Why mid-table safety for newcomers London City wouldn’t satisfy Asllani

For the time being, Cobdown Park, home to the newly promoted Women’s Super League team’s training facility, is a construction site.

There are temporary cabins atop the club offices, and there are a lot of dirt stands where a new pitch will be laid with diggers seated behind one goal.

Lionesses are the first fully independent team in the history of the competition to not be associated with a men’s club or another organization. They were first promoted to the WSL this year for the first time.

However, Kosovare Asllani, their captain, is not anxious to see how things will turn out in the top flight.

The Sweden international tells BBC Sport, “Personally, I would not be happy for us to be a mid-table team at the end of the season.” “The top four would be a good season,” they say.

This reflects Cobdown Park’s defining quality, which is ambition.

Lionesses made the summer move to make their 28-acre Ditton base a top destination for both girls and women’s football.

When American businesswoman Michele Kang took over their position in December of that year, their attempts to ascend to the top echelons of the game began. Asllani, 36, who has more than 200 caps for Sweden and won the WSL with Manchester City in 2016, was signed last summer by them.

Asllani will help the Lionesses begin their first WSL campaign, which will take them away from Champions League holders Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on September 6 after winning the second-tier title last year with a 2-2 draw at second-place Birmingham City.

The forward still runs the highest level; she captained Sweden at Euro 2025 and won the game-winning goal against England in the quarter-final.

When asked if a mid-table finish would represent a successful season, she replies, “It would be acceptable and maybe realistic.” “We are entering the world’s best women’s league,” she said.

You always want to reach the highest possible level, though, from a personal standpoint. Saying I’m happy with mid-table would violate all of my principles.

It’s a huge challenge to enter the WSL’s top end. Only four organizations, including Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Manchester City, have ever finished in the top three since 2015.

Survival is the aim for the most well-known clubs. The teams that have won the Women’s Championship in the past two seasons, Bristol City in 2023-24, and Crystal Palace in last year, have both come back straight after that.

Lionesses, however, have a different feeling.

They are undoubtedly investing the funds to prevent a relegation fight. Twelve players have signed this summer, in addition to the new training facilities.

These include seasoned internationals like England’s Nikita Parris and Dutch midfielder Danielle van de Donk, as well as Elena Linari, the Italian centre-back named in the Euro 2025 team.

Asllani laughs back, “I met a new player every day and I went back for two weeks after the Euros.” However, I’ve learned the names of everyone.

Asllani’s first WSL game since leaving Manchester City in August 2017 will be her debut.

England has won two European championships since that time, and the women’s game’s face has almost completely changed.

Because I’m Swedish and they beat us in the semi-finals, England winning the Euros in 2022 left a lasting impression in this nation. Asllani claims that it was a breakthrough.

If another country had won, you wouldn’t notice a lot of a difference in the structure of women’s football, I’ve said to many players.

However, “You see it in England, it piques your interest, it causes a lasting impression, and the players are treated as they deserve, just like the men piqued your interest.”

“I adore Arsenal playing at the Emirates, which is amazing for English women’s football. It will be a historic day to play our first WSL game there.

Significant investment pressure comes with it. And despite Asllani’s ambitious words, it would be remarkable if their debut campaign challenged the established WSL order.

They are also creating that challenge as they construct a new training facility.

Asllani describes the new team as “building from scratch.” “We are building the house, and the roof is about to be constructed.