Hello, Arsenal Women aficionados!
Of course they won, didn’t they? Arsenal Women got three massive points at Stamford Bridge, leaving Chelsea with a mountain to climb to retain the title (ah-ha!) while slightly consolidating their chances to finish in the UWCL spots for the next season.
Second-half goals from Beth Mead and Mariona Caldentey were enough to see off the Blues and give Chelsea her second home defeat in the last 36 games, after Everton broke the record run of 34 consecutive home games without a defeat in the league, last December.
Is Sonia Bompastor’s invincible armada suddenly starting to fall into pieces? Probably not, but two home losses in a month after going so long without tasting defeat could hurt the team’s self-belief and have bigger ramifications than one could think.
Back to the Gunners, though, and their marvelous win at Stamford Bridge (their first-ever): how can a team keep bouncing back like this? Where is the limit between being the comeback queens and not showing up consistently when the stakes aren’t so high?
The coach, the staff and the manager showed their best versions at Stamford Bridge, very much like they did on their way to the UWCL triumph, and showed they belong to the very top – so why are they struggling so much when they are favorites to win?
BEFFI’S SWANSONG?
I had to check twice to be sure I was reading it correctly, but Beth Mead’s fierce effort against Chelsea was her first goal of her WSL campaign. In all honesty, I don’t know how to handle this information: how can a player of her calibre, despite the injuries and the internal competition, contribute so little in a team aiming to win trophies?
This is not meant to be a cheap hit at Beth Mead’s output or effort, but a reflection about the image/idea that each and everyone has of a specific player, and the actual player: in my head, Beth Mead is the big game player, the ruthless finisher, Arsenal’s lethal weapon, and yet numbers suggests that she is no longer THAT player – although she still contributed to five assists, this season.
We all know that Beth Mead was very close to joining London City Lionesses last summer, when the clubs came to an agreement about the transfer, but she turned down the offer and decided to stay with the Gunners. Things will be different next summer, though, when she will likely be a free agent and suitors will come back knocking. We could well be witnessing Beth Mead’s final tour – very different from her exhilarating “revenge tour” after being dropped from the squad going to the Olympics Games in Japan – and I am already missing her special connection with the fans, her very unique way of celebrating each goal, her passion, her love for the badge, but mostly I will miss her competitive edge.
Leaving her indelible mark on the club’s first-ever victory at Stamford Bridge, and the first away win at Chelsea since 2018, feels just right and will cement even further her status within the club’s history books.
BIG SUMMER AHEAD?
As mentioned above, Beth Mead could well be on her way out, next summer, but whispers and rumours suggest that other long-serving players could leave the club.
Based on the latest signings, it seems that Clare Wheatley and Jodie Taylor, the club’s new Technical Director, are working on rejuvenating the squad and ensure long-term replacements for some of the team’s ageing stars.
It is true that we have the oldest squad in the league, and with the tempo and intensity going up both in the WSL and in the UWCL, this team could use some youth: at present, we have seven players who are 30yo or more, and only two players U23 who played a significant role this season – Olivia Smith and Katie Reid, before her long-term injury.
It is easy to imagine an Arsenal Women team built around the likes of Michelle Agyemang, Katie Reid, Olivia Smith and Smilla Holmberg – guided by experienced players like Alessia Russo, Emily Fox, Daphne van Domselaar, Leah Williamson, Frida Maanum and all those players who are in their peak years.
For this to happen, though, the club needs to move on from the more experienced heads, and while this cannot be done in one go, I can see players like Beth Mead, Manuela Zinsberger, Stina Blackstenius or Steph Catley making way. Big question marks will remain around the futures of Katie McCabe and Caitlin Foord, and even Mariona Caldentey after next season, when her contract will expire.
It is going to be painful exercise for both Jodie Taylor and Clare Wheatley, but a necessary one to ensure that the team remains competitive and, if possible, closes the gap with Chelsea and Manchester City.
This feels like a critical time for the club, and recruitment will play a big role in shaping the future of the Arsenal Women team: Chelsea and Manchester City keep investing, Manchester United seem to be on a good path and newcomers like the London City Lionesses will keep targeting big players, so there is a risk to slip behind.
NEXT UP
The FIFA Women’s Champions Cup begins! Arsenal Women will face AS FAR for a place in the big final, to be played at…the Emirates Stadium!
The inaugural FWCC (will this stick?) will then be decided on Sunday, 1st of February, with the 3rd-place playoff played shorty after lunch time, and the big final scheduled to kick-off at 6pm.
We will talk again to see if Arsenal Women will be the first-ever World Champion in women’s football and add another record to their impressive history.
Speak to you soon!
Italian living in Switzerland, Gooner since mid-nineties, when the Gunners defeated my hometown team, in Copenhagen. I started my own blog and podcast (www.clockenditalia.com) after after some experiences with Italian websites and football magazines. Covering Arsenal Women with the occasional rant about the boys.
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