Writers’ projected finish: 2nd (Note: this is the average position selected by the panel rather than necessarily Suzanne Wrack’s personal choice)
Previous season’s finish: 2nd
Outlook
Arsenal ended last season frustrated by their lack of major trophies, with victory in the first Fifa Champions Cup doing little to satisfy their desire to build on the 2025 Champions League triumph. That success also temporarily disguised weaknesses in a squad requiring significant renewal. The club addressed those issues during the summer, allowing 11 players to leave, including long-serving favourites Beth Mead and Katie McCabe, while bringing in seven replacements. Spain full-back Ona Batlle, England midfielder Georgia Stanway, Switzerland midfielder Géraldine Reuteler and Germany forward Selina Cerci provide proven elite-level quality while helping to reduce the squad’s average age.
Time will tell whether Arsenal regret permitting Mead and McCabe to join Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. Renée Slegers, however, has been able to oversee an entire pre-season for the first time. A second-place Women’s Super League finish also secured direct entry into the Champions League league stage. Having started slowly in each of their previous two WSL campaigns—including four draws and one loss across last season’s opening nine fixtures—Arsenal cannot point to disrupted preparations this time, with no major international competition or European qualifiers affecting their summer.
Competition for the championship is likely to become more intense, particularly with City also involved in Europe and several rivals recruiting intelligently. Even so, Arsenal have a genuine chance to secure their first league crown in seven years. Technical director Jodie Taylor said the club were in a strong position but remained disappointed not to have collected more trophies last season. She made their objective clear: Arsenal intend to win the league and move up another level.
Situation away from the pitch
Arsenal’s most recent financial statements reported that revenue rose by £6.5m to £21.5m in the year ending May 2025. Across eight matches at the Emirates Stadium during that period, average attendance reached 29,833, helping the club generate almost £6m in matchday income. The next set of figures is expected to show further improvement after average crowds exceeded 34,000 across all 11 WSL home fixtures last season. Other income streams also grew: broadcasting revenue passed £2m, more than twice the £956,000 recorded in 2024, partly because of the team’s Champions League success, while commercial earnings increased from £649,000 to £1.77m. Arsenal nevertheless remain heavily dependent on support from the parent club, as group income climbed from £9.3m to £11.85m and accounted for more than half of total revenue.
Head coach
Slegers begins her second complete season at the helm under considerable expectations. The 37-year-old has delivered impressive results since initially replacing Jonas Eidevall on an interim basis and now has another opportunity to demonstrate her ability. Although she took over an experienced, settled group, the summer rebuild enables her to shape both the squad’s identity and its style of play more closely around her own ideas.
Marquee arrival
Arsenal recruited several high-profile players, but two-time European Championship winner Stanway may be the standout addition. Alongside her outstanding ability, she arrives with established connections to a number of her England colleagues already at the club. The 27-year-old also supplies a quality the team has sometimes missed: toughness. A combative and powerful midfielder, Stanway has described her approach as uncompromising and resilient. Her presence should add substantial strength through the centre of the team.
Key statistics
Arsenal topped the expected-points rankings for the WSL in 2025-26 and suffered only one defeat throughout the campaign. Their failure to become champions largely came down to six draws, compared with Manchester City’s single stalemate. Expected-goals figures indicated that Arsenal merited victories in three of those drawn fixtures, although they were fortunate not to lose the match against Chelsea. Because Arsenal and City each won one of their two direct meetings, the dropped points elsewhere ultimately determined the outcome.
Players ready to emerge
Last season appeared set to be a major one for 20-year-old Michelle Agyemang and 19-year-old Katie Reid. Agyemang had excelled at Euro 2025, while Reid had opened the domestic campaign in outstanding form, but anterior cruciate ligament injuries halted both players’ development. Following close to a year on the sidelines, they are now working towards competitive returns. Their recoveries must be handled cautiously, and regaining peak form may require patience, but both will be eager to resume the progress they were making before their injuries.
In their own words …
“It feels as though we are preparing an exceptional dish and are now adding the last few ingredients—the subtle details that lift everything and turn it into something special to appreciate and enjoy. That is the stage we have reached.” – Lotte Wubben-Moy.
Home venues
Every WSL home fixture and, provided Arsenal qualify, each European knockout match will be staged at the Emirates Stadium. Meadow Park will continue to host domestic cup ties and Champions League league-stage fixtures. Arsenal have been at the forefront of rising attendance figures and accounted for more than 40% of all WSL crowds last season. Cup and European league-stage scheduling remains difficult, however: the Emirates is too large for some of those games and coordinating dates around the men’s team is complicated, while the women’s side has plainly exceeded Meadow Park’s capacity.
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