Four years after they were dumped out of the top flight in brutal fashion at the Joie Stadium, Birmingham City are walking back into the same arena, against the same opponent, with a very different posture.
No fear. No apology. And, if Amy Merricks has her way, no retreat.
On Sunday afternoon, the newly crowned WSL 2 champions open their 2026-27 Women’s Super League campaign away to Manchester City – the side who thrashed them 6-0 on this ground in May 2022 to seal their relegation. The scars from that day are part of the club’s story. Merricks is determined they won’t define the sequel.
“I think it's a great time to play Man City,” the Birmingham head coach said. “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.”
This is not the language of a promoted side happy just to survive. It fits a team that tore through the second tier last season, clinching the WSL 2 title on the final day and averaging 2.09 goals per game along the way. They attacked, and kept attacking, until the door back to the elite finally opened.
Now comes the reality check: the champions, away, on day one.
No compromise on identity
The temptation for a newly promoted club heading to the home of the title holders is obvious: tighten up, drop 10 yards, hope for the best. Merricks is having none of it.
“There is a core part of our identity that is non-negotiable for us as Blues and myself as a head coach,” she said. “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.”
The message is blunt. Birmingham know the WSL is unforgiving, but they refuse to dilute what got them here.
“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 last line is not bluster. It is a reminder.
Five months on from a warning shot
Exactly five months before Sunday’s meeting, Birmingham pushed Manchester City hard in the Women’s FA Cup quarter-finals. City edged it 1-0, but Andree Jeglertz walked away with a clear sense of what the promoted side can do when the stakes rise.
“We had a tough game against them last year,” the City boss admitted. “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.”
That cup tie offered a glimpse of how Birmingham might navigate the step up. They can sit in when needed, compress the pitch, then break with purpose. They can also, as their numbers from last season show, impose themselves higher up the field when the game allows.
“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,” Jeglertz added.
City’s perfect home record on the line
Manchester City do not give much away at the Joie Stadium. Last season they won all 11 of their home WSL matches, turning their ground into a fortress that underpinned their first league title in a decade.
This campaign begins with a different kind of pressure. They are no longer the hunters.
Or at least, they refuse to think of themselves as the hunted.
“We are still chasing, chasing to win again,” Jeglertz said. “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.”
It is a warning to his players, but also a nod to clubs like Birmingham who will arrive with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Injury concerns for champions
City’s title defence will not start at full strength. Forward Vivianne Miedema is out until at least late autumn with a knee injury, removing one of the league’s most clinical finishers from Jeglertz’s arsenal in the early months of the season.
Defender Rebecca Knaak will also miss the visit of Birmingham because of a foot issue, trimming City’s options at the back.
There is some better news. Defender Jade Rose and midfielder Grace Clinton have returned to training, giving Jeglertz extra flexibility as he pieces together his first league XI of the campaign. Summer signing Niamh Charles, though, remains “a big question mark” for Sunday.
A different Birmingham, same arena
For Birmingham, the Joie Stadium is both a reminder and an opportunity. The last time they played a league game here, the result sent them down. This time, they arrive as champions of the division below, with a clear identity and a head coach intent on going “toe-to-toe” with the best.
City, perfect at home last season, begin their defence against a side that has already shown it can make them uncomfortable.
One team trying to protect a crown without playing like defenders. The other refusing to act like newcomers.
Something has to give.
