Saturday’s 6-1 win over Tottenham was the clearest signal of London City Lionesses' intent - a true statement of their strength - as they brushed aside a previously unbeaten Spurs side to claim their greatest BWSL victory.
The win leaves Eder Maestre’s charges third in the league, three points behind leaders Manchester City, after five games. A shock 2-1 defeat at West Ham remains the only blot on an otherwise perfect record.
Heading into the first international break, London City are right where they want to be after an ambitious summer, with eight players recruited as part of owner Michele Kang's plan to disrupt the established elite in the BWSL.
“The West Ham game was really bad, but from there, the team has gone higher and higher, and we are on the way. We will not stop because we have a mission," said Putellas after thrashing Spurs.
The iconic Spanish midfielder had previously suggested that their defeat at West Ham was the byproduct of a star-studded side still in the process of gelling.
That seems a fair argument, as London City have since won five on the spin across the BWSL and League Cup, conceding just twice.
Pressing is key
You might expect a side packed with world-class attacking talent to rely on their quality with the ball, but London City have been equally impressive without it.
LCL rank among the league’s best for possession won in the final third (7.6), interceptions (10.8) and tackles (21.2) per match. At Spurs, they significantly outperformed their own averages.
The visitors made 19 interceptions and 29 tackles, and were so relentless in the press that goalscorer Daniëlle van de Donk pointed it out when asked why things had clicked in attack.
“We recovered the ball very quickly, and we were very clinical and [kept] picking the right person in front of goal. We could have scored more, but maybe next time," she said.
The midfield two of Daniela Arques and Grace Geyoro provide a defensively sound foundation from which the likes of Putellas, van de Donk, and Kadidiatou Diani can punish the opposition.
London City’s press requires every player to chip in, and summer signing Diani profited by forcing an error from goalkeeper Lize Kop to score her second at Tottenham.
Arques is another summer signing catching the eye. Though her arrival may not have sent shockwaves through the league, the 20-year-old has made a fine start to life in English football.
Only three players have made more tackles per 90 minutes than the Spain youth international’s 4.5. At Spurs, she nearly doubled that number with eight tackles.
The opening goal, scored by Putellas, stemmed from Arques winning possession high up the pitch, as seen in the succession of images below.
van de Donk still dominant in BWSL
After an injury-hit first season at LCL, van de Donk is making up for lost time with her sublime form to start this campaign.
With three goals and two assists to her name, she is back to dominating BWSL opposition as she did for Arsenal between 2015 and 2021.
Opta statistics have van de Donk as the eighth-best performer in the league so far this season, and had she been more clinical, she may have ranked even higher after five games.
She could have had a hat-trick against her former rivals Spurs, heading wide and firing into the side-netting before sweeping in to score London City’s fourth.
Dutch international van de Donk has been used in a variety of positions already, starting the season as a false nine before being redeployed to her more usual number 10 role.
No matter where she plays, the Champions League winner, who was the club’s first signing upon winning promotion to the top-tier, is key to Maestre’s plans.
The 35-year-old winner showed her nous to set up Putellas’ second, pouncing on her own blocked effort, plucking the ball out of the air brilliantly before beating the defender to deliver the cross.
“She has that killer instinct. She is a player who is able to link up, to run, to press. For me, she is one of the key players in this side,” manager Maestre said of the midfielder.
“She represents the identity that we are trying to build. I’m so happy for her because she suffered a lot with the injury she had last season.”
Creating chances? No problem
Thanks to the efforts of players like van de Donk, London City are the second-top goalscorers in the league, behind Manchester City and Spurs (16) on 15 goalscorers.
Further to that, no team in the division have created more big chances (27) than the team from the capital. That comes as no surprise when you look at the litany of creative talent at Maestre’s disposal.
Five of the 10 players who have created the most big chances play for LCL, with Diani the club's best performer on six, followed by Putellas and Mapi Leon on four, while van de Donk and Delphine Cascarino are on three.
Spanish defender Leon has a crucial role in a side looking to dictate the play. The 31-year-old is always an option, and though she is still adjusting to a higher-press style, she has already shown glimpses of her attacking threat.
Leon, a four-time Champions League winner, is on corner duties, but it is her eye for a long, sweeping pass that is capable of creating a chance from nothing.
Then there is, of course, the aforementioned hotbed of creativity, Putellas, who is justifying the hype following her summer switch from Barcelona.
Stats do not do the Ballon d'Or winner justice. Her presence alone leaves defenders second-guessing themselves. Get too close, and she will dribble around you. Give her space, and she will punish you.
Take, for example, the goal scored by van de Donk against Spurs. Though it was Diani who registered the assist, Putellas' deft pass to her French teammate left the home defence scrambling.
And London City show no signs of weakness when they turn to their bench, either. Cascarino scored her first goal for the club after being introduced on Saturday, while Nicole Anyomi also scored as a substitute.
Too early to get excited?
London City are not the finished product, which is both a strength and a weakness for Maestre. While he knows his team can improve, you can ill afford to drop points in a highly competitive BWSL season.
There are more challenging games to come for London City this season, none more so than their home clash with reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday, November 1.
That will be the first true test of LCL's strength, followed by a trip to Arsenal on Saturday, November 14, before they face perennial BWSL winners Chelsea a month later on Sunday, 13 December, at Stamford Bridge.
Should they come through those games unscathed, then London City can be considered title challengers, but for now are happy to start the season in a strong position.
“This is the beginning," said Putellas. "We have only just begun, and there is a long way to go. We are delighted because we are in a position we worked hard for. When we come back, we will keep pushing.”
