Van de Donk seals London City win over Man United in WSL curtain-raiser

London City Lionesses began the Women’s Super League season with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United, offering an early sign of the club’s ambitions after a major summer recruitment drive.

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Starting with a win is very important to keep building confidence. I think we were very dominant through the whole game.

United defender Julia Zigiotti Olme headed into her own net from a corner in the ninth minute. London City then doubled the lead in the 82nd minute, when Dutch international Danielle van de Donk flicked home Delphine Cascarino’s low cross.

Manchester United, with newly appointed manager Eva Olid making her WSL debut, pulled one back with the final kick of the game. Simi Awujo placed a low shot into the bottom corner, but there was no time for United to complete a comeback.

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I'm still learning English football. It's the first game. It's a physical league.

London City, backed by billionaire owner Michele Kang, recruited several high-profile internationals during the summer, including Van de Donk, Alexia Putellas, Mapi León and Mary Earps. Manager Eder Maestre said the opening win would help build confidence, while Putellas described the league as physical and said the team still had room to improve. Kang also said the club’s new Nike shirt sponsorship was the largest in women’s football and worth more than deals at some Premier League clubs.

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I'm the player who thinks the ball always moves faster than the legs so we're going to try to improve that kind of thing.