What Arsenal’s WSL position really means for next season | OneFootball

Following Matchday 19 out of 22, Arsenal are now nine points clear of fourth-placed Manchester City, with a significantly superior goal difference – +40 to Manchester City’s +17.

The odds of Arsenal losing their final three matches while City win theirs, and simultaneously overturning a 23-goal difference, are minimal.

Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images

This, therefore, confirms that Arsenal have joined Chelsea in qualifying for the 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Under the new UEFA format, the WSL champion qualifies directly for the League phase of the Women’s Champions League, which features 18 teams.

The runner-up enters via the League path in Qualifying Round 3, while the third-placed team enters in Qualifying Round 2.

The 2025/26 campaign will inaugurate this revamped structure, which includes the introduction of the newly established UEFA Women’s Europa Cup.

Nine clubs will qualify directly for the League phase:

The remaining nine League phase spots will be filled through qualification: four from the Champions path (which consists of three rounds) and five from the League path (comprising only Qualifying Rounds 2 and 3).

Under the previous format, the titleholder and champions from the top three associations gained direct entry to the group stage. If the titleholder also won one of these leagues, the champion of the fourth-ranked country was granted direct qualification.

However, the new system alters that dynamic:

If the UEFA Women’s Champions League titleholder also qualifies for the League phase via its domestic competition, the vacant slot is awarded to the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup titleholder. Consequently, should Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Lyon win the 2024/25 title and also qualify domestically, the Europa Cup champion will secure direct League phase entry.

This scenario appears likely: Lyon have already secured their League qualification, while Chelsea and Barcelona are on course to win their respective domestic titles.

However, since the 2025/26 season will be the first iteration of the Women’s Europa Cup, there is currently no titleholder. Therefore, the slot would instead go to the domestic champion with the highest individual club coefficient among those qualifying for Champions Path Qualifying Round 2.

A second such team would be elevated to fill the Europa Cup’s vacant spot in Qualifying Round 3.

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In practical terms, one club originally set to enter in Qualifying Round 2 via the Champions Path will be promoted to the League phase.

The likely beneficiaries are either Rosengård (Sweden), who hold the highest coefficient among eligible clubs, or Sankt Pölten (Austria), who have already qualified for the competition, though their domestic championship status is yet to be confirmed.

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For Arsenal, their entry into the 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League could occur at three potential stages:

If they win the Barclays WSL or the 2024/25 UWCL:

The 2025/26 season promises to be a thrilling one for the club, with four or potentially five trophies up for grabs and real hope on all fronts.