Arsenal went into this season’s Champions League qualifiers knowing what was at stake. They fell short last year, losing on penalties to Paris FC and missing out on qualification for the group stage, an experience Leah Williamson described as a “hurtful situation” which Arsenal “were left to regret that for the rest of the year”.
Their poor start to last season then continued in the league, where they lost and drew their opening two games. Out of the Champions League, they were then playing catch-up with Women’s Super League title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City just weeks into the season. Even with the eventual Continental Cup final win over Chelsea, the feeling of being off the pace haunted Arsenal throughout the campaign.
That created a lot of pressure going into the 2024-25 campaign, but their 6–0 win over Rangers in their first Champions League qualifying match on Wednesday night will build confidence ahead of an important few weeks for the club.
They were without Beth Mead and Steph Catley, but still looked comfortable, threatening and assured across the board. Jonas Eidevall spoke ahead of pre-season about using players returning from the Olympics in these early fixtures for their fitness and sharpness, with the aim of resting them later in the season….
