Leicester City narrowly escaped relegation to the Barclays Women’s Championship last term, and their opening fixture of this new top-flight campaign would see them pitted against the champions of the second tier.

BCI: Bentley; Layzell, Murray, Aspin, Powell; Morgan, Connolly, Rodgers; Furness; Jones, Thestrup

LEI: Leitzig; Nevin, Howard, Thibaud, Cayman; Whelan, Palmer, Tierney; O’Brien; Goodwin, Petermann

Bristol City looked to have secured the dream return to the Barclays Women’s Super League with thirty minutes on the clock at Ashton Gate, as Carrie Jones saw her deflected strike sneak past Janina Leitzig and nestle in the back of the net.

But when Aimee Palmer restored parity on the stroke of half-time, the momentum changed entirely – and the Foxes never looked back as they completed a convincing rout of the Robins.

Shannon O’Brien fired Willie Kirk’s side into the lead just four minutes into the second half in Bristol, and when Lena Petermann added a third just three minutes later, it looked as though the tie had been wrapped up.

Still, there was time for a fourth. With less than ten minutes of regulation time remaining at Ashton Gate, Jutta Rantala glided into the centre of the box and fired a tidy effort past Fran Bentley – meaning that three of the Foxes’ summer signings had netted on their competitive debut.

Bristol City will look to pick up their first points of the season against Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday, while Leicester City host Everton.