London City Lionesses’ attack has taken on a new dimension this season, with full-backs Lucia Corrales and Jana Fernández at the heart of it. So, how have the pair evolved their games?
There was a moment in the closing stages of the first half against Manchester City that offered perhaps the clearest indication yet of what London City Lionesses have become.
Lucía Corrales had the ball out on the left, bursting forward before looking to deliver into the penalty area. At the beginning of the move, Jana Fernández was nowhere near the picture. Yet, by the time Corrales shaped to cross, Fernández had surged into the box with the instinct of a forward, meeting the delivery only to see her effort drift agonisingly past the post.
It was a fleeting moment, but one that captured a broader shift in the tactics employed by Eder Maestre’s side.
Any assessment of London City’s attacking threat would naturally focus on their forward line of Alexia Putellas, Daniëlle van de Donk and Kadidiatou Diani, but it would be short-sighted to suggest their offensive output has been borne solely by that trio. Threat has also stemmed from elsewhere, with the influence of their full-backs often overlooked.
It is a dimension that was largely absent during their first WSL campaign. Corrales and Fernández have given Maestre’s side a more dynamic presence from both flanks, adding another source of creativity and penetration.
Although London City ultimately lacked the clinical edge to take anything from the Manchester City contest, they pushed the reigning champions to levels of discomfort rarely seen in recent months; their performance was a measure of how far they have progressed, but also a reflection of where much of their threat now originates.
On the right, Fernández has developed a promising understanding with Diani, while Corrales and Van de Donk offer a similarly effective combination on the left. Both partnerships give London City different ways to progress the ball and threaten in the final third, with Corrales predominantly providing an outlet on the overlap, while Fernández is increasingly effective drifting infield and adding presence in the box.
They’ve helped the Lionesses generate the second-highest expected goals (xG) in the league (21.9), with the showing against City underlining that attacking potency.
London City’s 1.69 xG in the first half was the second-highest total any side has ever recorded against the current titleholders in the opening 45 minutes of a WSL game, behind Manchester United’s 2.44 in January 2025.
LCL vs Man City WSL nov 2026
LCL vs Man City WSL nov 2026
City were also forced into nine blocks, their joint most in a league game since facing Brighton in March 2025, while Maestre’s team won possession 17 times in the final third, more than any other side in a single WSL game this season.
They’ve evolved when it comes to high intensity, and much of that can be linked to the development of the two full-backs.
Fernández: Increased End Product
Fernández was already an important part of London City’s side last season, featuring in every WSL game, one of only two outfield players to do so, alongside Isobel Goodwin.
Her positioning has changed little this season; she was already adept at finding pockets of danger, but she has become far more productive when occupying those areas.
WSL 2025-26 Jana Fernandez touch zones
WSL 2025-26 Jana Fernandez touch zones
WSL 2026-27 Jana Fernandez touch zones
WSL 2026-27 Jana Fernandez touch zones
The numbers are telling. Her touches in the opposition’s box increased from 1.0 per 90 minutes last season to 1.7 this term. She’s having more shots (1.0 to 1.5 per 90), while her shots on target have more than doubled, from 0.24 to 0.50.
Her chance creation has also increased slightly, from 0.9 to 1.0 per 90. She also ranks fifth for attacking sequence involvements across all London City players.
LCL WSL attacking sequence involvements
LCL WSL attacking sequence involvements
Interestingly, her attempted dribbles have fallen from 2.5 to 1.2. So, rather than taking on opponents as frequently, Fernández appears to be making more of her attacking positions, with a greater emphasis on getting into the box and producing an end product.
Her performance against City was a good example. She had four shots, more than any other player, with those efforts carrying an xG value of 0.53 – her highest in a single WSL game.
She also scored London City’s equaliser and has now found the net twice in the league this season. Only Chelsea’s Ellie Carpenter (four) has scored more among WSL defenders.
Her contribution is not limited to goals, though. Against City, she recorded 10 final-third entries, second only to María Pérez among London City players. She also had 81 touches, more than any of her teammates apart from Putellas.
Defensively, no London City player made more tackles (six) or won more duels (eight) than the Spanish right-back.
So, Fernández is becoming an increasingly influential presence at both ends of the pitch. Her positioning was already a strength last season; it is the greater end product that marks the biggest change.
Corrales: A More Advanced Role
Corrales’ development has been slightly different.
The Spaniard, who joined from Barcelona in summer 2025, has become one of the WSL’s most exciting young defenders this term. Her two assists is the joint most among defenders in the league, while her 1.08 expected assists (xA) ranks sixth.
She has also attempted 23 open-play crosses, the third-highest total of any defender in the division.
Her attacking involvement has increased across the board compared with last season. She is averaging more touches in the opposition’s box, passes into the final third, successful passes into those areas and open-play crosses per 90.
corrales 2025-26 to 2026-27 change
corrales 2025-26 to 2026-27 change
Perhaps the clearest indication of her changing role is where she is receiving the ball. The proportion of her open-play touches that come in the final third has increased from 29% last season to 41% this term, emphasising the huge tactical shift within Maestre’s side to involve both full-backs in final-third action.
That has changed the threat London City carry down their left. Corrales is not simply providing an outlet on the overlap, as she showed at Barcelona, but becoming a consistent source of delivery.
The epitome of her increased influence is highlighted most by the fact that 43.6% of LCL’s attacking touches have come down the left-hand side, the highest share of any WSL team, and up from 37% last term.
Her expanding footprint is a defining feature of LCL’s tactical identity. This season, the team have funnelled a league-high 43.6% of their final-third entries down the left flank – a sharp increase from 37% last term.
Their Threat Together
The contrast between the two is what makes their development particularly interesting.
Fernández has largely maintained her positioning but become more productive when she gets forward. Corrales, meanwhile, has increased her involvement in the final third and become a more prominent attacking outlet.
Few full-back partnerships in the WSL can match the all-round attacking output of Corrales and Fernández, though Chelsea’s Ellie Carpenter is in a world of her own.
expected goal contributions for defenders wsl
expected goal contributions for defenders wsl
Together, they have changed the options available to Maestre. London City can now create danger through both full-backs, with teams having to account for their runs as well as those of the wingers ahead of them.
There is still room for improvement for Maestre’s team, as only Arsenal have underperformed their xG by more than London City this season, and their failure to convert enough of their chances against Manchester City was costly.
xG performance WSL 26-27
xG performance WSL 26-27
However, their attacking progress is clear. With just two league defeats this season, London City have shown they can compete with the division’s established powerhouses. Central to that success have been Corrales and Fernández; both Spain internationals have become more decisive, taking on greater creative responsibility and adding a sharper attacking edge to Maestre’s side in their quest for Champions League qualification.
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