Godfrey seals Top Half Finish for London City in First WSL Campaign
London City Lionesses finished sixth in the Women's Super League (WSL) table at the Copperjax Community Stadium against Aston Villa this season after a quick turnaround, with Freya Godfrey's strike in added time confirming the club’s top half finish in their first ever WSL campaign.
Lynn Wilms pulled the visitors ahead with a superb shot following a corner in added time just before the break in the first half, before Danielle Van de Donk equalised after half-time, and Godfrey’s match-winner.
London City, who had mixed results in their debut season in the top flight so far, were looking to go one better after their defeat against Tottenham Hotspur left them seventh in the table, while Villa were aiming to make a comeback after heavy defeats by Arsenal and West Ham United in the last few weeks left them with three losses, one draw and one win.
The Lionesses were dominant in the last time the two sides met, winning 3-1 in 2025 in the league despite the Villans having more wins against them. With the table tightly congested in the final matchday, with only a few points separating the teams, it was all to play for.
After coming on as a substitute in the second half, Captain, Rachel Daly made her 100th appearance for the Villans.
First half
Lining up in a 4-3-3, London City focused on attack, with strong players such as Alanna Kennedy, Maria Pérez and Saki Kumagai adding strength to the backline, whereas Villa’s core was in their midfield, with Jenna Nigswonger and Lynn Wilms, and forward Kirsty Hanson leading from the front.
It was a bright start for London City, getting into the final third and putting pressure on Villa’s defence, having their first shot of the game early on in the half, where Pérez caught it out wide. Delphine Cascarino added depth by powering forward in the box and constantly troubling the Villans’ defence throughout the half.
It was game on as both teams attempted to double their lead, but could not finish their chances, with Villa and London City pushing to get behind the defence. Cascarino went for goal again through the final third, but did not seem to trouble Ellie Roebuck, while an excellent opportunity from Villa at London City’s end unsettled their rivals momentarily.
London City piled on the pressure late in the half, with Isobel Goodwin’s shot flying over the bar, with Kennedy and Cascarino caught in the final third. There was another chance for Poppy Pattinson to pull the home side ahead with a long-range shot, and Godfrey looking to respond shortly after, but lacked the finishing touch.
Godfrey combined well with Elene Lete and drove the ball forward, dragging her effort wide despite it being a strong chance. Villa also created a promising attack down the left wing, but failed to capitalise. Their reward came a few minutes in stoppage time just before the break, when Wilms curled the ball from a corner, giving the visitors the lead.
Half time: London City Lionesses 0-1 Aston Villa
Second half
London City continued their slow start in the second half, struggling to create clear chances despite dominating most of the possession. They came close with an effort inside the box that drifted wide, before Villa responded with a chance of their own that failed to trouble the Lionesses' side.
The Lionesses came close again with a dangerous ball forward, but it was easily saved by Roebuck, Villa swiftly counterattacking in City’s half. Both teams attempted to find equalisers, with Villa coming close from a corner and London City missing a golden opportunity when Godfrey went toe to toe with Roebuck, with the side rueing their missed chances afterwards.
London City eventually found their rhythm late in the half, with Van de Donk capitalising on a melee in the box through a cross in the 72nd minute, putting the home side ahead. Both teams attempted to double their lead, but it was London City’s gain again when Godfrey scored through an open goal, making it 2-1.
Full time: London City Lionesses 2-1 Aston Villa
Eder Maestre: Post-Match Interview
Your team had a few chances in the first half. What gave your team that extra edge to get that first goal?
“It’s very difficult. I think all the players are very committed to scoring when they try, so sometimes it comes down to probabilities. As staff, we have to create those probabilities and chances when opportunities appear. In that sense, I think the next step is helping the players understand that, with this kind of run, sometimes you need patience. We don’t have to be obsessed with whether we are more clinical or not. I think that has to come as a consequence of everyday training, pushing hard, and maintaining high standards.
Yes, we had chances to start winning, but we weren’t accurate enough. Still, I didn’t mind that too much. For me, the most important thing is creating and getting those chances. We’re going to keep pushing the margins and try to be more clinical in the box.”
Your team have gone from strength to strength this season. What’s next for London City?
“Next season, we will keep building that winning mentality and strive to win consistently. Life is about winning because when you have dreams and want to turn them into reality, success feels closer. We have to recognise ourselves in that position if we want to reach the Champions League next season.
We know it’s going to be very difficult because the WSL is the toughest competition in the world. The teams are extremely talented, and the work being done across the league is incredible on a massive scale. We’re in a fighting position to compete against those clubs, and qualifying for the Champions League would be amazing.”
Natalia Arroyo: Post-Match Interview
What points would you take from this game as your team heads into next season? Is there a plan to rebuild the squad?
“This game was really about analysing our performance. We tried to dominate, and I think we did that quite well, especially at certain moments in the second half. Defensively, we worked really hard, which was good, and we need to keep improving in that area. I think our defending was better than on other days- much better overall- and the team performed well.
We learn from every moment we spend together, both in training and in competitions, and we’ll take those lessons forward as a team in the future. When you have momentum, you need to try to score more so you can take full advantage in the game, and we also need to continue showing the strong mentality we had today. When we get close, we have to look at what more we can do to come back stronger from the disappointment.”
Is the World Sevens a plan to rebuild the squad and learn from this season?
“World Sevens is a competition we want to try and win, but it’s also about enjoying ourselves together, competing, and helping the women’s game grow- that’s the ambition of World Sevens. Right now, though, World Sevens is not at the front of my mind. We’ll be ready to compete when the time comes.”