Chilly temps and rain in North London didn’t put a damper on the Arsenal Men and Women, as both romped to decisive victories. Neither opponent was especially daunting, but the class that each side showed in seeing off credible opposition is exactly what should be expected of teams who compete for championships. Friday Night Lights The Arsenal women kicked off the weekend Friday night at the home of the West Ham women’s side, Chigwell Construction Stadium. The trip across London meant that attendance dropped from the 38,000+ that saw the season opener at the Emirates to just north of 3,000 ( Pro Tip: If you’re considering going to see the Arsenal Women this season, you might want to catch a road match.) Once the match got underway, the script seemed almost identical to what we saw from the Gunners in last weekend’s season opener against London City, with a rough start as Gunners goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar misplayed a high cross that she would handle easily 99 times out of 100. As in their opener, however, there was no panic about being down a goal. The Gunners held the bulk of the possession and the breakthrough came in the 21st minute from Frida Maanum from a Beth Mead assist. Both Mead with her pass and Maanum with her shot nutmegged their defenders to produce the first goal. Arsenal kept the pressure up through the rest of the first half, but couldn’t get the go-ahead goal before the break. As with London City, the introduction of Stina Blackstenius changed the match. The Sweden international came on at halftime, and the goals started flowing.Although Blackstenius scored first in the second stanza, the plaudits for the goal should go to Alessia Russo, whose one touch backheel made Blackstenius’ job routine for a striker of her quality. From 2-1, the rout was on. A goal from Caitlin Foord in the 62nd, and a stoppage time brace from Russo delivered the final 5-1 scoreline. To see more, check out an extended highlights package (requires free sign-up) from the match. The early-match jitters against modest opponents that Arsenal have shown in both matches so far are the only quibble that anyone might have after two dominant matches. They will have to get things sorted out this week, though, when they face current table toppers Manchester United on their home ground. New Arrivals Shine Where the women’s successful weekend was driven by returning stars, the men’s victory over visiting Nottingham Forest was notable for the contributions of new arrivals. With Bukayo Saka and William Saliba still injured, Mikel Arteta started five summer signings–Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyorkeres. Each was excellent. The most obvious star of the match was Zubimendi, who opened the scoring with a screaming goal from long distance. After an attempted Forest clearance from a corner, the ball fell to Zubimendi and he struck true. A slight touch from a defender on the way through provided just enough change of direction to ensure that goalkeeper Matt Sels didn’t have a chance to get a hand on it. While the Gunners were dominant in the first half, going into the break up only a goal certainly wasn’t the most comfortable feeling. Fortunately, in less than a minute Eberechi Eze combined with Viktor Gyokeres to double the lead.(The play started with early-season star Ricardo Calafiori who played a long ball for Eze who crossed it immediately into the path of Gyokeres for an easy finish.) Zubimendi once again closed the scoring in the 79th minute with an unlikely strike from the diminutive holding midfielder–a headed goal. The build-up came from a set piece on the right side of the attack. Declan Rice worked the ball across the pitch to substitute Leandro Trossard, who clipped the ball into the box where Zubimendi rose to head it home for the final 3-0 scoreline. For video highlights of the match, click here (requires free sign-up). While three of the five new arrivals who started - Zubimendi, Eze, and Gyokeres - figured prominently in the scoring, the other two - Mosquera and Madueke - showed even better. Madueke, the subject of supporter ire when he was purchased from Chelsea over the summer, was excellent for the 79 minutes he played, consistently driving at defenders and opening up potential scoring opportunities that Arsenal could have done better converting. Mosquera made his most obvious contribution when he prevented a Forest attacker from being in on goal after some less-than-impressive work clearing the ball from David Raya. Mosquera dispossessed the attacker without looking even mildly panicked, and ensured that Forest’s best opportunity came to nothing. Beyond that one play, the extent to which Mosquera, acquired more as “one for the future” rather than being targeted for a starting role, has stepped in for William Saliba and looked every bit the Frenchman’s equal. With a Tuesday Champions League opener against Athletic Club, Arsenal’s newboys will have to excel for the Gunners to get a positive result in Bilbao. The Results: WSL Week 2/PL Week 4 With both the men’s and women’s teams now playing league matches with Champions League to come soon for each, I’m going to condense the details to results, place in the table, what happened to their title rivals, and what fixtures are upcoming. Women’s Result: 5-1 win @ West Ham Men’s Result: 3-0 win vs. Nottingham Forest Women’s Place in the Table: 2nd (tied for first with 6 points, second behind Manchester United by one goal on goal difference tie breaker) Men’s Place in the Table: 2nd (3 points behind first place Liverpool) WSL Title Contender Round-up: Chelsea: The Blues won 3-1 over Aston Villa and welcomed back striker extraordinaire Sam Kerr, who scored on her return to the pitch after the better part of two years out. Manchester City: City came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 and record their first win of the new season. Manchester United: The Red Devils, unlike their male counterparts, are in fine form, one-upping Arsenal’s result against London City from last weekend to maintain their slim lead at the top of the table on goal differential. PL Title Contender Round-up Liverpool: The Reds struggled mightily to break through against newly-promoted Burnley only, to see a Clarets player wrongly sent off late in the match. A minute before the final whistle a foolish hand ball in the box led to a Mo Salah penalty and an extremely lucky 1-0 win to maintain Liverpool’s perfect start to the season. Tottenham: Tomas Frank has wasted no time in transforming Spurs into a credible side. West Ham aren’t very good and were even worse after a 54th minute red card, but Arsenal’s North London rivals did what they have failed to do so often in recent seasons and took care of a weak opponent with a minimum of fuss. Chelsea: I debated whether to include the Blues in this space or not. They just don’t seem to be able to get the best of the talent on their squad let alone actually being more than the sum of their parts. They conceded well into stoppage time against West London rivals Brentford and had to settle for a disappointing draw. Up Next Women - 9/21 9:50 AM EDT: Arsenal travel to current leaders Manchester United for a top-of-the-table clash. Men (UCL) - 9/16 12:45 PM EDT: Arsenal travel to Bilbao in Spain to face Athletic Club and frequently-rumored transfer target Nico Williams in the Champions League opener for both sides. Men (PL) - 9/21 11:30 AM EDT: Hopefully, the women have their tie in hand and you can switch over to the men’s clash against Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday. City haven’t looked quite right yet this season but this is, without question, the match of the weekend in the Premier League.
