London City Lionesses head coach Eder Maestre believes his side’s rapid development will face its sternest test yet when they meet unbeaten Manchester City in the Women’s Super League on Sunday.
The Bromley-based club are third in the table with 16 points, seven clear of Arsenal, after turning a summer recruitment drive featuring several high-profile arrivals into a competitive team rather than simply a collection of big names.
London City have taken 22 points across the last 10 matchdays, with only Chelsea and Manchester City collecting more. Maestre said the speed at which the squad had come together had exceeded expectations.
“It’s surprisingly good how fast we were able to assemble a lot of things, considering all the things that we have and trying to understand the different contexts that the players came from,” he said.
Maestre has placed particular emphasis on establishing a clear identity. He wants his team to press aggressively without the ball, win possession quickly and use it to create chances, while developing the understanding required to make that approach effective throughout matches.
“It’s about trying to create strong values to respect the identity we are trying to make,” he said. “We came from good foundations from the last season, so it’s about keep building on that.”
Alexia Putellas sets the standard at London City
Alexia Putellas has been central to the club’s progress. The captain, who recently won a record-equalling third Ballon d’Or, is London City’s leading league scorer this season and has increasingly become the link between defence and attack.
Maestre said Putellas’ influence extended beyond her performances. He praised the way she had recovered from injury, maintained her standards and shown younger players the work required to reach the highest level.
“Alexia is Alexia,” Maestre said. “That’s why she’s able to create that chemistry so quickly with the team surrounding her.”
Danielle van de Donk has also made a significant impact after an injury-hit previous campaign. The midfielder has registered eight goal involvements in eight appearances in all competitions and, according to Maestre, embodies the energy London City want to bring to their football.
“In the game, she represents perfectly the identity that this team wants to have,” he said. “And when she’s on the bench, the way she can lead, the energy that she brings to every part of the process is amazing.”
Manchester City provides the next test
London City have yet to beat one of the traditional top-three sides, making the visit of the reigning WSL champions a significant marker of their progress. Victory would take them level on points with Manchester City and Chelsea, at least temporarily.
Maestre acknowledged that winning such matches was the next stage in the club’s development, but warned that sustained success would require more than a promising start.
“We are moving forward, making good checks, reaching big results against teams like Tottenham playing away, but one that we need to fix is being able to win these kind of teams,” he said.
London City have scored eight times in the opening 30 minutes of league matches this season, the most in the competition. Manchester City, meanwhile, have conceded nine goals in seven games, more than twice the number they had allowed at the same stage last season.
Even so, Maestre said his players could not rely on Manchester City’s defensive record or expect mistakes to decide the contest.
“Every game is different,” he said. “This competition is very tough, so everyone can punish everybody, so this humble mentality has to be one of our strong values to keep pushing and to have this consistency.”
London City have won their last five home WSL matches, and Maestre wants the support at the Copperjax Community Stadium to help them through the difficult periods against the champions.
“That’s why we are going to need their energy from the stands, because we are going to be in tough moments,” he said. “If they can be player number 12, we are going to be closer to the performance and the scoring that we are looking for.”
