Versatile Grace Clinton's instant Man City impact shows how big she can be in WSL title charge - especially if fellow Lioness Lauren Hemp has suffered yet another injury blow

In each of the past two seasons, City have seen their Women's Super League title charges derailed by injuries, so one can only imagine the concern that consumed the away end when Hemp, crucial if they are to stake a real claim for the trophy, hobbled off less than 20 minutes into their game at Tottenham.

Hemp led the WSL in assists last season, despite missing almost six months of the campaign after knee surgery, and racked up 11 goals and eight assists in 21 outings the year prior. We're talking about one of the best wingers not only in the country, but in the world.

Clinton's introduction for the final 25 minutes of last weekend's win, then, offered some comfort to fans concerned about the negative impact that any lengthy spell on the sidelines for Hemp could have. Here was their new summer signing getting a first appearance on the board and marking it with a goal. That's more than enough to lift the spirits.

But most interesting of all about Clinton's cameo was where she played. Having established herself as a very effective No.10 who has also started to become an increasingly impressive box-to-box midfielder, City boss Andree Jeglertz actually gave the 22-year-old her first minutes for the club in a wide role.

She has played there before, most notably during her breakthrough season in the WSL while on loan at Tottenham. But she hasn't played there much at all since leaving north London. 

It was an interesting half an hour or so, too. While Kerolin replaced Hemp brilliantly on the left, showing wonderful directness, running power and creativity to ensure there was no drop-off in quality despite the England star's exit, Clinton leant more towards the inside channels and central spaces on the right. It gave Tottenham something entirely different to think about given that Aoba Fujino, the player Clinton replaced, has more Hemp-like tendencies as an out-and-out winger who is an excellent crosser.

In his first comments to the media after her signing, Jeglertz had made a point to highlight Clinton's versatility as a real positive trait, but even then he was talking about different midfield roles. For him to tap into her potential as a wide option on this occasion was a surprise, but one that will have been a welcome one for City fans who had just earlier seen their best winger limp off.

None of that is to say that City have signed Clinton to play out wide. The 22-year-old played an hour in a central role in the cup win over Everton in midweek and even as she made her debut on the right, the traits that make her such an exciting young midfielder were consistently on show, with her intelligent off-ball movement creating an attacking threat that led to her goal, as she darted into the box unmarked and coolly converted Kerolin's cutback. Her quick footwork in tight spaces stood out, as did her quality in possession and her defensive work.

Yet, if Hemp is sidelined for some time, and with young Lily Murphy recovering from shoulder surgery, Clinton does offer City something different to what they have in Fujino, Kerolin and even new arrival Iman Beney, as a player who understands the demands of the wide role but also tailors it to her own game, by supporting Kerstin Casparij as she gallops forward from defence before drifting in-field to cause overloads and, with it, real problems.

There's clearly still some sharpening up for Clinton to do, of course. After all, this past week has brought about her first two appearances of the new season and, as such, they did feature a few instances of slow decision-making and loose touches, not least the one last Friday that allowed Olivia Holdt to pounce before rifling in a sublime consolation goal for Tottenham.

"I can see myself now already analysing what I would’ve done differently in the game, passes I would’ve made," Clinton admitted after that match. But to get off the mark with her goal-scoring was a real positive to take. "It feels amazing. It takes the pressure off a little bit, now I can get flowing into the season. The main thing for me was getting onto the pitch, making those connections with the girls and getting stuck in. It was nice."

Clinton's introduction to the Man City fans, as a Man City player, offered a glimpse into the depth Jeglertz has at his disposal for this new season, something he believes will be "important" if they are to be successful. “Not only the ones on the field starting the game, the ones coming in are bringing energy and that will be crucial for this team this year," he noted.

In years gone by, that has been City's weakness. When big players have been hit by injuries, they've lacked the bodies behind them to step up and deliver in their place. Of course, if the list of absentees grows to be like it was last year - when Hemp, Fujino, Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema, Alex Greenwood, Mary Fowler and more missed significant periods - it will be extremely difficult for this team to deliver City's first WSL title since 2016. That sort of situation becomes too much to salvage anything from.

However, Clinton's addition has been one of many smart moves in the summer window to improve the depth in this squad to combat losses here and there - and she isn't just someone who can come in and deliver when others are unavailable, either. We're talking about one of the most exciting young players at England's disposal, someone whose talent City fans can now enjoy, rather than fear.