The Arsenal women had the Emirates and the spotlight all to themselves this weekend in about as perfect a season-opener as the club could have wished for. As the Premier League took the weekend off for the season’s first international break, the women took full advantage of the opportunity to showcase both their new and returning stars. Saturday was a glorious early Fall day in North London for the opening of Arsenal’s Women’s Super League campaign. For the occasion, the Gunners welcomed over 38,000 spectators and the newly-promoted London City Lionesses and owner Michelle Kang to the Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal women were certainly favored heading into the match, but with a hint of uncertainty due to Ms. Kang’s investment in new arrivals preparing for their debut in the top flight. Lingering concerns that London City might be a surprise package in their first season in the WSL were exacerbated when they scored a penalty in the 17th minute to go up a goal. It took a further 12 minutes, but new signing Olivia Smith announced herself to the home crowd with a wondrous debut goal from 30+ yards out to level the score. Once back on level terms, it was Arsenal’s core group of attacking stars who blew the match open. After a few opportunities went begging, Alessia Russo’s clever dribble around a lunging defender gave her space to find Chloe Kelly who slotted home the go-ahead goal just before the stroke of halftime. The second half saw a brief flurry from London City that culminated in a shot hitting the post and bouncing out, but they were unable to convert and Arsenal’s quality in depth took over down the stretch. The luxury of bringing in stars like Stina Blackstenius, Beth Mead, Caitlin Foord, and Frida Maanum proved too much for the WSL newbies. Mead and Blackstenius came in in the 77th minute and it only took five minutes before the two connected for Arsenal’s third. Mead, as she so often is, was the catalyst as Blackstenius scored off of her cross to put the Gunners up 3-1. Only a minute later, it was Mead again as she crossed for fellow substitute Frida Maanum, who scored the final goal and sent the crowd home happy. The two assists marked a milestone for Mead as they made her the first woman to record 50 assists in WSL play. The Result: WSL Week 1 Starting Line-up: van Domselaar, Catley, Reid, McCabe, Fox, Pelova, Caldentey, Little, Russo, Kelly, Smith Substitutes: Hinds (McCabe), Maanum (Pelova), Blackstenius (Russo), Mead (Kelly), Foord (Smith) Arsenal Result: 4-1 win vs. London City Goal(s): Kosovare Asliani, Olivia Smith, Chloe Kelly, Stina Blackstenius, Frida Maanum Assist(s): Alessia Russo, Beth Mead (x2) Place in the Table: 2nd (tied for first with 3 points, second behind Manchester United by one goal on goal difference tie breaker) Title Contender Round-up: Chelsea: Last season’s champions were undefeated in the WSL and kicked off the season with a 2-1 win Friday against a Manchester City side that should finish in the top three in the WSL. A statement of intent from the Blues to open the campaign. Manchester City: See above, City lost to reigning champions Chelsea in their opener but should be in the race all season. Up Next Women - 9/12 2:30 PM: Arsenal travel south and east to face a West Ham women’s side coming off a 1-0 loss to Spurs. Men - 9/13 7:30 AM: Arsenal host former technical director Edu and his new side, Nottingham Forest at the Emirates to kickoff Match Week 4. NOTE: WSL TV Coverage A note to those who are interested in following the Arsenal Women’s WSL action on TV: In an announcement that came just before the season’s Friday kickoff, the League announced that all WSL matches will be available to US audiences on ESPN+. As of late last week, the plan seemed to be for matches to be available in the US via the FA’s FAPlayer app, but the late-breaking change should be an improvement. The Arsenal Men on International Duty As mentioned above, the men were on a break from Premier League action over the weekend, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t playing with many of Mikel Arteta’s squad turning out for their countries late last week and early this week. Here’s a list of the 15 Arsenal players who were called up by their countries and then a link to a page that is tracking results : England (4): Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Myles Lewis-Skelly Spain (3): Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, David Raya Brazil (2): Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Italy (1): Ricardo Calafiori Norway (1): Martin Odegaard Sweden (1): Viktor Gyokeres Netherlands (1): Jurrien Timber Belgium (1): Leandro Trossard Ecuador (1): Piero Hincapie Two bonus mentions as Max Dowman (England U19s) and Cristian Mosquera (Spain U21s) were called up by youth teams in their respective countries. Of particular note from the matches that have been played so far have been Mikel Merino’s four goals and an assist in two matches for Spain against Turkey (3 goals) and Bulgaria (1 goal, 1 assist) and Declan Rice’s tally for England against Andorra.
