Alexia Putellas gets her first taste of the WSL, Man United's youngsters endure a difficult night and Mary Earps watches from the bench: THINGS WE LEARNED as London City Lionesses beat Eva Olid's side in WSL opener

The WSL is up and running and big spenders London City Lionesses have put their money where their mouth is, recording an impressive 2-1 win over Champions League-chasing rivals Manchester United.

It has been a summer of change in the women’s top flight and nowhere more so than at London City Lionesses, who, with the backing of their ambitious owner Michele Kang, have brought in a host of superstars to their squad this summer.

It wasn’t any of their new signings that made the difference on Friday night, however, with Australian defender Alanna Kennedy giving the hosts the lead in the ninth minute with a header at the back post from a corner.

Danielle van de Donk then doubled their advantage late on with a wonderful flick before United’s Simi Awujo scored a consolation with the last kick of the game.

Here, Daily Mail Sport's women's football reporter TARA ANSON-WALSH looks at what we learned from the opening WSL game of the season...

Alexia Putellas brings stardust

London City Lionesses certainly made a splash in the transfer market this summer, underlining their ambitions with a series of high-profile signings.

The independent club, backed by ambitious owner Michele Kang, who also owns Lyon and NWSL side Washington Spirit, has attracted a host of global stars, including former England goalkeeper Mary Earps and Spain defender Mapi Leon. Yet none stands out more than Alexia Putellas, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner who boasts four Women's Champions League titles.

Putellas is a brand in herself, and there’s no denying that her pull as the second most-followed women’s footballer in the world on social media, behind only Alisha Lehmann, has been and will continue to be a useful marketing tool for the Bromley-based club. The early signs suggest it’s working. Tonight’s fixture was a sell-out at 5,402, the biggest home crowd in the club’s history, and you’re left to wonder what the gate could have been if they had a bigger stadium at their disposal.

Unlike Lehmann, who is more of an influencer who plays football, Putellas is one of the best footballers in the world, if not the best. At 32, the attacking midfielder is entering the twilight of her career, although she made it clear when she signed that the club’s ambition, coupled with the challenge of a new league, was a primary factor in prising her away from her beloved Barcelona, where she had spent the previous 14 years.

Her debut struggled to live up to the billing, however. She recorded just the one shot, which was hoofed into the night sky to chants from the visiting end of ‘who are you’, and dropped deeper throughout the game in order to get more of the ball away from the congested midfield.

'Alexia Putellas, everyone knows the things that can be gained, because it’s not only the things that she’s capable of doing but the things that she can facilitate,’ said London City boss Eder Maestre. 'Having this kind of player in the squad is important because she represents the high standards.

‘But it is not only about Alexia, she is only a player. I think the most impactful thing is the way that we play as a team, being connected and the chemistry that we are building.'

It will take time to build connections and adapt to a completely different league and squad, but if there’s any chance of this side getting past the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal for the biggest prizes, they will need their new captain firing.

Man United’s youth project gets off to a bumpy start

If London City Lionesses decided that dropping the big bucks would be their path to success this season, it’s fair to say that Manchester United have taken a dramatically different approach.

Youth is the word being knocked around Carrington these days, with defender Andrea Medina (22) and Sweden winger Monica Jusu Bah (23) two of this summer’s signings alongside back-up goalkeeper Janina Leitzig (27), as well as one experienced signing in Rebeca Bernal, who is 29.

Meanwhile, they have seen plenty of the elder statesmen depart in Leah Galton, Gabby George, Millie Turner and Lisa Naalsund. They also sold star striker Melvine Malard to Chelsea for a considerable sum of £850,000.

For former manager Marc Skinner, who consistently complained about a lack of investment in the women’s team, it proved one transfer window too many, and the team struggled in the opening stages of this chaotic meeting under new manager Eva Olid.

‘It’s a process,’ said the Spanish manager after the match. ‘In three weeks I tried to tell that we can be a team who can dominate with the ball and attack. I feel it is something more mental. In the first half I felt like the players weren’t believing to have the ball.

‘At half time I said “this isn’t us, we need the ball for ourself” and we can see the change in the second half.'

Olid has built up a reputation for building up youngsters, and if there is anyone to get a tune out of this squad it will be her - but United were undeniably outplayed by the big names in this meeting.

Mary Earps back in the WSL but not back on pitch

The narratives around London City Lionesses feel fairly limitless, but one worth touching on briefly is the return of Mary Earps to the WSL.

To recap, the 33-year-old left Manchester United, where she rose to prominence, for PSG two seasons ago, retired from the Lionesses on the eve of the Euros last summer, wrote an autobiography which ticked some people including Sarina Wiegman off, and is now back in the women’s top flight ready to shake things up once again.

Earps still has icon status in the women’s game, not least in Manchester, where she became a defining figure in their rise into the top four and their first FA Cup triumph in 2023. There remains a ‘Welcome to Manchester’ mural around the corner from the famous Lou Macari’s chip shop near Old Trafford featuring Earps raising her fists in triumph, while she said before today’s game that it was ‘meant to be’ that her WSL return would come against her former club.

It was a disappointment then for Earps to not make Friday's starting XI. This was down to ‘issues’ during her pre-season which led to a lack of consistent game time and her replacement Elene Lete ‘deserving’ the start, according to boss Maestre. Earps no doubt will be motivated to ensure that doesn’t stay the case for long.

Money can’t buy everything

What happens when you assemble a football team of some of the best players in the world and plonk them in a 5,000-and-something-capacity stadium in the middle of Bromley?

Well, by this assessment, a filled-out stadium without very much noise. Aside from the big cheer that rang around the stadium when Alexia Putellas’ name was announced, and the one that followed to mark Alanna Kennedy’s goal a few minutes later, the only fanbase that could be heard throughout the evening was United’s. And all of this with the visitors trailing from the ninth minute and underwhelming for large parts of the game.

United have a strong travelling fanbase, one which were disappointed by their side, who only managed a single shot on target throughout the match, but far outclassed the superstars with their song selection.

For now, London City Lionesses felt like a tourist destination for a Fantasy Football Team in live action. But it will take a bit longer than two seasons in the top flight and one match with the best players in the world to build a following.