London City Lionesses Suffer Crushing Defeat To Arsenal On WSL Debut

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 06: Chloe Kelly of Arsenal celebrates scoring her team’s second goal during the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and London City Lionesses at Emirates Stadium on September 06, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

In their first-ever match in the top flight of the English women’s game, London City Lionesses lost 4-1 to the European champions Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

After deservedly taking an early lead, they were undone by a moment of genius by Olivia Smith, the women’s game first one million pound player. Smith’s stunning long-range equaliser shifted the momentum of the game in favor of Arsenal. It was no surprise when England’s heroines from the UEFA Women’s Euro final – Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly – combined to give them a first-half lead.

Thereafter, Arsenal’s strength from the bench made the difference. Substitutes Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum combined to score two late goals. Mead providing two assists for Blackstenius, and then Maanum, to give the final scoreline a flattering gloss.

Nonetheless, London City Lionesses emerged with considerable credit from their first game at this level. Unlike many visiting teams to the Emirates Stadium, they started on the front foot, pressing high and spraying the ball confidently. After a quarter of an hour, captain Kosovare Asllani won and converted a penalty kick. She had also scored their first goal of the previous season in the second tier and having not played in the Women’s Super League since 2017, it was her first goal in the English top flight for 3026 days.

Even though Arsenal had much the better of the second half, London City Lionesses continued to be a threat on the counter-attack and at set-pieces. Nigerian Imuran Rofiat was unlucky not to level the scores when her left-wing cross hit the inside of the Arsenal goalpost.

The club was formed six years ago as an independent breakaway from former second tier side Millwall Lionesses, taking their place in the league. In May 2024, London City Lionesses was acquired by American businesswoman Michele Kang. already the owner of Olympique Lyonnais (now OL Lyonnes) and Washington Spirit.

Within a year, after significant investment which began with the signing of Kosovare Asllani, London City Lionesses were promoted. In doing so, they have become the first independent women’s club to reach the English Women’s Super League and the 20th overall since it’s formation in 2011.

Earlier this week, the club announced a historic partnership with TOGETHER, a media and commerce company founded by Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel and Chloe Kim. As part of that collaboration, the club’s front of shirt sponsor will be TOGETHXR’s slogan “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports™”

This summer they have made another 16 signings (plus one on loan), with 13 players going out the door. Eight of them started the game today but not Grace Geyoro, who yesterday became the most expensive player in the world signing from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth $1.92 million. Former Arsenal legend Daniëlle van de Donk, signed from one of Kang’s other clubs OL Lyonnes on a free transfer, was unable to play through injury.

In five previous cup encounters with Arsenal, London City Lionesses had lost on each occasion and not even scored a goal. The teams met 19 months ago in the quarter-final of the Women’s League Cup shortly before Kang took over the reigns. From the side which started that game for London City Lionesses, none of the eleven are still at the club, a remarkable turnover of players in such a short space of time. In contrast, nine of Arsenal’s starters are still at the club.

Arsenal had not lost to a newly-promoted side in 11 years since a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, a club which demonstrated similar investment in a new women’s team, back in 2014. Within two years, Manchester City won the Women’s Super League title. It remains to be be seen whether London City Lionesses can be as successful and break into the established top four of the English women’s game.

In those 27 matches since against teams promoted from the second tier, Arsenal had previously won 24. They have now won nine home matches in succession since Renée Slegers took charge of the team which is a new Women’s Super League record eclipsing that set by Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor at the start of last season. For the defending Champions League winners, ending Chelsea’s six-year stranglehold on the Women’s Super League title is the ultimate aim.