A trip to Anfield has never been an easy task. Liverpool have won the top flight title more than any other club–including their triumph last term. Throw in some strong work in the transfer window and the Reds went into the top of the table clash with Arsenal looking at least as daunting a prospect as last season. How you view the eventual outcome of the match, a 1-0 Arsenal loss, probably says a lot about how you approach supporting your team. The pessimist might look at the result and suggest that Arsenal, despite all the strengthening done in the summer, are still likely no better than second best in the Premier League. That pessimist may be further inclined to think that Arsenal have something of an injury-related curse brewing after last season’s injuries to key players, and the early stages of this season have accelerated the trend with William Saliba going early with an ankle injury. Finally, the pessimist might complain that Mikel Arteta’s approach to the match was a bit too conservative, with Mikel Merino replacing Martin Odegaard, and Gabriel Martinelli playing on the left with Noni Madueke moving to the right to replace Bukayo Saka. Supporters looking for a more aggressive approach might have preferred Ethan Nwaneri for Odegaard, or Eberechi Eze instead of Martinelli/Trossard from the start. While there are certainly times to be pessimistic about your team, I have a more optimistic view of this particular match. In particular, I was impressed by Cristian Mosquera’s turn replacing Saliba, as well as the extent to which Arsenal was able to contain Liverpool’s exceptional attack with three key starters missing. As far as the flow of the match went, possession was close to even–as were the chances. And while I would have liked to see Nwaneri from the start and Dowman sooner than the 89th minute, would that have changed anything? Perhaps not, but it would have signaled intent to win rather than to draw. In the end, the difference in the match was a miraculous free kick from 30-ish feet out by Dominik Szoboszlai that would have beaten just about any goalkeeper in the world. A disappointing result for sure given how well the team played away from home, down a few key players, and facing excellent opposition. But it’s definitely not the end of the world only three weeks into the campaign. The Transfer Deadline If Sunday brought disappointment, Monday and the transfer deadline brought continued change to the club. Arsenal brought in their eighth signing of the summer window as they acquired Ecuadorian Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. The defender can play both a left-sided center back as well as left back and will replace Jakub Kiwior (who confirmed a move to Porto on Monday). Also leaving the club with Kiwior were Albert Sambi Lokonga (Hamburg), Fabio Vieira (Hamburg, loan), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Nottingham Forest, loan), and Reiss Nelson (Brentford, loan). One of the bigger criticisms of Arsenal’s transfer market dealings in recent years has been their inability to sell players for good fees in an effort to “balance the books” when they bring in expensive new players. The Kiwior and Sambi Lokongo sales both netted small profits from the prices paid a few years ago, but the failure to conclude permanent sales for Nelson, Zinchenko, and Vieira underscore the ongoing problem. Since it isn’t my money, I can’t say I’m TOO concerned about the money recouped in the transfer market so long as the club can continue to buy like they did this summer and they keep developing talent like Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Saka, and Dowman at the Hale End Academy. The Women’s Turn With the men heading to the first international break of the season, the women get next weekend to themselves for their season debut. Their opponents for the curtain-raiser will be the London City Lionesses. The only independent (not owned by a Premier League side) club in the Women’s Super League after promotion from the Championship last season, the Lionesses are owned by Michelle Kang who also owns the Washington Spirit in the NWSL and OL Lyonnes in France. While Michelle Kang has a history of success, facing the reigning European champions in the club’s first match in the top flight seems like a lot to ask. Arsenal will be close to full strength as the players who featured deep into or won the European Championships over the summer return to the pitch after late-summer vacations. All of the Euro competitors played at least 45 minutes in the pre-season-ending 2-0 win over West Ham last Wednesday. The match will be played at 8:30 AM on Saturday, September 6th and can be streamed live for free on the FA Player app found in Google Play and Apple App Store . The Result: Week 3 Starting Line-up: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres Substitutes: Mosquera (Saliba), Odegaard (for Merino), Eze (for Martinelli), Dowman (Madueke) Arsenal Result: 1-0 loss away to Liverpool Goal(s): Dominik Szoboszlai Assist(s): none Place in the Table: 3rd (3 points behind leaders Liverpool and one point behind 2nd place Chelsea) Title Contender Round-up: Liverpool: I think we covered that sufficiently above. Manchester City: For the second consecutive weekend, Manchester City looked out of sorts against seemingly so-so opposition. They dropped a 2-1 decision to Brighton and Hove Albion at the AmEx Stadium. Chelsea: Chelsea got a bit lucky having an early Fulham goal wrongly disallowed by VAR but managed to score two against their West London rivals at home to extend their winning streak to two after an opening weekend draw. Not particularly convincing but they did what they had to do against solid opposition. Up Next Women - 9/6 8:30 AM: Arsenal host the London City Lionesses including former Gunners Danielle van de Donk and Nikita Parris at the Emirates to start their season. Men - 9/13 7:30 AM: Arsenal host former technical director Edu and his new side, Nottingham Forest at the Emirates to kickoff Match Week 4.
Women’s Preseason, A New Men’s Arrival, and Arsenal Men v Leeds
Men's 25/26 Season Preview With the pre-season in the books and the Premier League set to kick off this weekend, it’s time to take a deep dive into what to expect from Arsenal in the upcoming season. We’ll start with a brief recap of last season before tackling summer changes, and what to look forward to in the early stages of this campaign. KICK OFF THE ARSENAL MEN’S 25/26 SEASON WITH US AT OUR MEN'S OPENER WATCH PARTY THIS SUNDAY! Join us at 11 am at Anchor Bar for lunch, drink specials, games, and prizes! (We’ll have Match Attax EPL trading cards for sale! If your pack includes an Arsenal player, celebrate with a drink of the house!) RSVP here ! 2024-25 In Review Arsenal entered the 2024-25 season expecting to once again challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title. With City’s Ballon D’or winner Rodri lost for the season due to injury, Jurgen Klopp departing Liverpool after an illustrious run as manager, and Chelsea, Spurs, and Manchester United being in various states of chaos, it was thought that Arsenal were the front-runners for the title. Most of the above turned out to be correct. City fell off in the absence of their midfield talisman.Chelsea, Spurs, and Manchester United continued to struggle to varying degrees with none mounting anything close to a title challenge. Two things didn’t go to expectations on the path to a potential Arsenal title. At Anfield, Arne Slot replaced Klopp and not only didn’t he skip a beat but he improved on the German’s final season with the Reds. Despite the change of manager and aging key players in Virgil Van Dijk and Mo Salah, Liverpool were consistently excellent from start to finish. The other significant hurdle faced by the Gunners were some unfortunate injuries that pointed out some areas of the squad where the club was light on depth. Ideally, a club will get 34-36 starts out of 38 Premier League matches from their key players. Of their key attacking players, Arsenal received significantly fewer than that from Bukayo Saka (20 starts), Martin Odegaard (26), Kai Havertz (23), and Gabriel Jesus (8). Beyond the absences, it seemed clear that Odegaard especially was less than 100% even after returning from his injury. Finishing second in an incredibly competitive league while