More than just Alexia Putellas! London City Lionesses show star-studded squad can be WSL threat as Man Utd get glimpse of long road ahead

If there were doubts over whether the word had spread about what London City have been up to this summer, the record-breaking sell-out crowd in the English capital on Friday night showed it had. But while most will have come to get a look at just how good Putellas is, or to see a Lionesses icon in action in Earps, they were instead treated to a proper team performance as this much-changed side showed the kind of cohesion few expected.

Putellas was solid in her competitive debut for the club, with Earps on the sidelines as Elene Lete came within seconds of keeping the first clean sheet of the WSL season, only denied in the 100th minute by Simi Awujo.

Instead, others shone: Grace Geyoro was extremely lively, suggesting a quiet first season at the club after a world-record move was likely an anomaly; Alanna Kennedy, in the midfield with two much more heralded names in Geyoro and Putellas, showed why she was picked to complete that trio, not least with the pressure that forced Julia Zigiotti Olme to score an early own goal; Rosa Kafaji caused problems all night as she looks to get back on track after a failed Arsenal stint; while Delphine Cascarino, Sky Sports' Player of the Match, was devastating down the right and Lucia Corrales caused similar damage on the left.

That's just scratching the surface, too. Isa Kardinaal was excellent alongside Leon at centre-back, with her partner's distribution standing out, while Danielle van de Donk's excellent display in a false nine role, highlighted by her intelligent flick to double the lead, provided a fluidity in attack.

It was a performance that backed up claims coming out of the London City camp that the squad has got to grips with what head coach Eder Maestre, appointed at the winter break during the previous campaign, wants. "Having to adapt to something new midway through the season, it's a little bit disruptive," Kennedy conceded, speaking to GOAL about that process in pre-season. "I think we're in a good spot in terms of the cohesion and being able to have some time, real time, together, to hopefully do something special."

It looked like that on Friday. How London City pressed and harried Man Utd, how they connected wonderfully in possession and how their off-ball movement caused real problems for the visitors was a testament to the work done by Maestre and his staff this summer, but also the players, whose buy-in was evident in this victory.

United's performance, meanwhile, highlighted just how much more time Olid, only appointed a month ago, needs to get her team playing like one. The Red Devils' starting line-up featured just one new signing and yet, a lack of cohesion was surprisingly prominent.

Some of that was down to the new style and system the players are getting used to. That felt especially relevant to the full-backs, who Olid this week said her ideas had been a particular "challenge" for. "It's a little different [to] how they were playing," she said. "These first weeks have been a challenge for that because it's different in our style of play."

The fact it was hard to tell at times if United were playing with a back three or a back four said a lot, with Andrea Medina - the one new signing among the starters - and Anna Sandberg clearly still building a relationship on the left. Jayde Riviere, meanwhile, usually flies down the right but was unusually conservative here.

But it was also sloppy from United. Far too many poor touches and questionable decisions made things much worse, with goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce regularly coming to the Red Devils' rescue. "Players were nervous, without confidence," Olid told Sky Sports. "That is not us."

It's hard not to look at this performance and think that, in the short-term, it is London City Lionesses who look the more likely to push Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in the bid for those Champions League places.

"We don't even know our best level yet," Van de Donk told Sky Sports after the match. "We've not really played together that much. Hopefully there's still more to come. We have loads to improve."

For United, meanwhile, it could be a long old season - one which the club hopes will pay dividends in the long run.