What has happened to Glasgow City?

Leanne Ross was appointed Glasgow City head coach on a permanent basis in March

"I'm expecting a huge response, and I would be very disappointed if I didn't get it."

In the space of a week, though, she oversaw a record few could have foreseen.

Never before have City suffered three domestic defeats in a row. Until now.

Back-to-back home losses cut their league lead to two points. Celtic, who inflicted the first of those defeats, then dumped out of the Scottish Cup at the semi-final stage.

So, what has happened to the Scottish heavyweights?

• Holders Celtic beat City to set up Old Firm final

'Six cup finals but deja vu strikes'

Two weeks ago, City were eight points clear at the top of the table and had won 14 out of 15 games under Ross since the former captain took over firstly in interim charge, then permanently, from Eileen Gleeson.

Her side had scored 67 goals and conceded only two, each in eventual 8-1 victories.

The only blot on her copybook was a solitary 0-0 stalemate at Rangers.

Then, second-placed Celtic rocked up at Petershill Park.

The visitors rattled four goals past Lee Gibson, who was forced to save two penalties. Natalie Ross' opener was the first time City had trailed on Ross' watch.

If eyes weren't already on Rangers' trip to City three days later, they soon were. How would the 15-time SWPL champions respond?

Disappointingly, was the answer. There was a sense of deja vu as City were sliced open with ease, levelling, but ultimately shipping an injury-time winner.

Ross declares her team have "six cup finals to win the league" but they will not have an actual cup showpiece, after losing to Celtic, again, in the last four.

Glasgow City's semi-final showing was much-improved, enough to renew Ross' hope.

"The question will be how the players will respond, and I agree with Leanne Ross, she said she saw a better version of them in the semi," former City midfielder Leanne Crichton said on BBC Scotland's Behind the Goals podcast.

'It will come down to psychology'

Ross was given the City job after a near-flawless audition. These are the first questions being asked of the 41-year-old.

Seven goals have been conceded in three games, when just nine were lost in the previous 30 domestic fixtures.

Scotland international Lauren Davidson is the SWPL's top goalscorer with 23 this season. She is hardly enduring a dry patch, but hasn't netted in three league outings.

"I did think that there were a few basic things," said Scotland captain Rachel Corsie.

"The care on the ball, the simple things those players are very much drilled on, you could see those just not quite going right and there was a dent to the confidence."

City's destiny is still in their own hands as they sit two points above Celtic with six matches remaining.

They long to recapture the SWPL trophy which was theirs for 14 years until last season.

"The reality is, if you had told Glasgow City at the start of the season, off the back of losing the league title to Rangers last year, that they would be in pole position with six games left to go, I think they would have bit your hand off for it," Corsie said.

The maiden SWPL split system has shaken things up.

The deposed champions face a thrilling denouement to a title race that could go right to the wire.