Guardian writers’ predicted position: 3rd (NB: this is not necessarily Suzanne Wrack’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 3rd
The plan
At a club synonymous with silverware, Arsenal’s cabinet has been a little light in recent years, back-to-back League Cup wins ensuring it is not empty. Expectations will always be high for the most decorated women’s team in England, but with Chelsea having a new manager, Arsenal and Manchester City will be licking their lips at the prospect of halting Chelsea’s five-title run. Can Arsenal win a first league title since 2019? Of course. Will they? That is the big question. Last season the Gunners came away with the biggest points tally from games played between the top four, but points dropped against Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham proved costly. Finding consistency will be key. They have had more of a pre-season, with the team able to meet up two weeks before Champions League qualifiers, playing two friendlies before they beat Rangers in round one. They are also grappling with fewer long-term injuries, although Victoria Pelova is still out with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. Staying competitive on all fronts will be critical. Before Arsenal’s Champions League qualifying campaign, Leah Williamson said it was up to them to lift the pressure with the way they play. “I think when pressure arrives, a lot of that can be taken out by the way that you play and I’ve seen that on the training pitch, dealing with that transition from playing friendlies then into competitive football, and the most competitive you can play is in knockout [football]. It’s been fun to watch us as a team deal with that over the last week, couple of weeks, but I think we’re ready.”
The manager
Letting the Women’s Super League’s record goalscorer, Vivianne Miedema, depart for free – allowing her to sign for Manchester City – is going to lead to scrutiny. Jonas Eidevall bore the brunt of frustrations around the exit at the end of last season and time will tell whether the decision proves costly. Eidevall’s report card has an asterisk in each of the past two seasons: a staggering injury list, the slow return of those players and major tournaments affecting pre-seasons have provided legitimate excuses. Despite those issues, Arsenal have won back-to-back League Cups. There is a feeling that now is the time for Arsenal to deliver.
Off-field picture
Away from the pitch, the future is bright. The fanbase is thriving and the interest shows no sign of waning. Smart ticketing strategies and a steady increase in games played at the Emirates Stadium have paid off, with sellout crowds at the ground becoming a realistic regular prospect. This year the club have increased the number of WSL games at the main stadium from five to eight, and will play any Champions League group and knockout fixtures there. That will show in revenue. In their latest accounts, for the year ending May 2023, revenue was £11m, up from £6.9m the preceding year (with the club making an overall loss of £82,000, up from £33,000). Of that revenue, £2.7m came from match days. That will have increased with more games at the Emirates year on year.
Breakout star
Eidevall described Rosa Kafaji as “one of the most exciting young talents in the world” and said he had been a “keen admirer of her game for a number of years”. He is not overegging it, the hype around the 21-year-old forward well placed. BK Häcken’s top scorer in the 2023-24 season, with 15 goals, she has nine caps for Sweden. She caught the eye of England fans in the 1-1 draw with Sweden at Wembley in April, when she came off the bench to provide the assist for the equaliser.
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A-lister
Williamson returned to action in January after an ACL injury but naturally England’s captain has taken a bit of time to shake off niggles and get back to her best. With nine months under her belt, including important international minutes, the centre-back is expected to marshal the backline consistently at club level once more. The Arsenal vice-captain doesn’t just provide solidity and an assured presence, she is also critical to the forward play, with her driving runs from deep and keen eye for a pass important to their attempts to build from the back.
This summer’s business
The loss of Miedema will be keenly felt, but in the Ballon d’Or nominee Mariona Caldentey Arsenal have lessened the blow. The Spaniard’s quality was evident in her competitive debut, against Rangers, when she provided a sumptuous assist for Caitlin Foord. Kafaji adds a creative spark, and the goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar provides top-level competition for Manuela Zinsberger. Overall, Arsenal have strengthened, but how impactful Miedema’s move to City will be on her former team’s attempt to win trophies will only be known as the season wears on.
Where do they play?
Across three seasons, Arsenal have gone from three to eight WSL games at the Emirates Stadium. Their remaining fixtures in the league, and likely the majority if not all of their domestic cup games, will be played at Boreham Wood. There have been upgrades to facilities there and it is a good ground, but it is clear that Arsenal’s women’s team have outgrown it. Travel to the ground can be difficult, parking is stretched, almost every game sells out and large queues for food and toilets are the norm.
Source: theguardian.com
