City Women’s review: The players look ahead to a promising 2026 | OneFootball

Our City Women’s players reflect on 2025, before looking forward to next year.

After signing off for 2025 in the best way possible with a place in the Subway League Cup semi-final secured, Andrée Jeglertz’s side have recorded our strongest ever start to a league campaign in our professional era.

And with a new year on the horizon, the second half of a promising Barclays Women’s Super League season also comes into focus.

City return to league action against Everton, but first hear what our players made of the past 12 months and what they’re looking to achieve next year.

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Iman Beney

The objective for the team is to try win the league this season. So it’s important that everyone stays fit, and that we’re able to achieve this objective. Personally, I’d like to be involved in the team as much as possible.

When I got here, I didn’t think I’d get so many minutes, I came to a big club and in the end I’ve been able to play in almost every match. So it’s been a big step for me and I’m happy to have been given so many minutes.

Sydney Lohmann

My [highlight of 2025] would be winning the double with Bayern. For me, it was really special because it was my last year and we were always aiming for that.

Winning it in the last year was quite special. The Euros, a big tournament, is special.

But even just coming here was a big step for me and finally doing that and the first game against Chelsea and a big one, unfortunately we didn’t win.

[In 2026 I’d like to make more gyozas and Japanese food], me and Eartha were with them [the Japanese players] and maybe we have to introduce them to some of our food. We said that already, we’ve been twice for Japanese food, maybe it’s our turn now.

Laura Blindkilde Brown

So far we’ve had a really good season and we’ve felt really together as a team and under Andrée, I feel like we’ve changed the way we’ve played. It’s really helping us this season.

[My fondest memory of the season so far is] Probably Arsenal with the last minute winner with Iman. That just felt great as a team and we felt really together in that moment.

We always felt like we were going to score and it could be a massive three points in the title race, so that was a really nice moment.

I think playing a different position than I was last year, I think this role is definitely more suited to me as a player.

Since coming to City, I’ve improved so much and I knew I was coming here to develop as a player. So, to have the game time along with that is really nice.

[My highlight was] winning Player of the Month and playing as many games as I have with City.

[In 2026] I want to learn a new language. I want to learn Danish fully because I can understand and speak a little. But I want to learn it fully.

In football, just try to start as many games again as I can and win the league with City.

Ayaka Yamashita

Last season we couldn’t win in the Derby at home, but in this season, we won it with a clean sheet [that is my highlight of 2025].

In 2026 there’s the Asian Championships and in this team there are a lot of Japanese/Asian players and they all have to leave the team.

I’m not really sure if I’m chosen for national team, but if I’m chosen, I have to be away from the team.

It’s really difficult for me to be away, but at the same time I have to work really hard to go through the World Cup qualification.

Laura Coombs

I think my general highlight is that I just really enjoy being with this team. I can genuinely say that I work every day with such a great group of people on and off the pitch.

Everyone here just works super hard and really cares about the Club and you really feel like you’re part of something.

I think my aim [for 2026] personally is just to try and do my bit for the team and really try and keep everyone together and keep the momentum on and off the pitch that we’ve got at the minute.

Lauren Hemp

Winning the Euros was a massive highlight for me, also scoring in the Manchester Derby was big. That one definitely stands out this year.

A target for next year is to win the league. Hopefully that can happen!