Over the course of the last few years, women’s football has been on quite the rise. From domestic to European to international, we’ve seen a surge unlike anything in a generation. Now, we’re at the point where Arsenal are at the forefront of that movement – and not just because of their league performances.
The Gunners are coming off the back of a Champions League triumph in which they defeated Barcelona in the final. It was the kind of underdog victory that cemented them as one of Europe’s finest, and at Euro 2025, the club was able to emphasise that even more.
As we know, England’s Lionesses overcame the odds (and a great deal of adversity) to defeat Spain on penalties and retain their European title. Despite seemingly being down and out against both Sweden and Italy, they managed to push through and, somehow, win back-to-back European Championships.
One thing that isn’t being spoken about perhaps as much as it should be, though, is that a grand total of five members of England’s squad were Arsenal players. Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alessia Russo all represented North London with pride in that tournament.
Their popularity is surging, further illustrated by Chloe Kelly being the favourite to win the Sports Personality of the Year award. You can compare the odds of the likes of Rory McIlroy and Lando Norris using a free bet calculator to see how much she is favoured.
Sarina Wiegman deserves all the praise in the world for her efforts, but as far as Arsenal are concerned, it’s clear to see the impact all of this is having.
For the first time ever this season, all of the Gunners’ home WSL games will take place at the Emirates. If that doesn’t reaffirm where this movement is heading, we don’t know what will.
Buckle up, because we’re only just getting started.
