Some things just feel inevitable. Some strikers just feel inevitable. Despite a new season, a fresh start and new opponents, it is still the same storyline for Manchester City: Khadija Shaw wins them the game. The Jamaica striker began the campaign exactly how she finished the previous league season, with two goals, and demonstrated why it was so crucial that the club eventually persuaded her to sign a new contract in the summer.
Last season’s Golden Boot winner in the Women’s Super League could have scored at least twice in the first half had it not been for an excellent debut performance from Sophie Baggaley in goal for promoted Birmingham.
Shaw, though, was not to be denied and she rose highest to head in twice from second-half corners, taken first by Kerstin Casparij and then by the debutant Beth Mead, to score her side’s second and third goals in a 3-1 victory. By then, Mary Fowler’s low finish had already opened the scoring with Manchester City’s 1,000th goal as a professional women’s side.
Birmingham grabbed a late consolation goal through Océane Hurtré, who capitalised on a defensive lapse from Jade Rose and rolled the ball home in the 90th minute, and there were plenty of encouraging signs overall for the second-tier champions of last season.
The Blues were playing on the same ground where they were relegated in 2022 after a 6-0 loss to City, but on Sunday Amy Merricks’s side look far more competitive than the Birmingham team that said goodbye to the top tier four seasons ago, having kept the scoreline goalless until after half-time.
Nonetheless, on the day of Lauren Hemp’s 200th City appearance it was a dominant start from the defending champions, whose head coach, Andrée Jeglertz, said: “We created a lot of scoring chances. The first half [we were] a little bit hesitant on the ball, not determined with or without the ball, but the second half was better.”
Merricks, who hailed Baggaley’s debut as “exceptional”, said: “We got into some good areas and lacked just a bit of anticipation that we would get there. That’s just down to belief, that’s not quality. I’m really pleased with the performance. I’m disappointed with the result but really pleased with the platform we’ve given ourselves to build on.”
Earlier, Lisa Baum marked her Arsenal debut with an exquisitely taken goal and her early strike was enough to secure a 1-0 victory at Brighton and inflict a defeat on their new head coach, Arturo Ruiz. The 19‑year‑old Germany youth international created room to shoot inside the area in the 10th minute and rifled home a clinical finish from a tight angle, in off the underside of the crossbar, to make an immediate impression on the delighted, travelling Arsenal fans behind that goal.
Baum, who arrived this summer from RB Leipzig, was one of four new signings to start the game for Arsenal, alongside Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle and Misa Rodríguez. Arsenal had failed to win at Brighton in the past two league campaigns and will have been very satisfied to open their title bid with a victory as they seek to hunt down a first league title since 2019. Ruiz, who has been in charge at Brighton for nine days, saw some encouraging signs from his new team with Kiko Seike and Fran Kirby both going close.
It was a day for important debut goals as Lexi Lloyd-Smith slotted home on her first appearance for Crystal Palace to give the promoted side a priceless 1-0 win against Everton to start their campaign. Another debutant quickly impressed at Tottenham as their new striker Kirsty Hanson scored twice to help them to beat West Ham 3-1.
