It’s the inevitable law of football… returning players always score!

Pauline Bremer proved testament to that very statement, bagging an 86th minute winner all of her own making as City notched their first win of pre-season with a truly incredible 3-2 victory over European champions Lyon in the Toulouse International Ladies Cup.

A thrilling, roller-coaster of a game saw Izzy Christiansen net a brace to hand City a 2-0 lead before the French side hit back with a Camile Abily double.

Lyon struck the woodwork no less than five times and Marie Hourihan produced a string of stunning saves before Bremer robbed substitute goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin of possession before smashing home her first goal in City colours against her former employers.

In a thrilling, end-to-end encounter, City admittedly rode their luck a little but crucially, succeeded where their adversaries failed: by converting their chances to earn a second win over Lyon in three games.

Having already faced tough clashes against Frankfurt and Montpellier in pre-season, Nick Cushing’s side locked horns with their 2016/17 Champions League semi-final opponents.

Slow starts had cost the Blues in their previous exhibition games but their fortunes would change as it was the English league champions who struck early from the spot.

Claire Emslie, signed from Bristol over the summer, was the architect, delivering an excellent pass through to Jane Ross. The striker beat the onrushing Sarah Bouhaddi to the ball, leaving the goalkeeper to clatter into the Scot and hand City a penalty.

Christiansen stepped up to wrong-foot the shot-stopper and open the scoring.

Lyon almost levelled inside ten minutes, as Corine Petit poked over from close range. then cleared off the line and Hourihan was called into action on a number of occasions, producing some crucial stops.

At the other end, Ross was unfortunate to see her header saved, after Mel Lawley had done well to win back possession, while Bremer forced Bouhaddi into a low stop.

Lyon hit the woodwork for the first time when Hourihan tipped Dzsenifer Marozsan’s strike onto the post, and lightning struck twice minutes later as Ada Hegerberg’s curler hit the same spot.

City doubled their lead on the break on 37 minutes. Nikita Parris was the creator, executing the perfect through-ball to Christiansen to latch onto, round Bouhaddi and slot home.

The second half proved a one-sided affair as Lyon sought a route back into the game – but City defended valiantly.

The French side hit the bar a minute after the break with a rasping Saki Kumagai drive and continued to spurn chance after chance.

Their pressure told on 54 minutes when Abily converted from close range and the pressure told on 78 minutes when the midfielder netted her second, sweeping in Eugenie Le Sommer’s cut-back.

With momentum behind Lyon, there looked to be only one winner until the topsy-turvy clash took an astonishing twist, as Bremer’s determination to dispossess Peyraud-Magnin presented her with an open net – and the striker made no mistake to snatch victory.

Further drama would follow as Lyon hit the crossbar twice in injury time – one due to a stunning Hourihan save – before the referee called time on the pulsating and breathless clash.

How they lined up…

Cushing made three changes to the side that faced Montpellier on Friday.

Hourihan replaced Ellie Roebuck in goal, shielded by an unchanged backline of Stokes, Abbie McManus, captain Steph Houghton and youngster Esme Morgan.

With City operating in a 4-4-2 formation, Lawley, Keira Walsh, Christiansen and Emslie were employed in midfield with Ross and Bremer leading the line up front.

What’s next…

City’s 2017/18 campaign kicks off on Sunday 24 September (2pm) with a league trip to newly-promoted Yeovil.

The Blues’ first home clash of the season sees Arsenal visit the Academy Stadium on Sunday 1 October (2pm) with tickets available online and at the Ticket Office.