Bouncebackability in September. As well as being the naffest band name this side of Cigarettes After Sex, it’s a challenge that big clubs dread. They all know that, at some stage during any season, they will have to show resilience and respond to a poor result. But they’d rather it didn’t happen before the leaves have started plopping from the trees.
City’s distressing Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in the week means another year of exclusively domestic concerns. Of the three prizes still on offer, the WSL – in which City have been runners-up for the past four seasons – is by far the biggest. It splits into two divisions, the top four and the rest, and the title might eventually decided by who drops the fewest points against the bottom eight.
City got off to a strong start by hammering Everton 4-0 last weekend; even allowing for a possible Champions League hangover, it will be a major surprise if they don’t beat Spurs today.
