Manchester City kicked off their WSL title defence with a big question looming.
The challenge is balancing domestic glory with European ambition.
Past campaigns showed City struggling to progress deep in the Champions League while chasing the league crown.
Only three summer signings arrived, and the core that clinched the title a decade ago stayed intact.
Coach Andree Jeglertz has been forced to rotate and so far his stewardship looks solid. For my money, his rotation is the secret sauce.
Catch interviews and extras on the BBC Women’s Football Weekly feed
City’s opening run has been flawless: unbeaten in the WSL and still perfect in Europe.
Depth has paid off; Jeglertz hasn’t repeated a starting XI, yet the team’s rhythm remains smooth.
His subs sparked impact, with Beth Mead delivering an assist versus Birmingham and Kerstin Casparij scoring on her first touch against Arsenal.
City rallied from 2‑0 down to draw with Bayern Munich and later equalised 1‑1 against Real Madrid.
They’ve turned losing positions into six points, the highest tally in the league.
It’s early, but Jeglertz appears to be handling the dual demands well.
“When you look at the games we’ve played, the changes in the last thirty minutes often flip the result,” Jeglertz said after the 4‑2 victory over Arsenal.
“We finish on a high note and never let it slip. That’s something we’ll carry forward,” he added.
“You start with eleven, but five fresh legs can change everything. Every substitute has made a positive impact,” he noted.
Despite runner‑up finishes to Chelsea in 2019 and 2020, City never moved past the last‑16 in Europe those years.
A second‑place league finish in 2021 saw them reach at least the quarter‑finals in both domestic cups and the Champions League.
The following two seasons took a toll, as they fell in Champions League qualifiers and slipped to third, then fourth, in the WSL.
They’re determined not to repeat that slide.
England striker Lauren Hemp, electric in form, called the European draws “below our standard” despite tough opponents.
Jeglertz praised the second‑half display against Real Madrid but, like Hemp, still craves more as the road ahead steepens.
“We’ve faced two world‑class sides. To go far you must win these games,” the manager asserted.
“We have two points, unbeaten, and two solid halves, yet we still hunt that full‑90‑minute performance,” he explained.
“It’s a decent start, not perfect, but we know what the rest of the tournament demands,” he said.
Only five league matches have been played, and four more European fixtures remain in the group phase.
Injuries linger for Vivianne Miedema, Sydney Lohmann, Rebecca Knaak and Risa Shimizu, while Sam Coffey limped out of the crucial Arsenal win.
Nevertheless, the squad’s depth and resilience have already proven sufficient for the challenges ahead.
Ten of City’s sixteen league goals this season have arrived after the hour mark, three of them in stoppage time.
Key figures like Kerstin Casparij, Khadija Shaw and Yui Hasegawa have logged fewer minutes than last season.
USA midfielder Sam Coffey has featured in every match but has only completed a full ninety minutes once, thanks to Jeglertz’s rotation.
Sunday’s win highlighted this when vice‑captain Casparij entered at 63 minutes to give City the lead against Arsenal.
“I knew at halftime I’d be on, so I used the time to prepare and execute my game,” Casparij said.
“That’s Andree’s style – clear instructions that let me trust my instincts and play freely,” she added.
“Our resilience and mentality are huge assets. Bench players change the game for us,” she noted.
“It’s crucial that the whole squad contributes over a long season. Nothing is secured yet, but we must maintain this mindset. Will we keep this momentum into the knockout stages?”