We begin our 2025/26 Women’s Super League campaign at Emirates Stadium against newly-promoted London City Lionesses on Saturday, August 6.
The south London side won the Championship title last season, earning promotion to the WSL for the first time in their brief history.
Here’s everything you need to know about the first-time WSL side ahead of our clash this weekend.
THE HISTORY
After splitting with Millwall Lionesses in 2019, London City Lionesses were founded as an independent women’s football club just six years ago. They competed in the WSL Championship for the first six seasons of their existence, finishing in the top half in five of those seasons.
The most significant moment in the Lionesses’ history prior to their WSL promotion came in December 2023, when the club was sold to its current owner, Michele Kang.
With the support of an experienced owner, who has ties to both OL Lyonnes and Washington Spirit, London City earned promotion to the WSL in their first full season under new ownership.
THE STADIUM
London City play their home matches at the Copperjax Community Stadium, also known as Hayes Lane, a ground they share with League Two club Bromley.
We are yet to visit the ground as our last away game against the Lionesses, a 4-0 win in the League Cup quarter-finals in 2024, took place at Princes Park in Dartford.
Our first match at the stadium is scheduled to be our return fixture in the WSL on Sunday, March 15, but we could head to Bromley before this if we were to be drawn away to the Lionesses in either domestic cup competition.
LAST SEASON
After six seasons in the second tier, London City finally secured promotion last term with an impressive title-winning campaign.
Back-to-back defeats in November, one of which was to title rivals Birmingham City, put their promotion hopes in jeopardy just before the halfway point of the season, but the Lionesses responded in style, going unbeaten in their remaining 11 league matches, winning eight and drawing three.
Heading into the final weekend of the season, London City were two points ahead of Birmingham, and faced the Blues at St. Andrews on the final day. Despite letting a 2-0 lead slip, the south London side held out to draw 2-2, winning the Championship title and with it promotion to the WSL.
THE MANAGER
Frenchman Jocelyn Precheur always had his eyes on being a coach. His route into football started in the 2000s, when he created a match analysis tool which was utilised by the French FA.
He went on to be on his father’s coaching staff at Chinese side Jiangsu Suing Women and Paris Saint-Germain Women and in both roles, Precheur took over as manager after his father left.
Having won the French Cup in 2024, Precheur was poached by London City, and in his first season in south London, Precheur guided his team to the top-flight for the first time.
THE SQUAD
London City had a strong squad last season, captained by former WSL winner Kosovare Asllani, and they have made some formidable additions over the course of the summer.
The Lionesses have made 14 signings, including a blockbuster double signing of former Manchester United midfielder Katie Zelem and ex-Manchester City defender Alanna Kennedy from Angel City last week.
Perhaps the most notable signing though was that of Barcelona defender Jana Fernandez, who has won 15 major honours with the Spanish giants, including three Champions League titles. Fernandez also featured in Spain’s European Championship squad this summer.
Four former Arsenal players joined London City this summer, including Freya Godfrey and Teyah Goldie, both of whom spent last season on loan in south London.
Nikita Parris, who spent the 2021/22 season with us, has also joined the Lionesses, and former Gunners midfielder Danielle van de Donk, who was part of our title-winning team in 2019, is back in the WSL with Precheur's side.
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Transfer window 2025: Former Gunners on the move](https://www.arsenal.com/news/transfer-window-2025-former-players-move?utm_source=arsenaldotcom&utm_medium=embedded-article&utm_campaign=news)
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
We boast a 100% record against London City, winning all five of our previous meetings without conceding a goal.
The first four meetings saw three League Cup ties and an FA Cup tie between 2019 and 2024, in which we outscored the Lionesses a combined 14-0.
Our most recent meeting with Saturday's opponents was just last season in the fifth round of the FA Cup. A header from Laia Codina and Stina Blackstenius’ 50th Arsenal goal helped us to a 2-0 victory at Meadow Park.
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