Winning teams need leaders. City are blessed with many but it’s Greenwood who set the standard on and off the pitch. 

Taking over the captain’s armband from Steph Houghton in 2024 was a significant responsibility, particularly for a side looking to turn a series of near misses into a successful title challenge. 

But it’s a pressure she’s shouldered with the typical calm and elegance that has come to define her as one of world football’s finest defenders. 

Stepping in at full-back as well as in her preferred centre-half role, Greenwood’s intelligence and know-how shone through when it mattered to ultimately help City make history. 

Our captain had a part to play at the other end in one of the defining moments of the campaign though, delivering an inch-perfect cross for Rebecca Knaak to head home the dramatic late winner against Liverpool which ultimately sealed the title. 

That was one of 15 chances created from set pieces by Greenwood in 2025/26 – the most among defenders in the WSL, while she also finished joint-second across the entire top flight when also factoring in open play. 

Her ability from set plays therefore needed no further introduction before May’s FA Cup final but, for good measure, she added another free-kick to her tally in our 4-0 win over Brighton. 

On or off the pitch, in attacking or defensive situations, Greenwood led by example. 

Whether creating chances or finishing them off, the Dutch forward was back at her irrepressible best in 2025/26. 

Miedema made her name as a lethal goalscorer, but a move into a more withdrawn midfield role brought the best out of one of the WSL’s finest talents. 

With typical humour, Viv had joked that she was now ‘doing more slide tackles’ in her new position, and though it was a tongue-in-cheek remark it did point towards a greater involvement in City’s overall play. 

She even went close to providing the ultimate demonstration of this all-action style in a 3-0 Manchester derby win at the Etihad Stadium, winning possession back expertly in the City half before playing an exquisite pass in behind to Shaw. 

The move didn’t end up with a fourth goal, but it was a prime example of that tweak to Miedema’s position paying dividends. 

By the end of the season, only Bunny Shaw and Arsenal’s Alessia Russo were directly involved in more WSL goals, with Viv picking up 15 in just 19 appearances. 

Miedema was also one of the only members of the City squad to have previously won the WSL, and while that might not be a measurable quality, it was certainly a crucial one to help the Blues navigate any fleeting low moments across the campaign. 

A ‘coach on the pitch’, was Jeglertz’s description of Miedema. An architect indeed. 

Where do you start with a forward of Shaw’s calibre, who has consistently delivered year on year for City? 

The Jamaican’s 21 WSL goals earned her a third successive WSL Golden Boot – a league record – and ultimately propelled the Blues to glory. 

She finished the campaign with 35 goal contributions in just 32 appearances in all competitions, earning a spot in the PFA WSL Team of the Year among a swathe of individual honours. 

In December 2025 Shaw became the first player in City’s history to reach 100 professional goals (going on to score four for good measure) and also notched the WSL’s quickest hat-trick in March 2026 against Tottenham Hotspur. 

By May 2026 she’d reached 100 WSL goal contributions in just 93 appearances, before heading home our opener in the FA Cup final to set us on our way to the Double. 

The records keep on tumbling, which makes it easy to focus solely on the numbers Shaw delivers. 

And while they’re important, they shouldn’t detract from the crucial role she plays for the team, leading the press and providing a constant outlet for her team-mates. 

A physical presence capable of holding up play and dominating aerial situations, but with an intelligence and finesse to drop deep or find pockets of space – there truly is an inevitability around Bunny when it comes to finding the net. 

PFA Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, WSL Player of the Season… could she add the Ballon d’Or to that list? 

Four successive spots in the PFA WSL Team of the Year demonstrate the level of respect Hasegawa commands from her peers. 

One of the finest midfielders in world football once again hit incredible heights across 2025/26 and was a key figure behind our double win. 

Afforded greater opportunities in advanced areas, Hasegawa enjoyed her most productive attacking season with eight goal contributions, while also initiating the most open play sequences ending with a shot in the entire WSL. 

The Japan international also made the most through balls in the WSL and attempted the fifth most passes in the division, while also making the second most interceptions (35). 

Hasegawa showed in 2025/26 that she’s the full package – a midfielder capable of not only turning over possession but then also making it count. 

And despite her diminutive frame, Yui’s impeccable technique and excellent anticipation mean she’s rarely caught on the ball and has also often led to some quite remarkable pieces of skill to get away from dangerous situations. 

Her third inclusion in the Ballon d’Or shortlist – the Japan international is finally gaining the recognition her remarkable consistency deserves. 

An ‘adopted Mancunian’ in every sense – Casparij’s passion for City shines through whenever she represents the Blues. 

Another player to reap the benefits of Jeglertz’s new system – she was one of the WSL’s most dangerous attacking outlets across 2025/26. 

No player registered more assists than her seven across the entire WSL, while she also became only the third defender in the league’s history to hit double figures for goal involvements. 

A spot in the PFA WSL Team of the Year was just rewards for one of the driving forces behind City’s remarkable 2025/26 campaign. 

While the attacking output certainly contributed to that, Casparij never neglected her defensive duties either – providing the perfect foil for either Kerolin or Aoba Fujino to work their magic on the right flank. 

Her fourth season in Manchester, our vice-captain has developed into one of our most important leaders and deputised expertly for Greenwood during a brief injury lay-off towards the end of 2025. 

The standout performances kept on coming, with her strike, in a March 2026 Manchester derby win at Old Trafford a particular high point in a season of superlatives. 

Yamashita’s inclusion on a five-player shortlist for the Goalkeeper of the Year award exemplifies the levels she hit across 2025/26. 

In the WSL alone, she prevented 4.7 goals according to Opta metrics – the second highest across the entire division – while her clean sheet tally was bettered only by Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton. 

Indeed, a lasting memory of Yama across our title-winning campaign was the handful of remarkable stops she produced to prevent almost-certain goals. 

A one-on-one save to deny London City Lionesses’ Isobel Goodwin in January 2026 is just one example, as is an acrobatic stop against Everton’s Kelly Gago in November 2025. 

Both of those matches ended in crucial 2-1 wins – the former extending our gap at the summit after a Chelsea slip-up and the latter ultimately helping us move top for the first time. 

Then there’s the stop which won her February’s Save of the Month award – tipping a vicious Erin Cuthbert effort over the bar en route to a 5-1 win over Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. 

The very best goalkeepers pull off these sorts of individual moments of brilliance when it truly matters, and Yamashita did exactly that. 

Despite a glittering CV, Jeglertz perhaps arrived in Manchester in the summer of 2025 as a relative unknown to the English game. 

But if anyone wasn’t aware of his transformative qualities before, they certainly are now. 

Not only did Jeglertz deliver our most successful season in his debut campaign at the helm, but he did it in style. 

A 100% home record across the campaign, statement wins over Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, the best attacking record in the division… the impact was seismic. 

Three successive Manager of the Month awards between November and January saw Jeglertz make history in the WSL, while he also became just the second Head Coach to be named Manager of the Season in their debut campaign. 

Subtle tweaks brought the best out of individuals in the team – with Shaw winning the Golden Boot and Casparij finishing with the most assists in the WSL to name just two. 

But the entire squad responded to those methods – consistently highlighting the ‘freedom’ they were afforded under the Swede to ultimately bring home top honours. 

With three Manager of the Month awards, a Manager of the Season, FA Cup and WSL title to his name inside 12 months… can Jeglertz now add another individual award to the cabinet?