Football Review | London City Lionesses 1 - 0 West Ham

London City Lionesses condemned West Ham to an eighth consecutive WSL defeat.

Rehanne Skinner’s side remain bottom of the table after the 1-0 loss, still without a point in the league since April of last season. 

Author | Jacqui

Stadium | Copperjax Community Stadium

Pictures from behind the goal

By contrast, newly promoted London City continue to impress, climbing into the top half with their third win from six matches.

Jocelyn Prêcheur’s team controlled the first half at Hayes Lane, dictating possession, although it was West Ham’s Viviane Asseyi who came closest to breaking the deadlock when her audacious long-range strike clipped the outside of the post with goalkeeper Elene Lete beaten.

READ MORE | WSL Review | Arsenal 1 - 0 Brighton & Hove Albion

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The visitors improved after the break, with substitute Seraina Piubel and defender Shelina Zadorsky both seeing efforts cleared off the line during a promising spell. But their resurgence was undone in the 68th minute when goalkeeper Kinga Szemik was dispossessed by veteran Swedish forward Asllani, who rolled the ball into an empty net for the decisive goal.

Pressure building for West Ham

While London City’s start to life in the top flight gathers momentum, West Ham’s struggles continue to deepen.

Wearing their black-and-gold third kit for the first time, there were signs early on that the Hammers might turn a corner. They soaked up early pressure, countered with purpose, and emerged from half-time looking the stronger of the two sides.

Thank you for your support on the road, Hammers ❤️

We’ll regroup, reset and come back stronger after the international break ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/B2j2j6D7SK

— West Ham United Women (@westhamwomen) October 12, 2025

Yet familiar problems resurfaced. They squandered promising attacks, lacked precision in the final third, and despite 12 shots, they failed to find the net once again. Their return of just two goals from 66 attempts this season tells its own story.

Asllani’s winner, arriving against the run of play and born of a defensive lapse, summed up their misfortune. It follows a string of costly collapses, including conceding twice in eight minutes against Aston Villa and three times in seven against Chelsea.

At this point, a season-long battle for survival looks increasingly likely, with fellow winless side Liverpool shaping up as their closest rivals in the fight to avoid the drop.