Why Arsenal fans should be content with second in the WSL, but not satisfied

Now that Arsenal women's season is over, how should one reflect on it? Well, with mixed emotions. The Gunners did have the high of winning the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup on home soil, beating Corinthians 3-2 at the Emirates in February, thanks to Caitlin Foord's extra time winner.

However, they also endured the disappointment of failing to reach back-to-back Champions League Finals, narrowly ousted 4-3 on aggregate by OL Lyonnes in the semi-finals, with les Fenottes' winner in France coming four minutes from time. Renée Slegers' side also failed to win the club's first WSL title since 2019, ultimately ending up four points below champions Manchester City.

Nevertheless, Saturday's 3-1 victory over Liverpool, extending their WSL unbeaten run to 17 matches, was enough to secure second place. Alessia Russo bagging a brace at Anfield, while Mariona Caldentey lashed home from an acute angle in-between. This makes the Gunners one of nine clubs to have guaranteed their spot in next season's Champions League league phase.

Clubs qualified for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase

Manchester City: Women's Super League champions.

Arsenal: Women's Super League runners-up.

Olympique Lyonnais Féminin: Première Ligue play-off finalists.

Paris FC: Première Ligue play-off finalists.

Barcelona Femení: Liga F champions.

Bayern Munich: Frauen-Bundesliga champions.

AS Roma: Serie A Femminile champions.

Benfica: Campeonato Nacional Feminino champions.

BK Häcken: UEFA Women's Europa Cup winners.

While nine spots have been snapped up already, the other nine will be decided during summer qualifiers. Chelsea, the WSL's third-place finishers, will need to win a two-legged play-off in August and September, to once again join the crème de la crème of European football.

Sonia Bompastor's team will be favourites to win, whoever they are drawn against. Nevertheless, with PSG, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, VfL Wolfsburg, Inter Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt, Juventus, Sporting, Hammarby and many others also involved in qualifying, it is unlikely to be straight forward. This is why Arsenal were so relived to pinch second spot, not having to worry about continental action until 22/23 September, by which time the WSL will be well under way.

Next season though, Gooners will be demanding that their side seriously challenge for the title. Slegers squad is going to expirence a huge amount of churn this summer, with Manuela Zinsberger, Katie McCabe, Laia Codina, Victoria Pelova and Beth Mead all already confirmed to be departing.

Meantime, according to widespread reports, England international Georgia Stanway is set to sign as a free agent, arriving from Bayern Munich. Having accumulated 91 international caps, a key member of the Lionesses side that won back-to-back Euros, there are few better midfielders on the planet.

Meantime, Géraldine Reuteler is also poised to arrive from Eintracht Frankfurt. Another midfielder, the 27 year old has racked up 83 caps for Switzerland, scoring 16 times, including netting during a 2-0 victory over Iceland at Stadion Wankdorf at last summer's European Championships.

It is not even June and those are two top-quality players in their prime on their way to North London, with more set to follow. After a sequence of second and even third place finishes, Arsenal really feel next season is their time to claim a record-extending 16th league title, after seven years without one.

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