Arsenal Women: Trailblazers welcomes a very special guest as Roberto is joined by Demian Arriaga, creator and former host of That Arsenal Women Podcast and a regular voice on Highbury Squad’s Arsenal Women coverage.
In this episode, Demian reflects on his journey as an Arsenal Women supporter, how players like Daniëlle van de Donk and Vivianne Miedema drew him deeper into the women’s game, and why Arsenal Women became such an important part of his football life.
The conversation also explores the Jonas Eidevall era, the treatment of senior players including Viv, the changing atmosphere around the club, and the impact Renée Slegers has had in reshaping belief around Arsenal Women.
Roberto and Demian also discuss online toxicity, fan culture, the protection of the women’s game from the worst habits of men’s football, Arsenal’s Champions League triumph over Barcelona, how close the club came to the WSL title, and what recent transfer moves could mean for the future.
You can support Demian’s Venezuela earthquake fundraising efforts and find all of his links here: linktr.ee/demianarriaga
Read Demian’s blog here: thatarsenalwomenblog.com
Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers on Instagram: @arsenalwomentrailblazers
Find Arsenal Women: Trailblazers on BlueSky: ArsenalWomenTB
Visit the website: arsenalwomentrailblazers.com
Chapter markers
00:00 – Intro and housekeeping
00:01 – Introducing Demian Arriaga
00:04 – Venezuela, community and fundraiser
00:08 – Shared Arsenal origin stories
00:13 – Jonas era, Viv and player treatment
00:24 – Online toxicity and fan media culture
00:30 – Protecting the women’s game from men’s football behaviour
00:35 – Renée Slegers, season turnaround and Champions League win
00:45 – How close Arsenal were to the WSL title
00:55 – Transfers, Beth Mead and strengthening rivals
01:05 – Fan media, blogging and Demian’s current work
01:10 – How to follow Demian and where to find the pod
01:18 – Outro and thank you
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