Last time Manchester City fans saw Grace Clinton in action, she was wearing the red of their biggest rivals and kickstarting a Manchester United comeback that allowed the Red Devils to secure Champions League football at their expense. They'll have had much more favourable feelings towards the England international last Friday, then, as she re-introduced herself to those who suffered in the away end at Old Trafford back in May by netting a goal for the other side of the city, one which put them 4-0 up at Tottenham.

Clinton was part of a sensational deadline day switch that saw her swap red for blue, while Jess Park moved in the other direction. It was a stunning development as the window came to a close and yet, the more that it was thought about, analysed and pondered, the more it made sense for all parties.

Park's fantastic start to life in United red has backed that up, with the 23-year-old looking incredibly lively through her first few games of the new season. Now, after overcoming a niggle that had temporarily sidelined her, we can finally start to see the other side of that with Clinton, whose goal-scoring bow last weekend was not only a positive in isolation, but a potentially timely one given the anxiety around an injury to Lauren Hemp.

Getty ImagesA potentially huge absentee

In each of the past two seasons, City have seen their Women's Super League title charges derailed by injuries, so one can only imagine the concern that consumed the away end when Hemp, crucial if they are to stake a real claim for the trophy, hobbled off less than 20 minutes into their game at Tottenham.

Hemp led the WSL in assists last season, despite missing almost six months of the campaign after knee surgery, and racked up 11 goals and eight assists in 21 outings the year prior. We're talking about one of the best wingers not only in the country, but in the world.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesCushioning the blow

Clinton's introduction for the final 25 minutes of last weekend's win, then, offered some comfort to fans concerned about the negative impact that any lengthy spell on the sidelines for Hemp could have. Here was their new summer signing getting a first appearance on the board and marking it with a goal. That's more than enough to lift the spirits.

But most interesting of all about Clinton's cameo was where she played. Having established herself as a very effective No.10 who has also started to become an increasingly impressive box-to-box midfielder, City boss Andree Jeglertz actually gave the 22-year-old her first minutes for the club in a wide role.

She has played there before, most notably during her breakthrough season in the WSL while on loan at Tottenham. But she hasn't played there much at all since leaving north London. 

Getty ImagesSomething different

It was an interesting half an hour or so, too. While Kerolin replaced Hemp brilliantly on the left, showing wonderful directness, running power and creativity to ensure there was no drop-off in quality despite the England star's exit, Clinton leant more towards the inside channels and central spaces on the right. It gave Tottenham something entirely different to think about given that Aoba Fujino, the player Clinton replaced, has more Hemp-like tendencies as an out-and-out winger who is an excellent crosser.

In his first comments to the media after her signing, Jeglertz had made a point to highlight Clinton's versatility as a real positive trait, but even then he was talking about different midfield roles. For him to tap into her potential as a wide option on this occasion was a surprise, but one that will have been a welcome one for City fans who had just earlier seen their best winger limp off.

Getty ImagesBolstering options

None of that is to say that City have signed Clinton to play out wide. The 22-year-old played an hour in a central role in the cup win over Everton in midweek and even as she made her debut on the right, the traits that make her such an exciting young midfielder were consistently on show, with her intelligent off-ball movement creating an attacking threat that led to her goal, as she darted into the box unmarked and coolly converted Kerolin's cutback. Her quick footwork in tight spaces stood out, as did her quality in possession and her defensive work.

Yet, if Hemp is sidelined for some time, and with young Lily Murphy recovering from shoulder surgery, Clinton does offer City something different to what they have in Fujino, Kerolin and even new arrival Iman Beney, as a player who understands the demands of the wide role but also tailors it to her own game, by supporting Kerstin Casparij as she gallops forward from defence before drifting in-field to cause overloads and, with it, real problems.