also getting to the semi-finals of the Champions League is hardly something to apologize for. But given the turmoil among the usual suspects and big spenders, finishing second did feel like an opportunity missed. If there was a silver lining to the club’s injury issues, it was the emergence of some young talent from the club’s Hale End Academy. A pair of 18-year-olds, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, took the opportunity presented by the absences of Saka, Odegaard, and Calafiori and showed that, despite their youth, they are capable of competing at the highest level. Nwaneri scored four goals and assisted on a further three in Premier League play across 11 starts and 15 substitute appearances between Odegaard’s attacking midfield role and Saka’s wide attacking role. In addition to the statistics, he impressed with his fearlessness, control in tight spaces, and willingness to take on defenders. A left back capable of moving into midfield when the club is in possession, Lewis-Skelly didn’t produce significant counting statistics but did demonstrate his ability to both attack and defend while tasked with marking players like Mo Salah in the Premier League and Rodrygo of Real Madrid in the Champions League. Summer Activity I wrote an extensive post about Arsenal’s summer and invite you to check it out here if you want all of the details. To keep this post to a manageable length (too late, I know), I’ll just do a quick summary. The goals for the club in the summer transfer window were as follows: Secure a star-level center forward capable of scoring 20+ goals/season Replacing departing holding midfielders Tomas Partey and Jorginho with someone capable of shielding the back four and initiating the attack from deep. Building depth in key positions to ensure one or two key injuries couldn’t derail the season as the injuries to Odegaard and Saka did last season. Clearly, we will need to see how it plays out on the pitch but, on paper, the club accomplished all of these goals with approximately three weeks still to go in the summer transfer window. Here’s how each of the above items were addressed: In late July, Arsenal purchased Viktor Gorkeyes from Sporting Lisbon. Gyokeres scored at more than a goal per match across two title-winning seasons in the Portuguese first division. He also showed well in the Champions League. The step up to the Premier League is significant but there is ample reason to expect he will be a significant upgrade at center forward. To replace their two departing holding midfielders, Arsenal acquired Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and Christian Norgaard from Brentford. Zubimendi has been an exceptional player in La Liga and should be an improvement over the aging Jorginho and frequently-injured Partey. He won’t light up the stat sheet but he should contribute to a tight defense and facilitate the transition to attack. Norgaard, until recently Brentford’s captain, will back up the Spaniard and provide steady play and veteran leadership. Beyond potential starters in Gyokeres and Zubimendi, Arsenal added depth at center back, wide attacker, and in goal with the additions of Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke, and Kepa Arrizabalaga. Mosquera is a Spain youth international who will deputize for William Saliba and, hopefully, grow into an exceptional starter in his own right. The versatile 23-year-old Madueke, an England international, comes over from Chelsea where he enjoyed a strong season and will have an opportunity to compete with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard for a starting job on the left wing while also backing up Bukayo Saka on the right. Arrizabalaga joins Madueke coming to North London from West London. It didn’t work out at Chelsea for Kepa after arriving at Stamford Bridge as the most expensive goalkeeper in history but he represents a way-above-average reserve goalkeeping option behind David Raya. While the acquisitions from other clubs are likely to be the most impactful this season and into the near future, perhaps the most exciting development of the summer has been the arrival in the first team of 15-year-old Max Dowman. The Hale End product has been putting up crazy numbers in Arsenal’s youth set-up despite playing with far older players the past couple of seasons. Finally allowed to play with the first team after turning 15, Dowman has tantalized in pre-season including drawing two penalties and showing his ability to create from the right wing. It isn’t clear how much time the youngster is likely to see in the Premier League but he is certainly one to watch whenever he gets on the field. The Season Ahead As the 2025-26 season approaches, Arsenal are as talented and as deep as they have been since the title-winning days of the early 2000s. In defending champions Liverpool and newly healthy and reinforced Manchester City, they will face two significant rivals for the title with Chelsea potentially a wild card in the race after a strong summer showing at the Club World Cup and continued spending on their squad. As Arsenal kick off against Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 17th, the expected starting line-up will be as follows: GK: David Raya - The Spanish international is the reigning Golden Glove winner for most clean sheets in the 2024-25 season RB: Jurian Timber - The young Dutchman has been excellent when healthy but has struggled with injuries in pre-season so former England international Ben White may start the opener. CB: William Saliba - among the top few center backs in the world, the young Frenchman continues to ascend as the rock upon which Arsenal’s defense is built. CB: Gabriel - the Brazilian is a menace in the air winning defensive headers and contributing to Arsenal’s league-best record for scoring from corner kicks and set pieces. He and Saliba form arguably the best center back pairing in the Premier League. LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly - The 18-year-old will look to build on his exceptional breakout season last campaign. CDM: Martin Zubimendi - As noted above, the Spaniard won’t turn heads with his statistics but he has proven himself as one of the best all-around holding midfielders in the world in both La Liga and international play. RM: Bukayo Saka - Arsenal’s homegrown star, Saka is among the best young attackers in the world. If he can start 34 or more Premier League matches this campaign, the Gunners will be well-positioned to challenge for the title. CM: Declan Rice - The England captain has moved up the pitch from a holding midfield spot to a box-to-box role that will allow him more license to create, score, and work higher up the pitch in Arsenal’s high press. CM: Martin Odegaard - At his best, the Norwegian is the creative force the gives life to the Arsenal attack. His vision, range of passing, and ability to fit the ball into seemingly impossible spaces for his teammates to score was diminished after his injury last season but he should be back to his best after a summer with no commitments for club or country. LM: Gabriel Martinelli - The talented Brazilian has flashed moments of brilliance for Arsenal since his introduction into the squad as an 18-year-old in 2019. Now 24, he must add consistency to his game or face the possibility of losing his spot to Madueke or a new arrival. CF: Viktor Gyokeres - The towering Swedish international scored a load of goals in Portugal and will be counted on to translate that form to the Premier League. Arsenal’s title chances may well ride on his ability to be this generation’s Robin Van Persie. These players and key reserves like Kepa, Jakob Kiwior, Ricardo Calafiori, Norgaard, Moreno, Nwaneri, Madueke, and Havertz will face a tough start to the season with trips to Manchester United and Liverpool (1st in the Premier League last season) and visits from Nottingham Forest (7th), Manchester City (3rd), and Newcastle United (5th) before the end of September. It isn’t ideal for a team with a bunch of new players to integrate to face such a tough run right away but if they can survive the first two months, everything will be in place for a great run at the title. All in all, it’s going to be another exciting season for Arsenal fans! Hope you will join us this Sunday to watch the season kick off vs. Man United!
