By Eloise Smallbone and Rachel Gore (02/09/2025)
Above: Manchester City’s squad during preseason. Photo: ManCityWomen on X.
As the start of the new season draws near, one of the teams hoping for a strong start to a new era is Manchester City. With a new head coach, new players and major returns from injury, City are looking to improve on a disappointing 2024-25.
A new manager leads the side
This season Manchester City Women are welcoming a new Head Coach, Andrée Jeglertz. From Sweden, Jeglertz has made the move to the Manchester from the Denmark national team, having a range of experience in both club and international football.
As a former player, Jeglertz knows what it’s like to be on the pitch. Beyond this, he has a wealth of experience in managerial positions.
Jeglertz has worked with numerous teams in the Swedish domestic leagues with his five year stint at Eskilstuna United being particularly impressive. He improved the side’s competitiveness and helped the club to reach the top tier of Swedish women’s football. Following his role at Eskilstuna, Jeglertz moved to Goteborg FC.
He also has experience working in international football – taking Denmark to this summer’s European Championships, where they failed to escape the group stage.
At City, Jeglertz will be pushing to finish in at least the top 3 of the WSL. He will do so by employing his usual tactics; ensuring a solid defence is present, keeping formations flexible, and focusing on the development of the players in his squad.
City’s new signings
Some of the players that Jeglertz will be coaching are new signings; this summer, Manchester City have signed numerous new players.
The most notable of these signings is that of Sydney Lohmann; a midfielder who has signed a 3-year deal with City after spending 9 years at Bayern Munich.
Lohmann is a technical player who dictates play by making strong passes from the defence to the attacking forwards. Lohmann knows how to win, she has four Bundesliga titles to her name and won a cup double in her final season in Germany. The baller has also played in high pressure international matches for Germany so will be ready to step up for City and deliver in crucial moments.
Laura Wienroither’s permanent transfer to the club has been much anticipated by City and Arsenal fans alike. Wienroither came to City on loan last season and is an experienced defender who is known for her knowledge of the game.
City have already benefited from Wienroither’s presence on the pitch, particularly from the ways in which she stops incredibly technical and fast-paced wingers.
Playing for her former club, Arsenal, and internationally for Austria has led her to become accustomed to high pressure situations. This will be crucial as she will be key in City’s fight for Cup and League titles.
Eartha Cumings is a goalkeeper moving over to the WSL from the Swedish league where she played with FC Rosengård. Cumings will join City’s existing goalkeeper rotation and will wear number 1. As a player, she has quick reflexes and great distribution allowing her to control a game from her place in the goal.
As well as helping to keep City in games, Cumings will provoke competition amongst City’s existing goalkeepers, who are Eve Annets, Khiara Keating, Katie Startup and Ayaka Yamashita. This will further raise the standard of all keepers at the club.
Iman Beney will also be joining the WSL from a different league, she’s making the move from the Switzerland side, Young Boys.
As a forward, Beney threatens defenders and provides assists alike as she breaks through strong defensive lines and creates goal opportunities. Beney often plays down the wing so is a necessity addition to City’s squad after the announcement that Chloe Kelly has made a permanent move to Arsenal.
The youngest, and first, of City’s signings during this transfer window is Jade Rose. She is moving from Harvard Crimson in the states and will join City’s backline.
Crimson can play as a full-back or as a central defender. This versatility will only benefit City as it will allow for tactics to evolve throughout games.
International success within the team
There have been several of Manchester City’s squad that have achieved international success over the summer. Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp, Jess Park and Khiara Keating were all part of the Lionesses squad who won Euro 2025, whilst Kerolin won the 2025 Copa America with Brazil in Ecuador during the summer too. The club celebrated the triumphant members of the squad before their men’s team’s fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
Five of Andrée Jeglertz’s side achieving major international tournament success brings important experience to the team, and could be influential in their drive for trophies this season. Each of the players also demonstrated resilience under pressure, which could also be a key contributor to their success this season.
Greenwood and Hemp stood out in the Euros, with both players starting for Sarina Wiegman’s side in the final against Spain, and Greenwood scoring one of the penalties in the final shootout.
Kerolin also played a crucial part in her country’s success, as she scored a hat-trick in their group stage win against Bolivia and also played in their victory over Columbia. This experience of success could be a difference for Manchester City this season, with the squad undoubtedly being hungry to extend their success to club level too.
Developing from their performance in the 2024/25 season
The 2024/25 season was disappointing for Manchester City, particularly after they came second in the WSL after only losing out on goal difference to Chelsea. They suffered with many injuries, as well as a change of manager during the season, and finished fourth in the WSL. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals but lost out to Manchester United and were runners-up in the League Cup.
They will be hoping that with Hemp, Greenwood, Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw being able to play again, they can make significant improvements in all competitions this season. They have also brought in reinforcements over the summer with signings, and this increased squad depth should help them challenge this season. With managerial stability too, they could be in the running for the FA Cup or the League Cup, and may challenge their rivals in the WSL more than they did last season.
Despite not finishing in a position to qualify for the Champions League being disappointing, it could also have its benefits for the squad this season, leaving them in a better position to challenge Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in domestic competitions.
Manchester City’s season kicks off on Friday 5th September. They will be hoping to secure points from a difficult away fixture, as they take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
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