Can Arsenal Women bring home a double or even a treble this season? by Michelle
Arsenal were agonizingly close to winning the WSL title last season but narrowly missed out on the final day, to Chelsea. This season, they have found themselves playing catch-up, and injuries to star forwards Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead before the winter break have made their task even more challenging.
The Gunners have been on the back foot since the injuries to their key players, which has threatened to derail their campaign. The absence of Miedema and Mead has been a significant blow to the team and has affected their title aspirations. And now Arsenal havee confirmed that captain Kim Little is also out for the rest of the season, due to an injury.
If Manchester United were without players such as Russo and Toone or Manchester City without Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw, they would also struggle. The same applies to Chelsea, who would be a different proposition without Sam Kerr. though they have good squad depth.
To mount a serious title challenge, a team needs to have key players fit and firing, which has not been the case for Arsenal this season.
However, the Gunners have displayed green shoots of recovery in recent weeks, just when you thought their campaign was petering into nothingness. A sensational 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich earned a first European semi-final spot since 2013, while a dramatic 2-1 triumph over City has forced a re-entry into the WSL title race.
Despite their injury woes, Arsenal have shown signs of a resurgence in recent weeks, just when it seemed their season was fizzling out. They secured a memorable 2-0 win over Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2013. Additionally, a thrilling 2-1 victory against Manchester City has put them back in contention for the WSL title race.
With Arsenal still competing on two fronts – the Champions League and the WSL – Eidevall faces a tough decision on how to prioritize his team’s efforts. He has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete against any opponent, leading to the question of whether they should aim for a dual pursuit of both trophies. While it may be a challenging feat, it is not impossible for the Gunners to conquer both competitions. Ultimately, it will be up to Eidevall to weigh up the risks and rewards and determine the best course of action for his team.
But first, it’s match day today! Arsenal are on their way to Leigh Sports Village, to take on top-of-the-table Manchester United, in what is a MUST WIN WSL clash for our Gunners, if they are to keep their WSL title hopes alive.
If Arsenal can win this match tonight – kick-off 19:15 UK and the match is being shown live on BBC3 and iplayer – then they will be one step closer to winning a double, or even a treble, this season..
Do you think our Gunners can do it?
Michelle Maxwell
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Oh my God. That would be so amazing if we could
COYG!!!
A big fat NO from me. Not the the way Jonas Eidevall treated Mana Iwaduchi. That was an absolute disgrace 👎. Arsenal had been trying desperately for a few years to sign this World Class Japanese International player. She finally came to Arsenal,, that CLOWN 🤡 Jonas Eidevall absolutely destroyed her. It’s common knowledge that it divided the team,,,, especially Vivianne Miedema who had a fallout with Jonas Eidevall over the whole debacle. I’m glad Mana Iwaduchi decided to move to Tottenham on loan. Had she stayed at Arsenal, I doubt she would have gained selection for Japan in the up and coming Women’s World Cup being held in Australia and New Zealand this year