Despite what my son might say, I’m not as old as Arsenal. Dating back to 1886, when a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory formed their own football team, the club is one of the most storied in world football. I’m not going to attempt to do a better job than the club or Wikipedia have in putting together a history of the club before I was aware of it. Both are great resources if you want to learn how the team moved to North London, who the key people were in the pre-Premier League era, and how they compare with some of the other big clubs in England in winning trophies. What I will attempt is to give my perspective on the club since I became aware of them in the mid-1990s. What has been their relatively recent history? How have they performed lately? How is it reasonable to think about the club in comparison to the rest of the Premier League and other legendary European clubs? The Dawning of the Premier League Era I became aware of Arsenal in the mid-1990s which, as it turned out, was a pivotal time for English football in general and for Arsenal specifically. During the 1994 World Cup, I saw Dennis Bergkamp play for the Netherlands against Saudi Arabia at RFK Stadium and immediately became a fan. In 1995, my satellite TV provider started broadcasting the Premier League, while Bergkamp joined Arsenal from Inter Milan. For Arsenal, the arrival of Bergkamp - an established international star - represented a departure from the club’s recent tradition of defense-first, blood-and-guts play. The pre-Bergkamp editions of the club featured legendary England international defenders like Tony Adams , Nigel Winterburn , Lee Dixon , and Steve Bould , and became famous for “1-nil to the Arsenal” wins. Bergkamp was something else altogether. He was one of the most skilled attackers in the world who, along with manager Arsène Wenger , appointed in 1996 ushered in an attack-oriented style of play that would captivate fans (myself included) and revolutionize the Premier League. (If you’re interested in why Dennis Bergkamp motivated my fandom, here are some of his greatest hits on YouTube. If you only have a moment to watch, I’d recommend from 0:55 sec to 2:15 or so. Just incredible.) The Wenger Era, Part 1 - Revolutionary Success Arsène Wenger has been credited with bringing the Premier League into the modern era of professional sports. His approach to training and nutrition probably looks quaint by modern standards, but when he arrived at Highbury in 1996, the culture in English football wasn’t what we would associate with modern athletics. Wenger also recognized that while English talent was expensive, there were market inefficiencies that would allow Arsenal to recruit foreign talent at a discount compared to their similarly-talented English counterparts. Soon, the Dutchman Bergkamp was joined by a number of Wenger’s French countrymen in the form of Thierry Henry , Robert Pires , Patrick Vieira , and Sylvain Wiltord along with Swede Freddie Ljungberg , Brazilians Edu and Gilberto Silva , German Jens Lehmann , and Ivorian Kolo Toure in the first English club side that was competing for championships against the likes of Manchester United and their English/Welsh/Irish core of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Teddy Sheringham, with only a few high-profile foreigners sprinkled in from year-to-year. While Manchester United were the dominant team of the early Premier League era, Arsenal also experienced great success, finishing either first or second in the Premier League in Wenger’s first nine seasons at the club (including winning league titles in 1997-98, 2001-02, and 2003-04). The 2003-04 squad, The Invincibles , has the distinction of being the only side ever to complete a Premier League season undefeated. The Wenger Era, Part 2 - The Move to the Emirates Stadium While the first half of Arsène Wenger’s tenure at Arsenal was an unqualified success, the second half is a bit harder to characterize. There were a few things happening that changed the situation considerably: Arsenal executive leadership diverted money from buying players to finance the new, larger stadium that they felt was necessary to be financially viable heading into the next era of the Premier League. Chelsea, now owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, was spending money on the type of high potential foreign players that Arsenal had recruited in the late-90s and early 2000s. The rest of the league caught up to Arsenal’s approaches to training and nutrition, blunting what had briefly been a significant advantage. Not long after Chelsea rose to prominence on the back of Abramovich’s fortune, Manchester City was acquired by the Abu Dhabi United Group, further raising the financial stakes for success in the Premier League. With Arsenal financially hamstrung by the move from Highbury to the Emirates, Chelsea’s deep-pocketed owner brought in players like Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben, and Petr Cech – the exact profile of players likely to have gone to Arsenal in the earlier part of the Wenger era. Arsenal’s financial struggles also cost them existing players, with superstar Theirry Henry moving to Barcelona, and England international Ashley Cole moving to Chelsea. The rise of financial powers at Chelsea and Manchester City, along with the continued might of Manchester United, relegated Arsenal to competing at the fringes of the Premier League title race for the remainder of Arsène Wenger’s time at Arsenal. Given the club’s inability to compete financially, holding him to the standard of his first decade in charge seems harsh. Despite FA Cup wins in 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2016-17, Wenger was ultimately relieved of his duties after 22 years in charge. The Kroenke Era Underlying the second half of the Wenger Era was a fight for control of the club. US-based businessman Stan Kroenke (owner of, among other things, the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Rapids) had been increasing his stake in the club. Finally, in 2018, he completed his takeover of the club and declared his intention to once again compete with the top teams in England and Europe. Kroenke was instrumental in calling time on the Wenger era and, after a brief tenure from Spaniard Unai Emery, appointing two former Arsenal players - Mikel Arteta and Edu to oversee the club’s revival as manager and technical director respectively. The results over the past five years have improved progressively, with the club steadily climbing back up the standings after finishing 8th in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Arteta jumped up to 5th in 2021-22, and has finished 2nd in each of the past three campaigns. He has done so by almost entirely turning over the squad. He has focused on developing Arsenal’s academy talent with the likes of Reiss Nelson , Emile Smith-Rowe , Bukayo Saka , Ethan Nwaneri , and Myles Lewis-Skelly having played significant roles under Arteta’s leadership. Coming off of a second place finish in the Premier League and a run to the semi-finals in the Champions League, Arsenal’s men’s side