Birmingham City are preparing for a daunting return to the Women's Super League, with head coach Amy Merricks declaring her side will not shy away from the challenge of facing reigning champions Manchester City on the opening weekend of the 2026-27 season.
The two teams meet at the Joie Stadium on Sunday at 14:30 BST, a venue with painful memories for Birmingham. Back in May 2022, a 6-0 hammering at the hands of City in the same fixture sealed their relegation from the top flight, beginning a four-year exile in the Championship. That spell ended last season when Birmingham won the second-tier title on the final day to earn promotion back to the WSL.
Despite the tough opening fixture, Merricks insists her players are eager to prove themselves against the best. "I think it's a great time to play Man City. We know it's going to be a challenge but we are well and truly up for it. We are here to compete, not just make up the numbers," she said during her pre-match press conference.
The Birmingham boss stressed that her team's approach will not be altered by the stature of their opponents. "Our focus is on ourselves, we appreciate and respect who they are and what they have, but our mindset doesn't change," she added.
Birmingham built a reputation last season as one of the most attack-minded sides in the division, averaging 2.09 goals per match on their way to the WSL 2 crown. Merricks is adamant that identity will remain intact even against superior opposition. "There is a core part of our identity that is non-negotiable for us as Blues and myself as a head coach," she explained. "We are a progressive team, we will find ways to create and score. We are really clear on what our strengths are and what we need to maximise. This is the best league in the world, it is going to be tough and a challenge, but what we can't do is lose our strengths. We have to amplify those and put ourselves in the best position possible. We have to focus on what we can control and that's how we can compete. We don't fear anyone. I think we showed that in the cup competitions last year."
That cup pedigree was on full display in April, when Birmingham pushed Manchester City to the limit in the quarter-finals of the Women's FA Cup, eventually losing 1-0 away from home. Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz has not forgotten how difficult that encounter proved. "We had a tough game against them last year. They were tactically very good and destroyed all the space on the field, defending low and their transitioning was very good. There are threats in their team we need to give attention to," he said. Jeglertz also acknowledged the extra threat posed by a promoted side eager to make an early statement. "Playing against a team that is new in the league is always a challenge because I know they are coming in with a lot of energy in the first game."
Manchester City go into the campaign defending their first league title in a decade, having won every one of their 11 home league games last season. Jeglertz, however, is wary of complacency creeping in. "We are still chasing, chasing to win again. If you start protecting things, I don't think that will help us. We need to be in a mood of hunger, trying to win again, to compete in different tournaments. If we drop a little bit in performance or attitude, teams will go past us," he said.
City will be missing key attacker Vivianne Miedema, who is expected to be sidelined until late autumn with a knee injury, while defender Rebecca Knaak is also unavailable due to a foot problem. Jade Rose and Grace Clinton have both returned to training, though summer arrival Niamh Charles remains a doubt for Sunday's clash.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.