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

Cobdown Park, the training ground of newly promoted Women's Super League side London City Lionesses, is a building site for now.

A large area of dirt stands where a new pitch is to be laid - diggers sitting behind one goal - and there are temporary cabins standing in for club offices.

Lionesses, promoted to the WSL for the first time this season, are the first fully independent side – not affiliated with a men's club or another organisation – in the competition's history.

But their captain, Kosovare Asllani, is in no mood to wait for top-flight success.

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

This reflects the ambition that is the defining trait at Cobdown Park.

Lionesses moved into their 28-acre base in Ditton last summer, with the intention of turning it into a centre of excellence for women's and girls' football.

Their attempts to break into the upper echelons of the game took off in December 2023 when they were taken over by American businesswoman Michele Kang. Last summer they signed Asllani, now 36, who has more than 200 caps for Sweden and won the WSL with Manchester City in 2016.

Asllani and the Lionesses won the second-tier title last season – secured on the final day with a 2-2 draw at second-place Birmingham City – and she will lead them into their maiden WSL campaign, which starts away to Champions League holders Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on 6 September.

The forward is still an operator at the highest level – she was Sweden's captain at Euro 2025, scoring the opener against England in their quarter-final.

And while she is realistic about the challenge of breaking the established WSL order, she will only settle for the very best.

"It would be acceptable and maybe realistic," she says when asked if a mid-table finish would represent a successful season. "We are heading into maybe the best women's league in the world.

"But from a personal point of view, you always want to come as high as possible. It would be against all my principles to say I would be happy with mid-table."

Breaking into the top end of the WSL is an enormous task. From 2015 to the present day, only four clubs – Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City – have finished among the top three.

For most promoted clubs, survival is the goal. In the last two seasons, the sides who have come up from the Women's Championship – Bristol City in 2023-24, Crystal Palace last year – have gone straight back down.

But Lionesses feel different.

"We are writing history and want to continue," says Asllani.

Certainly they are putting in the money needed to avoid a relegation fight. As well as the new training facilities, 12 players have been signed this summer.

These include experienced internationals like England forward Nikita Parris and midfielder Danielle van de Donk of the Netherlands, plus Elena Linari – the Italian centre-back named in the Euro 2025 team of the tournament.

"I was back for two weeks after the Euros and I met a new player every day," says Asllani with a laugh. "But I've learned everyone's names.

"It is a challenge to get everyone on the same page, but that is what we are working towards."

The Arsenal fixture will be Asllani's first WSL game in more than eight years, after she left Manchester City in August 2017.

Since then, England have won two European Championships and the face of the women's game has changed almost unrecognisably.

"England winning the Euros in 2022 – I can't say that was amazing because I'm Swedish and they beat us in the semi-finals - made an echo in this country. It was a breakthrough," Asllani says.

"I've spoken about this with a lot of players – if another country had won, you would not see that much difference in the structure of women's football.

"But in England you see it, it raised interest, it made an impact, and the players are treated the way they deserve - like the men.

"I love that Arsenal are playing at the Emirates, that's amazing for women's football in England. Playing our first WSL game there, it will be a historic day."

With significant levels of investment comes pressure. And despite Asllani's ambitious words, it would be remarkable if they could challenge the established WSL order in their debut campaign.

But, just as they are building a new training ground, they are building that challenge.

"We are a brand new team, building from scratch," says Asllani. "We are building the house and we are close to building the roof.

"We are not at the level of Arsenal or Chelsea – yet."