevating her fists in triumph, whereas she stated earlier than right this moment’s sport that it was ‘meant to be’ that her WSL return would come in opposition to her former membership.
It was a disappointment then for Earps to not make Friday’s beginning XI. This was all the way down to ‘points’ throughout her pre-season which led to a scarcity of constant sport time and her alternative Elene Lete ‘deserving’ the beginning, in keeping with boss Maestre. Earps little doubt will likely be motivated to make sure that doesn’t keep the case for lengthy.
Earps solely made the bench in opposition to her former aspect attributable to a scarcity of sport time in pre-season
Cash can’t purchase the whole lot
What occurs whenever you assemble a soccer workforce of among the greatest gamers on this planet and plonk them in a 5,000-and-something-capacity stadium in the midst of Bromley?
Properly, by this evaluation, a filled-out stadium with out very a lot noise. Except for the large cheer that rang across the stadium when Alexia Putellas’ title was introduced, and the one which {followed} to mark Alanna Kennedy’s aim a couple of minutes later, the one fanbase that could possibly be heard all through the night was United’s. And all of this with the guests trailing from the ninth minute and underwhelming for giant components of the sport.
United have a robust travelling fanbase, whose sizeable following have been left disillusioned by their aspect’s show. The guests managed only one shot heading in the right direction all match, however comfortably outclassed London Metropolis’s superstars with their track choice.
For now, the Copperjax Neighborhood Stadium appears like a vacationer vacation spot for a Fantasy Soccer Crew in stay motion. It will take a bit longer than one season within the high flight and one match with the perfect participant on this planet to construct a following.