are a few major summer acquisitions away from competing for titles in 2025-26. The Arsenal Women: A History of Dominance So far, I’ve focused on the men’s side because, until recently, that was the only Arsenal side that it was easy to follow from the US. That shouldn’t take away from the early commitment to and success in the women’s game at Arsenal. The Arsenal women’s team was founded in 1987 and have been historically dominant ever since. Their numbers are staggering (from their Wikipedia page): The club have won 15 league titles , 14 Women's FA Cups , 7 Women's League Cups , 10 Women's National League Cups , 5 Women's FA Community Shields . They are the only English club to win the UEFA Women's Champions League , having won in 2007 and 2025 . They are also the only English club to win the continental treble while going undefeated in all competitions played that same season. In the 2006–07 season, the club became the first in the history of women's football to achieve the continental European sextuple . The great news for Arsenal supporters in the US is that Arsenal’s women’s matches, specifically the Women’s Super League (the top women’s league in England) and the Women’s Champions League, are increasingly available to watch in the United States. Loudoun Soccer hosted a watch party at Anchor Bar last Spring for the Women’s Champions League final, where Arsenal defeated Barcelona for the right to call themselves champions of Europe. More watch parties for both the men's and women's sides are planned for 2025-26. A Local Connection In addition to their historical and recent success on the pitch, Arsenal boast Loudoun County native and US Women’s National Team defender Emily Fox as a key starter in their current squad. Ms. Fox was born and raised in Ashburn and attended Stone Bridge High School. From her local roots, she went on to the perennial collegiate powerhouse University of North Carolina Tarheels, where she appeared in two national championship games. She also earned multiple caps from the USWNT before becoming the first overall pick in the NWSL in 2021. Drafted by Racing Louisville, she played for two seasons before moving to the North Carolina Courage and winning an Olympic Gold Medal with the USWNT. In 2024, she transferred to Arsenal to rejoin former college teammates Alessia Russo and Lotte Wubben-Moy , winning the Women’s Champions League title in her first season at the club. If you’re looking for a reason to support Arsenal beyond the partnership between our clubs, I can think of few better than supporting a Loudoun County native who has already achieved so much in the game–with the promise of more to come! Wrapping Up Yes, I know that was a lot to cover, but what’s not to love? Loudoun Soccer has the great good fortune of partnering with a club that: Experienced historic success on both the men’s and women’s game in England and Europe; Boasts a history of recent success at the highest level on the women’s side; Features a strong trajectory on the men’s side, with Premier League and Champions League titles within reach as soon as the upcoming season; Built a strong academy program that has produced stars like Bukayo Saka, Serge Gnabry, and Myles Lewis-Skelly on the men’s side, and Alex Scott, Leah Williamson, and Lauren James on the women’s side–both with a great pipeline of talent close to breaking through; Features a local player as an integral starter on a championship side. Clearly, I’m biased, but I couldn’t think of a professional club better positioned to earn your interest and attention than Loudoun Soccer partner, Arsenal FC!
If you read my first post , you’ll know that I was planning a leisurely summer of introducing you to Arsenal and preparing to watch the upcoming men’s and women’s seasons. That’s still the plan, but the events of this past weekend are too important to Arsenal to maintain a slavish devotion to an editorial schedule of my own making. As I mentioned in my second post , many of the Arsenal women made their mark in the Women’s European Championships in Switzerland. While it was a fun tournament overall, the semi-finals and finals, with key performances from Arsenal players, were notable enough to elevate the tournament into an emergency column. (As an added bonus, I’ll throw in a few notes about the men’s pre-season results from their first two matches in Singapore.) Women’s Euro Headliners The setup for Sunday’s final had its roots in two matches: Spain’s Women’s World Cup win over England two summers ago, and Arsenal’s Champions League victory over Barcelona in May. Spain’s World Cup victory launched a potential dynasty on the international side, supplanting England’s Euro championship in 2022 as the most significant development in European women’s football. Spain’s World Cup winners were fueled by a core of players from Barcelona’s Champions League winners from 2022-23 and 2023-24. Arsenal, with a core of players from the England squad, faced an uphill battle in the Champions League final and never looked like the better team despite ultimately winning the match. The feel for the Euro Final was very much the same. Could England, with their Arsenal core, contain Spain with their Barcelona core? The match played out very much the same way as the Euro Final. Spain maintained most of the possession and looked like the better side, while England kept the ball out of the net and reduced Spain’s advantage to an academic one. Goals Straight from North London While Arsenal features six England players, their member on the Spanish side, Mariona Caldentey, was first on the scoreboard on Sunday. The former Barcelona forward’s tally came from a thundering header in the 25th minute. On the other side of halftime, it was Caldentey’s Arsenal teammates who crafted the equalizer. Chloe Kelly crossed for Alessia Russo, who went for placement rather than power with her header and found the back of the net behind Spanish keeper Cata Coll. The balance of the 90 minutes and both periods of extra time went by without another goal, setting up a penalty shootout for the title. Arsenal forwards Beth Mead and Caldentey both had penalty attempts saved along with Gunners defender Leah Williamson and two-time Balon D’Or winner Aitana Bonmati. After Salma Paraluello missed her kick wide it set up Gunner Chloe Kelly for the winner, which she dispatched with aplomb. Between the honors earned by Spain and Barcelona, there is no denying their quality, but the England side, powered by a core of Arsenal players, are now two-time defending European Champions to go along with the Gunners' Champions League title. The Arsenal women have consistently displayed the mentality necessary to prevail on the biggest stage against incredibly talented opponents. Notes from Singapore While the Women’s Euros were playing out in Switzerland, the men traveled to Asia to start their pre-season schedule. Pre-season matches, by their nature, are disjointed and don’t make for the best entertainment because coaches are getting players into shape, trying combinations and tactics, and rotating 22+ players into a 90-minute match that usually only accommodates 