With such a great squad (Thanks to Edu and Eidevall), why shouldn’t Arsenal Women win UWCL Glory?

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·28 de março de 2025

With such a great squad (Thanks to Edu and Eidevall), why shouldn’t Arsenal Women win UWCL Glory?

Jonas Eidevall and Edu truly deserve credit for their exceptional work in transforming Arsenal Women’s recruitment. After an injury-plagued 2022/23 season, which painfully exposed a lack of squad depth, the Gunners had no choice but to bolster their ranks. Arsenal had to invest heavily in rejuvenating their women’s team to remain competitive at the highest level.

The summer of 2023 saw the arrivals of Kyra Cooney-Cross, Laia Codina, Amanda Ilestedt, Chloe Lacasse, and Alessia Russo. This was followed by the winter of 2024, with Emily Fox joining the squad. Then, in the summer of 2024, Mariona Caldentey, Daphne van Domselaar, and Rosa Kafaji were added to the mix.

Vídeos OneFootball

Heading into this season, the question surrounding Arsenal Women wasn’t whether they could compete—it was who could possibly stand in their way.

Jonas Eidevall didn’t resign because he doubted his team’s ability. He stepped down because, despite the undeniable quality of the squad, the team was underperforming. Eidevall wisely recognised that the team had outgrown his leadership and needed someone else to unlock its full potential.

After Eidevall’s departure, Arsenal’s priority was finding the right person for the job. Fortunately, they may have done just that by promoting Renee Slegers from interim manager to the permanent role.

The Dutch tactician has already guided this Arsenal Women’s team to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals, and belief is growing that they can go all the way. Arsenal head into these high-stakes games with a secret weapon: their squad depth.

Following their remarkable 3-0 win against Real Madrid, overturning a 2-0 deficit, Slegers told reporters, “We spoke [at half-time] about the fact that we have such a great squad, with so many players who can come in and make a difference for us. Real Madrid doesn’t—they’ll tire at some point.”

Renee Slegers: "We spoke [at half time] about that we have such a great squad, we have so many players who will come in and make a difference for us. Real Madrid doesn't, they will get tired at some point."
– quarta-feira, 26 de março de 2025

The investment in Arsenal’s squad over the past two seasons is finally bearing fruit.

Their dominance against the Liga F side was especially evident, considering that top players such as Beth Mead, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Amanda Ilestedt, Stina Blackstenius, Lia Wälti, and Victoria Pelova were only afforded spots on the bench.

From those Renee comments, it’s undeniably clear that this Arsenal side is fully aware of just how strong they are.

They believe they can beat anyone—and that should strike fear into their opponents, but not into Arsenal fans.

While Eidevall and Edu may have moved on, they’ve left Arsenal Women in a far better position. It’s now up to Renee Slegers and incoming Sporting Director Andrea Berta to ensure the standards remain high.

Arsenal Women cannot afford to drop their level—if anything, they should continue striving to become the dominant force, not only in the Women’s Super League but across Europe.

What are your thoughts Gooners?

Michelle M

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