Twelve months is a short time in football. Journey back to this weekend a year ago, Arsenal had just issued the most compelling of Women’s Super League title statements, sweeping aside unbeaten Manchester City despite missing a penalty.
That sparked a four-match winning streak, where they scored a total of 16 goals, including a positively-charged 4-1 win over eventual champions Chelsea. Momentum was building on and off the pitch, and crowds were flocking to witness standard-setting Arsenal light up the Emirates.
Another attendance record was broken that day against Emma Hayes’ Chelsea, and the Gunners were projecting understandable attitude: ‘Arsenal are back’ was the headline of the moment. They became the envy of the league.
But tougher times were to follow. Optimism began to wane, confidence slowly drained from the previously jubilant stands after a series of dour displays, before it all culminated in manager Jonas Eidevall losing his job.
The Swede maintained that performances had been better than results – a defence that failed to stand up – but in reality Arsenal had lost identity and were at risk of being cut adrift. Confidence remains brittle in N5 despite two wins since Eidevall walked.
The situation is not too dissimilar from the frustration felt at Manchester United throughout last year’s turbulent campaign. Marc Skinner’s side – by his own admission – had been “bloated by the success” of the season previous, and standards slipped.
Many called for Skinner to go in the wake of such underperformance. Noise grew loud but never reached a full crescendo as United finished fifth, eventually saved by the solace of silverware after rounding off a poor season by winning the FA Cup.
And now, a month in to 2024-25, fortune appears to have flipped. Man Utd are on a steady incline after an unbeaten start – one of three teams, alongside Man City and Chelsea, yet to taste defeat. The ship has steadied and is on course for surer waters, while managerless Arsenal search frantically for some clear direction.
In many ways, then, this weekend’s encounter is serendipitous – two teams on seemingly opposite trajectories meeting at this particular juncture holds importance. For Arsenal, it’s a chance to prove this recent blip is not indicative of a wider, more worrying decline.
And for Man Utd – who have only lost one of their last four home games against Arsenal in the WSL – an opportunity to showcase meaningful progress, and cement themselves among title hopefuls.
Few statistics summarise the backdrop better than this one: Arsenal have made a league-high 12 changes to starting XIs so far this season, as they search for form, while Man Utd have made the joint-fewest (3).
A settled team is always a broader indication of content within camp. And this, Skinner’s 100th game in charge of Man Utd in all competitions, is the perfect time to prove success is still possible while he runs point.
Following dominant 3-0 wins over West Ham and Tottenham, the hosts are looking to win their opening three home games of a WSL season for the first time. They have only conceded once in four, and possess the second-best xG performance (behind Chelsea) of any side in the league, epitomised by the genius of Grace Clinton, who is turning into a goal-scoring force.
Momentum is a sound enough barometer, but football often has a funny way of surprising us.
Win or lose this weekend, Arsenal remain the most marketable club in the WSL, and have the solace of a Champions League campaign to service expectant fans. Pain can only ever really be temporary at a club so well entrenched in the fabric of the women’s game.
But pain can also get worse before it gets better. And Man Utd have the ability to prolong the suffering for at least one more week, which would all but eradicate the Gunners from the race completely and beg the bigger-picture question: Have Man Utd and Arsenal swapped places in the WSL pecking order?
