Arsenal Women: Trailblazers

There’s a point in the BBC interviews where Lotte Wubben-Moy says, very plainly, that Arsenal Women are going for the WSL league title this year, and the more I listened to everybody else around her, the more I thought this doesn’t sound like one player getting carried away in pre-season. It sounds like this Arsenal group knows exactly where it is now.In this episode of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, I’m looking at what Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Steph Catley and Renée Slegers have been saying about Arsenal, why elite players are choosing to come here, why others are choosing to stay, and what that tells us about the expectations for 2026/27.Georgia talks about first-day nerves, coming in early to settle, why she trusted her gut on Arsenal and why what the club is building feels fresh and exciting. Ona talks about coming back to England at 27, feeling like she’s entering her prime and wanting to win every trophy. Steph explains why Arsenal now feels like home, while Lotte makes it very clear that the WSL is the priority.And then Renée says it too.Arsenal want to win the league.I also talk about Daisy Goodhand’s excellent piece on Jenna Nighswonger and the idea that sometimes a very good player can join a very good club and it simply doesn’t work out. No villain required, no need to rewrite history, sometimes football is just more complicated than that.There’s also a lovely update from Madison and her Leah Williamson shirt story, a message from new Trailblazers member Helen Pearson, and Aya explains how Ted Lasso, Leah Williamson and a welcoming Arsenal community helped bring her into football in the first place.And yes, I may have promised to attempt the new Georgia Stanway chant.That was probably a mistake - I'll let you and your ears judge for yourselves!Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and find the accompanying articles at ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.comRead Daisy Goodhand's article on her Substack at https://daisygoodhand.substack.com/p/the-wrong-fit

Arsenal Women concluded their La Manga training camp with a 3-2 defeat to AC Milan in their second behind-closed-doors friendly of pre-season — but there was considerably more to this game than the scoreline suggests.In this episode of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, Roberto Revilla goes through Arsenal’s official match report and looks at what we can actually take from the game, rather than attempting to judge a performance none of us were able to watch.Leah Williamson headed home from an Olivia Smith corner, while summer signing Selina Cerci scored her first goal for Arsenal with a superb strike from outside the area. Alessia Russo, Stina Blackstenius and Cerci also hit the crossbar as Arsenal created chances and twice fought back from behind.There were encouraging signs from Olivia Smith, valuable minutes for academy prospects Kyri Teer-Hutchins, Amelia Marriott, Abi Conway and Bella Cowley, and another opportunity for Renée Slegers to learn about her squad as Arsenal completed a demanding training camp in scorching conditions in Spain.We also put the result into context. What does losing a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly actually tell us? How much can we reasonably infer from Arsenal’s match report? And with AC Milan further into their own pre-season preparations, is the immediate negativity surrounding a 3-2 defeat remotely justified?Arsenal now return to England before facing Paris FC on 23 August and Charlton Athletic on 26 August at Meadow Park, ahead of the start of the 2026/27 WSL season.🎙️ Arsenal Women: Trailblazers - following Arsenal Women on and off the pitch, telling the players’ stories and creating a welcoming place for supporters to learn more about the team.

Arsenal Women are in La Manga as preparations for the 2026/27 season continue - and apparently we needed to establish whether Leah Williamson actually got on the plane.She did. We can calm down.In this episode of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, I’m catching up on exactly where Arsenal are in pre-season, what we know about the training camp in Spain and what comes next, including the two confirmed matches at Meadow Park against Paris FC on Sunday 23 August and Charlton Athletic on Wednesday 26 August.I’m also answering some of your questions.Zoe Stephens wants to know exactly what we can establish about Arsenal’s behind-closed-doors win over Crystal Palace, including Caitlin Foord’s involvement and those two completely different elevens. That takes us into a wider conversation about why clubs play private pre-season friendlies, where information about those matches actually comes from and why sometimes the most accurate answer I can give you is simply: we don’t know.Head of the Irish Trailblazers Ciara Mallon wants to know whether the Paris FC and Charlton games will be televised or streamed - something I’ll be keeping a close eye on as soon as Arsenal release more information.And Madison Reed wants to take a banner to the Emirates asking Leah Williamson for her shirt. We’ve got the stadium rules she needs, but her question also prompted some rather unnecessary comments online about Leah, which got me thinking about something else: when somebody, particularly a younger or newer supporter, asks an innocent question because they’re excited about supporting one of our players, why are some people so determined to take the fun out of it?There’s plenty we’ll discover about Arsenal over the next few weeks. There’s also plenty we simply don’t know yet.And that’s okay.🎙️ Arsenal Women: Trailblazers follows Arsenal Women on and off the pitch, celebrating the players and people behind the shirt while creating a welcoming place to learn more about the team, ask questions and enjoy supporting Arsenal Women.Read more and join the Trailblazers community free at ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com.Follow @ArsenalWomenTrailblazers on Instagram for the latest episodes, articles and pre-season updates.

