Jeglertz's rotation policy keeps Manchester City perfect in the WSL and unbeaten in Europe
A perfect record built from the bench
When Manchester City began the defence of the Women's Super League title they won last season — a first crown in a decade — the question on everyone's minds was whether they could compete on multiple fronts. Five rounds into the 2026-27 season, the answer is emphatic: City have won every league game they have played, top the table on 15 points, and are yet to lose in Europe either, having come from 2-0 down at Bayern Munich to draw their opening Champions League fixture before fighting back to level 1-1 with Real Madrid in their second.
What makes the run remarkable is how it is being built. Manager Andree Jeglertz has yet to name the same starting XI this term, made just three summer signings and retained most of the squad that delivered the title — yet City's rhythm has not been disturbed. Instead, the results are being managed from the bench: of City's 16 WSL goals this season, 10 have come in the second half, including three in stoppage time, and they have salvaged six points from losing positions, more than any other team.
The substitutes have repeatedly decided games. Beth Mead made her mark off the bench against Birmingham City with an assist, while on Sunday vice-captain Kerstin Casparij scored with her first touch after coming on, giving City the lead in the 63rd minute of the 4-2 win over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
"If you look at all the games we have played this season so far, I think the substitutions and changes we have made in the last half an hour has quite often turned the game around," Jeglertz said after the victory over Arsenal. "We really have finished off on a high. We have never dropped that. I think that is something for us to [take forward]. You can only start with 11 players but you can make five substitutions. The ones that have come in, no matter who it is, have always affected it in a good way."
Casparij revealed the level of preparation behind her match-changing entrance. "At half-time I knew I was going to come on so I had a good chunk of time to prepare and get ready to play my game," she said. "That's what Andree does. He's really clear with us and it allows me to play my game, trust my instinct, trust my gut and play with a lot of freedom."
"We've got incredible resilience and mentality within this team. We've got incredible players coming off the bench, changing the game," she added. "That is so important because it's the whole team that you need, especially in a long season like this. Nothing is won yet but we have to keep up this mentality."
Rotation keeping the stars fresh
The workload is being deliberately spread. Key players such as Casparij, Khadija Shaw and Yui Hasegawa have all played fewer WSL minutes at this stage than they did in 2025-26, while USA international Sam Coffey — one of City's most crucial midfielders — has featured in every game but completed 90 minutes only once as Jeglertz has rotated effectively.
The approach is already absorbing absences, too. Vivianne Miedema, Sydney Lohmann, Rebecca Knaak and Risa Shimizu are all recovering from injury, and Coffey picked up a knock in the crucial victory over Arsenal — yet City's depth has so far proved equal to the challenge.
Lessons from previous European campaigns
City know from history how quickly a two-front challenge can unravel. Despite finishing runners-up to Chelsea in the WSL in 2019 and 2020, they did not progress beyond the last 16 of Europe's top competition in those seasons. They came second again in 2021 and reached at least the quarter-finals in both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League, but that took its toll over the following two years, when they fell in the Champions League qualifying stages and slid to third, then fourth, in the league. They do not want a repeat.
England international Lauren Hemp, who has been in electric form, described City's draws in Europe as "not our standard" despite facing tough opposition — and Jeglertz shares her appetite for more.
"We have played two teams that are definitely at a very high level. If you want to go far in the tournament, you also need to win these games," Jeglertz said. "We have two points and haven't lost and we had two good halves. But we're still looking for a 90 minutes where we feel we can do a great game. It's an OK start. It's not ideal but it's a good start. We know what is needed from us for the rest of the tournament."
Nothing is won yet — but the foundations are strong
There is a long way to go. The WSL season is only five matches old and City have another four league-phase fixtures to play in Europe. But the early evidence is encouraging: Sunday's win over struggling Arsenal extended a home winning streak that stood at 14 matches before kick-off, according to a FotMob preview published on 2 October, with the visitors arriving having scored just twice in their opening four league games. With depth, resilience and a bench that keeps changing games, Jeglertz's juggling act is being managed well — for now.