Manchester City v Birmingham City: What to Expect?

As the 2026/27 WSL season begins, Manchester City will be looking to make a positive start to their title defence. On 6 September, they will welcome newly-promoted Birmingham City to the Joie Stadium. On the back of last season, City will be hoping to retain and build on their success with the addition of UEFA Women’s Champions League football. For the first time in City’s history, Andrée Jeglertz led his team to the WSL and FA Cup double. However, it isn’t Birmingham City’s first rodeo in the top flight as they were relegated in 2022. They will ultimately want to prove that they are able to stay up and that they have enough depth and talent to compete with the league's strongest sides.

What Makes Last Season So Successful for City?

Last season, Manchester City put on a resilient display as they ended their most successful campaign of the last decade with a win in the FA Cup. Throughout the 22 games, they won eighteen of them. This suggests that they are consistent and have a developed playing style. City have also increasingly benefited from having star players like Lauren Hemp, Bunny Shaw and Yui Hasegawa integrated into the squad rotation, offering versatility and experience in many different positions. For example, with Hemp having most of her experience down the flanks, she is able to inject pace into the runs she makes in and around the box. 

Success is something that Jeglertz’s side will be looking to build on throughout the course of this season. To continue their run of success efficiently, they have used the transfer window to their advantage. As an example, they have signed rivals Arsenal’s former number nine, Beth Mead. Her presence and experience will be valued and she will be able to bring some of those attributes to City. When she is on the pitch, she is able to deliver pinpoint balls into the box from set pieces. This could be useful for City as they scored more goals from set pieces than any other team in the 2025/26 campaign. 

However, it has been confirmed by Manchester City that their number six, Vivianne Miedema, has sustained a knee injury and will miss the start of the season. Her absence could give Birmingham City the edge they need to optimise their chances against the reigning Women’s Super League champions.

What Led Birmingham City To Be Promoted To the WSL?

Getting back to the WSL after being relegated in 2022 could have potentially given the club more perseverance. At the end of last season they were crowned WSL2 champions, with 44 points from twenty-two games. Overall, the Blues have managed to take points from over half of their matches. This is important for Amy Merricks’ squad as it matches her philosophy, focusing on high performance levels. The level of focus could be crucial if Birmingham City are aspiring to keep their place within England’s top flight because they will have to try and adhere to those same levels throughout every minute of every game, no matter who they're playing. 

The business that Birmingham City have completed throughout the 2026/27 transfer window shows that they are determined to prove that they are not only thinking about the current state of the club, but the very near future of the Blues too. In terms of leadership and experience on the pitch, they have signed former Red Devil Millie Turner. Having her available against City will give Birmingham an ounce of belief because her physicality as a centre back will make defending against fast-paced players like Bunny Shaw a whole lot more comfortable.  Being comfortable and in shape against a high-pressing team like Manchester City is so important as their high-press tactics can sometimes pull defenders out of shape.

How Have Manchester City and Birmingham City’s Pre-Season Fixtures Prepared Them for the New Campaign?

Although City’s pre-season fixtures didn’t get off to the most flawless of starts against Fiorentina when they drew 1-1, they happened to come from behind against Spanish giants Barcelona to level the final result to 2-2. This end result possibly shows that Manchester City have the grit and motivation to find a way to win, which is important when they should be aiming to expand their trophy cabinet.  

On the other hand, Birmingham City have put themselves in a very difficult situation ahead of the upcoming WSL season. The majority of their pre-season matches were played against their future WSL opponents and the Blues were defeated by some relatively large margins. For example, the biggest loss of the pre-season was a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool. This specific result shows that defence is an area of weakness that will need to improve if the Blues want a chance against those in sky blue.

Who is Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and What Can She Offer?

Khadija “Bunny” Shaw is one of the WSL’s most prolific forwards. She has been awarded many individual honours throughout her WSL career. As a result of her incredible twenty-one goals last season, she was presented with the Golden Boot for the second consecutive year after sharing the honour with Arsenal’s Alessia Russo for their achievements in the 2024/25 season. Receiving this award could show that Shaw’s strength lies in finding the back of the net. However, she is no stranger to creating opportunities for her teammates. This could cause a slight issue for Amy Merricks, as her team may not know how to deal with a player of Bunny’s versatility and calibre.

Who is Lily Crosthwaite and What Can She Offer?

The Blues forward has quite the skillset both in possession and out of possession. Throughout the 2025/26 season, she tallied up quite a record of eight goals and six assists. These statistics could be a demonstration of her creativity and the qualities she brings to her team.  Off the ball, she is able to contribute defensively and execute good recovery challenges. This trait will benefit Birmingham as they should have an opportunity to combat City’s high-pressing playing style. Possessing this quality could help against City as her teammates know they will be in safe hands, while also minimising opposition chances in and around the box.

How Will City Win Their Opening Fixture?

City will be hoping to pick up where they left off last season as they hope to retain the league title. As they opt for a possession-based playing style, it is inevitable that they will have possession of the ball for the majority of the game. However, it’s important that when City possess the ball in dangerous areas that they make the most of their chances because it is evident from Manchester City’s previous seasons that goal difference can sometimes be the reason for missing out on the title. Their biggest advantage this season could be their clinical set-piece finishing. For example, in their last campaign they scored fourteen of their sixty-two goals from set pieces. City could use this advantage to exploit Birmingham’s back line, as their defence is something they need to work on after conceding 24 goals last season.

How Will Birmingham City Win Their Opening Fixture?

On the contrary, Birmingham City will have to prove themselves worthy of their promotion to the Women's Super League. With Merricks focusing on individual performances, she will be hoping that the individual players will be able to gel together to break down a disciplined City side. Their ability to be creative whilst on the front foot could be an incredibly useful tactic for Birmingham, allowing them to draw mistakes from Manchester City and punish them. However, to capitalise on rare mistakes from Andrée Jeglertz’s side, they will have to be extremely consistent, making sure their defensive lines are top-notch. 

Overall, Manchester City appear to have the advantage and will be expected to win due to them wanting to retain their league title and add to their successes. If Birmingham City want a shock start to the season, they will need to make sure that they stay motivated and disciplined throughout the ninety minutes.