Arsenal Women are back, and pre-season begins with a 2-1 comeback win over Crystal Palace at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.But judging by some of the reaction online, you could be forgiven for thinking Arsenal had just lost their opening game of the WSL season.In my first Trailblazers match report, I use the official accounts from both Arsenal and Crystal Palace to piece together what actually happened in this behind-closed-doors friendly - and then, as always, we go a little deeper.Crystal Palace were playing their third pre-season match while this was Arsenal’s first. Renée Slegers changed the entire XI at half-time, academy players mixed with established internationals and new signings, and the only goal Arsenal conceded was described by Palace themselves as a stunning long-range strike. So is this really evidence that Arsenal urgently need another centre-back, or are we forgetting what pre-season is actually for? There’s plenty to be encouraged by, too.Summer signing Lisa Baum scored her first Arsenal goal, and the manner in which she did it - receiving the ball around the edge of the area, coming inside and shooting - looked remarkably similar to the player we identified when we first analysed her on Trailblazers. For supporters who don’t yet know much about Lisa, this might be our first glimpse of what makes Lisa Baum, Lisa Baum. And then there’s Chloe Kelly.After an injury-hit season, and less than 48 hours after I found myself pushing back against yet more criticism and abuse directed towards her online, Chloe returned to the pitch, controlled a difficult high ball and scored Arsenal’s winner with a half-volley.Does one pre-season goal prove her critics wrong? Of course not. Just as one difficult season doesn’t prove that Chloe Kelly suddenly isn’t good enough for Arsenal.So as Arsenal begin their preparations for 2026/27, perhaps there’s a better way for all of us to approach what happens over the next few weeks:Don’t overreact, but pay attention. 🎙️ Arsenal Women: Trailblazers follows Arsenal Women on and off the pitch, celebrating the players and people behind the shirt while creating a space for supporters to be curious, ask better questions and support this team with passion and perspective.Read the accompanying features and join the Trailblazers community free at ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com.Follow @ArsenalWomenTrailblazers on Instagram for more throughout pre-season and the 2026/27 campaign.If you enjoy the episode, follow or subscribe and send it to another Arsenal Women supporter who might enjoy Trailblazers.

Arsenal Women’s new third kit is here, Chloe Kelly has spoken openly about needing a physical and mental reset this summer, and Arsenal have quietly made an important coaching change behind the scenes.In this episode of Arsenal Women Trailblazers, I explain why the tailor in me completely changed his mind about Arsenal’s new third kit, why Nikita Runnacles’ appointment as Arsenal’s new set-piece and goalkeeping coach could have a much bigger impact than many supporters realise, and what Geraldine Reuteler’s first major interview reveals about the culture Renée Slegers is building at Arsenal.I also take a closer look at Chloe Kelly following her recent BBC interview, reflecting on everything she’s overcome over the past two years and addressing the online abuse and AI-generated misinformation that too many female footballers continue to face. Rather than amplifying negativity, I want to celebrate one of Arsenal’s most resilient players and discuss the kind of football community we should all be helping to build.In this episode:My thoughts on Arsenal Women’s new 2026/27 third kit.Why Nikita Runnacles’ appointment could improve Arsenal at both attacking and defending set pieces.Geraldine Reuteler on why joining Arsenal was a dream move.Chloe Kelly’s recent interview and why this could be her biggest season yet.Why supporting players matters just as much as supporting the team.If you enjoy independent Arsenal Women analysis that looks beyond the headlines, I’d really appreciate it if you could follow the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with another Arsenal supporter.

