It has been a tough start to 2023 for Arsenal Women. A few weeks ago they were within touching distance of the top of the Women’s Super League, now they are pretty much out of the title race and, after Sunday’s loss to Chelsea, have been eliminated from the FA Cup.
Arsenal have won the Women’s FA Cup a record 14 times, but the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea in the fifth round means their seven-year wait to claim a 15th crown will go on.
And now, to avoid yet another campaign without winning a trophy (their last silverware was the 2018-19 WSL title), Arsenal will need to win next weekend’s Continental Cup final against, you guessed it, Chelsea, or overcome Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and then go on and win the competition. Both will be very tough.
Sunday’s defeat had all the trademarks of a misfiring Arsenal performance. Since the start of the year, Jonas Eidevall’s team have lost one and drawn two of their three WSL games, scoring just two goals. Across those three matches, Arsenal have had 41 shots, and just 18 have been on target.
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger shows her frustration on Sunday against Chelsea (Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
It was a similar situation at Kingsmeadow against Chelsea, Arsenal…
