Report: London City Lionesses 2 Albion 0

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Albion still looking for their first WSL win of the season after defeat in the capital.

Bruce Talbot

2026-09-26T18:45+01:00

Kiko Seike is held back by Lucia Corrales. 📷Kyle Hemsley

Albion are still looking for their first WSL win of the season after going down to defeat at London City Lionesses.

City’s big summer signing - Ballon D’Or winner Alexia Putellas - opened the scoring in the first half and Albion couldn’t make the most of the chances they did create.

The closest they came was when Emily Murphy hit the bar just after Albion fell behind.

The game often lacked fluency and although Arturo Ruiz’s side had a good spell in the second half they found London City resilient and organised at the back. The home side made the game safe through Lucia Corrales in stoppage time.

Lia Walti gets Albion on the attack. 📷Kyle Hemsley

London City dominated possession early on but Albion kept a good defensive shape and threatened first on 15 minutes. Caitlin Hayes headed Marisa Olislagers’ corner back into the six-yard box but Manuela Vanegas couldn’t keep her close-range header on target.

Lia Walti appeared to have been pushed in the back by Grace Geyoro just inside the box but the referee waved away half-hearted appeals.

Albion would have been pleased how they had managed the first 30 minutes - but then undid their good work by conceding a poor goal.

Chiamaka Nnadozie did well to parry Geyoro’s shot but Gabby George’s poor clearance went straight to Putellas and she fired low to the keeper’s left to make it 1-0.

Fran Kirby fires in a shot in the second half. 📷Kyle Hemsley

Albion nearly equalised immediately. Fran Kirby clipped over a lovely cross and Murphy’s header hit the bar. The rebound fell to Kiko Seike, but she couldn’t force the ball over the line.

Ruiz brought on Olaug Tvedten for Jelena Cankovic at the break and the Norwegian had an early effort in the second half from outside the box which wasn’t far away.

But Albion nearly conceded a second on 54 minutes when Putellas met an inswinging free-kick with a close-range header that brushed the outside of the post.

Seike was pushed into a more central attacking role and Albion began to push City back. In the 70th minute she was found by Manuela Vanegas on the edge of the D and her shot took a deflection, making the save relatively easy for keeper Elene Lete. But Albion struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout.

Marisa Olislagers brings the ball under control. 📷Kyle Hemsley

Danielle van de Donk had a couple of opportunities to put the game to bed for City in the closing stages before they did score a second in stoppage time. Van de Donk dispossessed Fran Kirby and her pass found substitute Delphine Cascarino in space on the right and the cross was slotted in at the back post by Corrales.

Albion: Nnadozie, Vanegas, George (Rayner 88), Hayes, Olislagers (Peskett 73), Symonds, Kirby, Cankovic (Tvedten 45) Seike, Walti, Murphy (Garcia 55).