The Women’s Super League fixture list is finally here, and the new season suddenly feels very real.In this week’s episode of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, I look through Arsenal’s 2026/27 fixture list, discuss where the biggest tests and opportunities lie, and explain why I’m feeling optimistic about the campaign ahead.I also say goodbye to Laila Harbert following her move to San Diego Wave, reflect on Chloe Kelly’s honest comments after what she describes as a difficult year, and finish by answering your questions from the Trailblazers community.This week’s mailbag includes:Who should make up Arsenal’s first-choice midfield?Could Arsenal’s growing Spanish influence shape the way they play?How important is a strong start to the season?What should we make of the opening fixtures?And how does Manchester United’s squad compare with Arsenal’s heading into the new campaign?As always, we’re less interested in simply telling you what’s happened and much more interested in understanding why it matters.Chapter Markers00:00 – Cold Open00:25 – Welcome01:10 – Laila Harbert joins San Diego Wave11:38 – Chloe Kelly: “I needed this summer”21:17 – Arsenal’s 2026/27 WSL Fixtures30:26 – Mailbag53:00 – OutroArsenal Women, Arsenal Women podcast, Women’s Super League, WSL fixtures, Renée Slegers, Chloe Kelly, Laila Harbert, San Diego Wave, Arsenal transfers, Arsenal fixtures, Arsenal FC Women, Kim Little, Mariona Caldentey, Georgia Stanway, Women’s football, UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Arsenal Women striker Jess Gale has already scored goals during loan spells with Portsmouth and Bristol City, represented England’s Young Lionesses and started attracting interest ahead of another potentially important season in her development.With the 19-year-old now heavily linked with a loan move to Newcastle United Women, I take a closer look at her journey from Charlton and Arsenal’s academy into senior football, what she learned during two contrasting WSL 2 loans and why Newcastle could provide exactly the sort of pressure, responsibility and promotion challenge she needs next.I also consider whether keeping Jess around Arsenal’s first-team squad would actually help her development when Alessia Russo, Stina Blackstenius, Selina Cerci and Michelle Agyemang are already competing for central attacking minutes, before setting out what a successful 2026/27 loan season should look like.Elsewhere in the episode, I discuss the latest interviews with Renée Slegers and Arsenal’s new recruits, the club’s clear ambition to win the WSL and the difficult job Renée now faces balancing such a deep and competitive squad.Finally, I highlight an excellent statistical analysis from @WSLAnalytics explaining why Georgia Stanway may be exactly the midfielder Arsenal needed, including the remarkable passing numbers that show how she can give the team control, progression and greater influence in the final third.Chapter markers00:00 Jess Gale’s next big career decision00:48 Welcome to Arsenal Women: Trailblazers02:00 Arsenal’s new recruits want the WSL title04:35 What Renée Slegers is telling us08:10 Getting to know Jess Gale11:50 Five goals on loan at Portsmouth13:25 Jess Gale’s breakthrough at Bristol City16:00 What kind of striker is she?17:55 England recognition and the Under-20 World Cup18:40 Would Newcastle be the right loan?21:55 Why staying at Arsenal may slow her development24:15 What a successful loan season should look like26:30 @WSLAnalytics on Georgia Stanway31:15 Closing thoughts and Trailblazers updatesSuzanne Wrack's Guardian Article is here for you if you'd like to read it in full.

Arsenal Women’s pre-season is officially underway and, suddenly, the new season feels very real.In this episode I react to the launch of the new 2026/27 away kit, the players returning to the Sobha Realty Training Centre and the first images of Renée Slegers’ rebuilt squad training together.I also answer your questions from Instagram, including whether Misa Rodríguez will immediately become Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper, what Daphne van Domselaar’s injury means for the start of the season, where Anneke Borbe fits into the picture and why I believe Isabella Damm’s signing should be viewed very differently.More than anything though, this episode is about perspective. For years Arsenal supporters asked for greater squad depth and stronger competition. Now the club appears to have built exactly that, so are we worrying about the wrong thing?As always, this isn’t simply about what has happened. It’s about understanding why it matters.Special thanks to Trailblazers Ciara Mallon, Georgie Jord and Badger Cyclist for their questions!