13 or 14 players. Despite those realities, there were some positive takeaways worth passing along: Everyone Stayed Healthy. Job one in pre-season is to get everyone to the first match of the season in good health. The Arsenal men’s team has come through the first two matches in good shape. We’re still waiting to see a few players for the first time, with Gabriel and Jurian Timber still recovering from injuries late last season, and new arrivals Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres not yet with the team. Otherwise, everyone is training and playing in the pre-season. Zubimendi Impresses. Martin Zubimendi is the rare case of a high-level international player whose move was completed early in the transfer window, and who didn’t have any summer obligations for his country. As a result, he was available to participate in Arsenal’s entire pre-season program. On early evidence, he is going to be a great addition. He isn’t going to show up in many highlight packages, but he is assured on the ball, and kept the attack moving in the half he played against each of AC Milan and Newcastle. One for the Future. Arsenal’s academy has been producing talent at a high level recently, with Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri the highest profile graduates currently starring with the first team. The next in line may well be Max Dowman. Participating in his first pre-season with the first team, the 15-year-old has very much looked the part against high level opposition. His first appearance against Milan showed some flashes without any end product, but his second appearance against Newcastle saw the precocious teen draw a penalty and force a strong save from the Magpies’ goalkeeper. It is probably too much to expect a significant role in Premier League and Champions League action for Dowman this season, but he’ll be one of the main reasons I tune in to watch their early round League Cup and FA Cup matches. He looks like he might be another special player coming off the Colney assembly line. Next up for the men will be the first North London Derby played outside of the UK, as Arsenal face off against Tottenham from Hong Kong on Thursday, July 31 at 7:30 AM Eastern Time.
There's a Lot Going On in the Offseason While summer is technically the "offseason" for Premier League and Women’s Super League teams, that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. For club teams, the summer is about a few things for both the men’s and women’s sides: International tournaments Player movement Kit releases Pre-season tours This week, we’ll look at each of the above from an Arsenal perspective for both the men and the women. International Tournaments Because Arsenal did not qualify for the new version of the Club World Cup, there wasn’t a great deal happening on the pitch for the men this summer. Mikel Merino and new signing Martin Zubimendi featured for Spain in the UEFA Nations League final in early June. Gabriel Martinelli played for Brazil at about the same time in the CONMEBOL version. Beyond those couple of matches, the summer was a rare time to rest and recover between the end of one Premier League season and the start of the next. The summer has been more active for many of the Arsenal women. The Women’s Euros are being held this month in Switzerland and Arsenal are well represented, with twelve players being called up to represent their countries. Here are the Arsenal players competing and which country they are representing: England: Michelle Agyemang, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Alessia Russo, Leah Williamson Netherlands: Victoria Pelova, Daphne van Domselaar Norway: Frida Maanum Spain: Mariona Caldentey Sweden: Stina Blackstenius Switzerland: Lia Walti For those interested in watching, Women’s Euro matches are being televised in the US by Fox (mostly on FS1). Player Movement With the men’s and women’s sides having finished last season second in the Premier League and Women’s Super League respectively, this is an important summer for both when it comes to strengthening their squads as they look to move up a spot in the standings in 2025-26. Player movement in club soccer is a little different from American sports. There are no drafts, and there are rarely trades. Players are typically acquired in cash, or as free agents when their contracts expire. Players can be bought and sold during the so-called “transfer window” from July 1st through August 31st, as well as the “January window” which offers a mid-season opportunity to adjust rosters. Despite the summer window being less than half way through, both the Arsenal men and women have been busy with both headline-grabbing moves, as well as smaller ones to build depth. Here’s a rundown for each side: Men’s Transfers Mikel Arteta’s side entered the transfer window knowing that it was going to lose Jorginho and Tomas Partey at the base of midfield, Neto as a second choice goalkeeper, and Takehiro Tomiyasu as a utility defender. They also had a big gap at the center forward position where Gabriel Jesus has struggled with injuries and Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino were more makeshift solutions rather than first choice. Beyond those clear needs, there was a desire to improve depth across a squad that showed cracks when injuries hit key starters like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, and Gabriel last season. New Sporting Director Andrea Berta has come in and gotten to work quickly to address his “to-do” list. Here’s a quick summary of confirmed arrivals for the 2025-26 season: Martin Zubimendi: This one has been percolating for over a year with Mikel Arteta looking to bring in his countryman to control the base of midfield for the Gunners. Zubimendi is not going to be a flashy presence but has a reputation for being in the right place at the right time to snuff out trouble and then making the right passes to get the ball out of danger and where it needs to be to start an attack. His presence should allow Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice to play further up the pitch without worrying about leaving gaps behind them. Victor Gyökeres: Since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the club in 2022, Arsenal have been looking for a top-level center forward. In Victor Gyökeres they may have finally gotten their man. A late bloomer, Gyökeres broke out as a 23-year-old in the Championship scoring 17 and 21 goals for Coventry City which earned him a move to Sporting Lisbon where he absolutely exploded with 68 goals in 66 Premeira Liga matches over the past two seasons. The move from the Portuguese first division to the Premier League is not to be dismissed but Gyökeres has also been prolific for Sweden in international play (10 goals in six matches) and in the Champions League for Sporting (6 goals and 2 assists in eight matches). Both fast and powerful, Gyökeres will be counted on to lead Arsenal’s attack for the foreseeable future. Noni Madueke: The good news is that Bukayo Saka is one of the biggest young stars in world football. The bad news is that while he seems super-human at times, he