Pressure on Arsenal highlights ‘problem’ of the Women’s Champions League

At full-time at the Emirates on Sunday, the deflation among the Arsenal fans was such that a 0-0 draw against Everton was greeted with a shrug and a sigh before a slow trudge home through the damp October mist. This was not how they envisioned starting a major week in the club’s season. Rather than bouncing into the start of the Women’s Champions League, Arsenal slumped to a dispiriting goalless draw at home. “We are disappointed with the result and the performance,” said Jonas Eidevall, unable to hide from what was clearly evident.

Then came the warning. “I think it is going to be a tough, challenging Women’s Super League this season, probably the toughest one we have ever had,” the Arsenal manager added. Their next fixtures may illustrate why. On Wednesday, the Gunners face the trip to Bayern Munich in their opening match of the Women’s Champions League group stage. Then on Saturday, Arsenal host London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates in one of their biggest games of the season. Given Arsenal’s start, it could be filed under “must not lose”, too.

According to Eidevall, Arsenal have also been handed a “disadvantage” ahead of two huge games. The Gunners face tight turnarounds for both, with one day less preparation time than their opponents. Bayern played on Saturday, while Chelsea host Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, having also had the weekend off. Ahead of the Everton game, Eidevall had fumed at the WSL’s “amateurish” scheduling which saw Chelsea and Manchester United’s match postponed. He wasn’t wrong. It was a rather embarrassing situation for all involved.

But it also pointed to one of the key themes for the English clubs ahead of this season’s Women’s Champions League. For the first time, England will have three clubs involved in the 16-team group stage, as Arsenal and Manchester City safely negotiated the qualifiers and joined champions Chelsea. The three teams who are expected to fight for the domestic title this season will have to balance competing on multiple fronts, which is nothing new for Chelsea, but is an additional challenge for Arsenal and City, having failed to qualify for the Champions League last year.

It is, though, something all three teams should be prepared for. Chelsea, Arsenal and City have some of the best squads in Europe. Arsenal, after all, were able to bring on five internationals in Leah Williamson, Caitlin Foord, Stina Blackstenius, Steph Catley and Lia Walti as they chased the winner against Everton, and still leave highly rated Rosa Kafaji and Kathrine Kuhl on the bench. Eidevall could hardly point to a lack of options at his disposal as he was unable to inject some life into Arsenal’s misfiring attack.

Meanwhile, City manager Gareth Taylor could afford to rest Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema against West Ham and still field a front three of Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Mary Fowler. Other teams in the WSL, Everton and West Ham among them, could only dream of such resources, and a comfortable victory for City was vindication for Taylor’s rotation. Undoubtedly, City would have had one eye on Wednesday night and the arrival of defending champions Barcelona, in what is their marquee fixture of the group stage.

Similarly, Chelsea kick off their pursuit of the Champions League under Sonia Bompastor with their glamour tie against Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. After falling short in their quest under Emma Hayes, Bompastor offers experience of winning the Champions League as both a player and coach with Lyon, and her appointment was clearly made to help the club take the next step in Europe.

But what the French coach may not have been prepared for as she adjusts to life in England was the scheduling. The preference of teams in the Women’s Super League to play on Sunday rather than Saturday creates issues when it comes to the Champions League, and led to the farce of Chelsea and Manchester United’s game being called off this past weekend. As Eidevall criticised the postponement, he pointed out that 13 of the 16 teams involved in the Women’s Champions League were scheduled to play on Friday or Saturday. The exceptions were the three English sides.

There is an issue of player welfare, amid existing concerns around the women’s football calendar. The schedule has led to Arsenal playing three games in six days, but Chelsea and City will also have to negotiate demanding runs of fixtures between now and Christmas. The new organisers of the Women’s Super League, the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), will hope to get through it without further postponements after they were unsuccessful in their attempt to persuade Uefa to move Chelsea’s home tie against Real Madrid.

Chelsea, City and Arsenal will hope to get through it without dropping points and putting their title challenges in jeopardy, while ensuring their progress to the quarter-finals in Europe. Of the three, Arsenal were drawn in the toughest group. Eidevall’s side face Juventus, who knocked out Paris Saint-Germain in qualifying, as well as Bayern and Norway’s Valerenga. City will hope to have enough to go through alongside Barcelona, with Hammarby and St Polten their other opposition. Chelsea may look to top their group and Bompastor’s side will take on Celtic and Twente as well as Real Madrid.

Despite Eidevall’s complaints, the new Champions League season comes at a time where the English challenge, and a collective bid for a first title since Arsenal won the old Uefa Women’s Cup in 2007, should be stronger than ever. Chelsea were arguably the better team against Barcelona in last year’s semi-finals, and were gradually getting closer before Hayes’ departure. Arsenal’s run to the semi-finals while negotiating an injury crisis in 2022, where they played in front of a sold-out Emirates for the first time, should also illustrate what is possible for an English team in the competition when momentum grows into the knockout rounds.

First, they need to get there. Eidevall pointed out that having three English teams in the Champions League “should be celebrated” but warned “it’s now a problem” for the league. The debate around fixtures also highlights the pressure on him, ahead of a big week for Arsenal.