'Not about where you start' - Man City boss Gareth Taylor makes Chelsea point ahead of new season

Manchester City kick-off their Women’s Super League campaign with an away tie against West Ham on Sunday, October 1.

After a fourth-place finish last season, the Sky Blues will undoubtedly look to edge their way back into contention for top-spot come 2024, and get themselves back into Champions League football. But all that depends on how City set the tone for the season and see off West Ham, or does it?

Last year the Citizens suffered back-to-back losses against Aston Villa and Chelsea in their opening games, seriously hindering their chance for the title. But City have defeated the Hammers eight times in top-tier history, netting 29 goals in nine games overall. So the odds look in City’s favour - if you believe the stats.

Manager Gareth Taylor said: “Of course, you want a good start, there's no doubt about that and there are no easy starts so to speak. If you look at Chelsea in the last three seasons when they won the league they lost the first game on every occasion so it's not about where you start, it's about where you finish.”

City kept a low profile in the summer transfer window, despite lofty goals: “To win. That's what we’re always about at this club,” stated Taylor. Something they failed to achieve last season.

They start the year with relatively unchanged personnel, other than Matilda's star Hayley Raso bid farewell to the Joie stadium pre-World Cup not long before Netherland’s talent Jill Roord announced her arrival.

Taylor said: “Continuity is something that I’ve not really experienced in terms of a settled squad in the seasons that I've been here. Now, finally, we’ve definitely got that in terms of this squad.

“Midfielders have to be prepared to score and there's no doubt that Jill Roord’s got that