can go down to injury as he did for a significant chunk of the second half of last season. Enter Noni Madueke. The 23-year-old winger can play on either wing but, as a left-footer like Saka, is likely to play on the right more frequently as Saka does. That he is being brought in as depth shouldn’t cast shade on the player so much as highlight Arsenal’s desire to have depth in top level talent. Madueke scored seven goals and added three assists across 32 matches in the Premier League last season and has represented England at every age level, including seven appearances for the senior national team. Christian Norgaard: The 31-year-old Danish holding midfielder arrives from Brentford as an experienced Premier League campaigner who can play a role when called on, provide leadership in the locker room, and be counted on not to understand that Zubimendi and Rice are ahead of him in the pecking order for minutes in midfield. This isn’t the type of transfer that makes headlines but is one that can save a match or even a season if the injury bug strikes. Kepa Arrizabalaga: Arsenal’s new second choice goalkeeper holds the distinction of being the most expensive goalkeeper in football history when he made his move from Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea in 2018. While that move didn’t move out as Chelsea had hoped, Kepa is more than qualified as a back-up for David Raya and comes much cheaper this time around. Still only 30, Arrizabalaga has been selected for the Spanish national team 13 times and has won the Champions League twice, the Europa League, La Liga, and the UEFA Nations League among other titles. Cristhian Mosquera: Nominated for 2024 Golden Boy award given to the best young player in Europe, Mosquera represents depth at center back immediately and a potential replacement for William Saliba should the Frenchman decide to leave the club at some point. In addition to the six players above arriving, there is plenty of talk about further activity as Arsenal continue to look to strengthen the squad as they look to close the gap between themselves and 2024-25 title-winner Liverpool. Women’s Transfers Not to be outdone by their male counterparts, the Arsenal women have been busy acquiring talent in an effort to build on their second place finish in the Super League, as well as defending their Champions League crown. Their initial forays into the market were of the lower profile variety, but the third week of July saw them break the women’s transfer record to bring in 20-year-old Canadian national team forward Olivia Smith from Liverpool. Here’s a look at the new players that have been confirmed so far this summer: Olivia Smith: At age 20 and already the veteran of three seasons as a professional, Olivia Smith was Liverpool’s top scorer in her lone season on Merseyside and was voted the Reds Players Player of the Season last term. The youngest player ever to play for Canada at 15 years and 94 days, she has scored 4 times in 18 matches for her country after a prolific 22 goals in 22 appearances at the U20 level. Taylor Hinds: England-born Jamaican international Hinds played at Arsenal as a youth player and is returning to the club after two seasons at Everton and five at Liverpool. The left back was a vice captain at Liverpool for multiple seasons and has captained the club on occasion. Hinds arrives on a free transfer after her contract at Anfield expired and will likely start her second stint at Arsenal as a reserve. Chloe Kelly: Another Arsenal youth product who left the club only to rejoin, Kelly actually returned to Arsenal ahead of last season on loan from Manchester City. She started eight matches in the Super League, scoring twice, and started five times in the Champions League, including the final. With the expiration of her contract at Manchester City at the end of her loan period, Kelly has elected to rejoin Arsenal on a free transfer. Kelly and fellow returnee Taylor Hinds came through the youth ranks at Arsenal together and were teammates at Everton. Anneke Borbe: Despite being relatively young for a goalkeeper at 24, Borbe has been playing professionally in Germany for eight years. Borbe has been up and down between Germany’s top two leagues with Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg, and has featured 87 times between the two clubs in her eight seasons. Her 2024-25 Wolfsburg side made it as far as the quarter finals of the Champions League. She has also been selected for Germany at multiple youth levels. One for the future, Borbe arrives on a free transfer and will likely start her Arsenal career as a reserve. As with the men, there is certainly time for more new players to arrive. The fact that three of the four new arrivals so far have been free agents means that there may be some budget left for another higher profile arrival or two. Kit Releases It used to be that soccer clubs, like most American sports, changed their kits infrequently and, when they did, only made minor alterations. Those days are long gone, yielding to a cycle where clubs release three kits - home, away, and a third - each year along with a training range or two and a variety of other options for the supporter who wants to show their allegiance. As an Arsenal supporter of many years, I have my favorites and some that I am not as fond of but this year is off to a solid start. Here is right back Jurrian Timber unboxing Arsenal’s new home kit . The home kit rarely strays too far from Arsenal’s traditional red torso with white sleeves and this season is no exception. The differences from year-to-year tend to be in the details when it comes to the home kit. The away kit tends to provide more flexibility for designers as Arsenal have used a variety of secondary colors as the basis for the away kit. Blue has figured heavily into the away kit from the earliest days of the club having multiple kits and this season adds heavy graphical elements. Here is a video of a number of players unboxing the new away kit . The third kit will be announced later in the summer, and from what I’ve seen via unofficial leaks on the interwebs is correct, it is going to be gorgeous. Pre-Season Tour Finally, to wrap up our guide to all things Arsenal over the summer, we arrive at the club’s pre-season tour. Global soccer clubs, recognizing a chance to expand their fan bases outside of their home countries, have turned their pre-season into a combination of training and goodwill-building tours, with the US, Asia, and Australia being popular destinations. Over the past two summers, DC’s Audi Field has hosted both the men—facing off against the MLS All-Stars in the summer of 2023, and the women—who played Chelsea’s side in a doubleheader that also featured the Washington Spirit and Kansas City Current. This season sees the Arsenal Men traveling to Singapore and Hong Kong where they will play AC Milan (July 23rd), Newcastle United (July 27th), and rival Tottenham Hotspur (July 31st). The Arsenal Women, at least those not participating in the Euros, have just returned to training outside of London and have yet to announce any pre-season friendlies or tour plans.
