Alexia Putellas says her main aim in the Women's Super League is to test where her limits lie, having marked her London City Lionesses debut with a 2-1 win over Manchester United. 

London City went into Friday's WSL curtain-raiser with high expectations after two-time Ballon d'Or winner Putellas arrived on a free transfer from Barcelona, with Mary Earps, Mapi Leon and Kadidiatou Diani among their other high-profile incomings.

And the home fans at Copperjax Community Stadium were treated to a deserved victory as Danielle van de Donk scored what proved to be the decisive goal.

United's Julia Zigiotti Olme headed into her own net in the ninth minute, and London City finally got a second goal through Van de Donk with eight minutes of the 90 remaining, as she brilliantly backheeled Delphine Cascarino's centre into the far corner.

Substitute Simi Awujo pulled a goal back for United 10 minutes into second-half stoppage time, but they made a losing start under new manager Eva Olid.

For London City, who were watched from the stands by owner Michele Kang, Putellas wore the captain's armband and played 84 minutes, completing 31 of her 38 passes, creating two chances and having six touches in the opposing area, with those latter two figures only bettered by Cascarino (four chances created, eight touches in the area).

Speaking to BBC Sport after full-time, Putellas said of her debut: "It's amazing, incredible. We are so happy. We had a strong beginning so we're really, really happy.

"I'm still learning, it's the first game. It's a physical league. I'm a player who thinks the ball always moves faster than the legs, so we're going to try to improve that kind of thing. 

"It's the first game, we have to bring more improvement, of course. We are going to give better and better football to our crowd. We're very happy to start with three points and we'll keep moving."

Asked what her goals were after swapping Catalonia for England, Putellas replied: "The new challenge. Everything is new for me, but it's a kind of challenge, to see where my limits are. 

"It's my main objective here, my main challenge, to be the best I can and put that out there for the team."

London City had 11 shots to United's four and generated 1.21 expected goals (xG), compared to a measly 0.25 for the Red Devils. The hosts also dominated possession with a 60.2% share, leaving Olid frustrated.

"I think none of us are happy with the first half," Olid said. "We were not us. Nothing that we have been working on was happening in the first half. 

"At half-time it was me saying to them, 'this is not us, we need to have confidence, belief, show we want the ball, that has to be us'.

"There was a change in the second half but at the end, that needs to be us for 90 minutes, it's not enough to play just 40 minutes trying to have the ball."

While London City visit fellow capital clubs West Ham and Charlton Athletic in their next two WSL games, things do not get much easier for United, who host Chelsea and travel to Arsenal in their next two.