London City Lionesses assert dominance over the Foxes in five star performance
London City Lionesses roared to an emphatic 5-1 win over Barclays Women's Super League strugglers Leicester City at the Copperjax Community Stadium.
London City, who were looking to improve on their current form after drawing against Chelsea and West Ham United, sealed the deal with two first-half goals from Lucia Corrales and Isobelle Goodwin after Shannon O’Brien gave the visitors an early lead, whilst Malou Marcetto and Grace Geyoro added to the hosts the advantage later on.
It was soon game over for the Foxes as England international Freya Godfrey scored in style, finishing off a solid victory for the Lionesses.
Pre match
Fresh from a mixed season so far, London City headed into the match seventh in the WSL table with one win, one draw and three losses, while Leicester aimed to go one further than their last five games, which left them 12th and close to the relegation zone.
The Foxes have lost eight of their consecutive games, their longest winless streak since May 2022 to December 2022. They have also failed to win a single game when trailing at half-time in the WSL this season and have conceded 19 first-half goals in 19 games, more than any other side in the league.
A close first-half
Raring to go after their two consecutive defeats against Aston Villa and Brighton, Leicester started brightly, continuously testing the Lionesses' defence with several missed attempts.
London City had their first real chance of the game early on in the half, but it was excellently blocked by Leicester, who kept them at bay. The Foxes responded with counterattacking the Lionesses’ defence, but looked comfortable in possession at times, controlling the ball and dictating the tempo of the game, although much of their efforts lacked clinical finishing.
Both teams continued to push forward, with London City showing strong passing play. Forward Nikita Parris found herself in a promising position late in the half, but Leicester’s defence remained solid, with her shot blazing over the bar.
London City continued to press and break down the Foxes’ defence, controlling the game and enjoying possession, but O’Brien took advantage of midfielder Corrales’s poor pass in the 32nd minute to give Leicester the lead.
Corrales later equalised shortly after when her left-footed shot hit the left side of the box, making it 1-1. The team gradually began to find their rhythm, with several shots hitting the bar or going over, with their reward coming from Isobel Goodwin, who thumped from close range to double their lead.
Halftime: London City Lionesses 2-1 Leicester City.
Dominance in the second half
London City continued their dominance in the second half, controlling the ball and the tempo as they sought a third goal. Leicester responded with a close chance early on in the half, but it contributed to nothing, with Lioness goalkeeper Elene Lete making several key saves throughout to keep her side ahead.
The team continued their momentum throughout the rest of the half, only to come close again by the Foxes’ defence. There was a moment of elation where they thought they had regained the lead but soon capitalised on it when Marcetto struck a low shot from long range, making it 3-1 to the Lionesses.
Both teams attempted to find a breakthrough but were denied by the defence, with Goodwin coming close in the final moments. London City took advantage of an open goal opportunity by Leicester, with Geyoro scoring from open play, striking the ball into the bottom right-hand corner in the 86th minute, and Godfrey quickly adding a fifth.
It was game over for Leicester, who then attempted to respond but were repeatedly caught out by London City’s attacking pressure. The Lionesses pushed for a sixth goal late on, creating further chances, but were unable to convert, with Leicester’s goalkeeper making a strong save to deny them.
Full time: London City Lionesses 5-1 Leicester City.
Post-match
London City Lionesses head coach, Eder Maestre shared his thoughts after a dominant WSL win against the Foxes
Congratulations on the win. What do you think made the difference?
“We’re pushing hard every day, so it’s about keeping pushing, keep on building, keep trusting in the way that we are training every day, and this is the consequence of the highest standard that we have in training and the work we’ve put in since we are here.
So on some days we are more critical, some days maybe not. So hopefully we were able to react really fast to the goal that we suffered, and we’re pushing into the end, looking into the next goals, which is that of managing the result, so I’m very proud to be like that here because that’s the thing that I like, that’s the thing that I love. So I’m going to be sharp to keep using this mentality, this kind of thing.”
How did it feel to have a big win in front of a strong crowd?
“It’s amazing, winning in front of all the people, all the supporters, having the chance to bring this kind of victory is always something really great, so I’m really pleased with that.”
Your team play Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL next. How can you keep up the strong momentum from this match?
“Tottenham are one of the best teams in the competition. We’re able to keep up with the top results in the league. They play very well and have really talented players. When we faced them recently in the FA Cup, we were able to put in a strong performance with confidence.
We had to be confident in that game, and the performance showed what we were able to achieve. So, building on that confidence is what we want to do when we face them again.”
You had a few missed chances in this match. Was there anything missing?
“Maybe. We weren’t impatient, but sometimes we were always pushing hard and not really managing the pace of the game. To be honest, we have to make choices, and I prefer that we always look to attack. That does mean managing our effort better.
Maybe the goal we conceded was the worst part today because we didn’t really suffer many chances. So there are still some lessons around managing the ball and the game better. We weren’t playing for the loss, but we showed good character and our own identity today.”
Rick Passmoor, Leicester City head coach, spoke after the defeat, setting out the challenges faced and mentality ahead of the last few fixtures and their fight to remain in the topflight:
London City really tested your team's defence this match. What do you think made the difference?
“In terms of the game, it came down to what we did with the ball. A lot of the time when we had possession, we were giving it away, and they were able to exploit the space in transition.
They created overloads, especially in wide areas, and punished us when we lost the ball. They were very ruthless in the final third, particularly in the second half.”
You had a few missed chances in this match. Was anything missing from that?
“I think when you go one up and then concede within a short period of time, within about 45 seconds, it’s disappointing. But what we have to be is more resilient in those moments when the momentum changes and stay in the game.
We need to make it harder for the opposition and manage those situations better. Right now, we have to reflect, take accountability as players and staff, and then look forward to the two games coming up this week.”
As you approach the end of the season, what is your team’s mentality?
“Your mentality comes from what we’ve done, what we’ve reviewed, and what’s been working well throughout the season—how we play and what we’ve focused on in training over the last two to three weeks.
In terms of both possession and out of possession, what we need is the right mentality on the pitch. This isn’t the time to just focus on tactics or technical details alone; it’s about togetherness, spirit, and morale.
We need to make sure everyone coming into the changing room and the building is ready to roll up their sleeves and fight for the shirt.”
Will you use this match as fuel for your next one?
“Correct, it should be fuel. It shouldn’t need to be something extra, because as a professional footballer, you should already be ready. You haven’t got long to wait, and you need to put in a performance in these next two games against two high-quality opponents.”
What’s Next?
Both teams are in WSL action next week, with Leicester City hosting Chelsea on Sunday (14:30 KO) while London City Lionesses face Tottenham away on the same day (noon KO).
The final two WSL matchdays prove vital in the Foxes mission to remain in the topflight, whilst London City hope to finish the season on a high.