The mighty Arsenal (also referred to as the Gunners) is one of the most well-known clubs in the world. The North London club has a trophy-laden past that speaks for itself, and Arsenal ladies are a significant part of its fabric. Celebrating their 35th anniversary this year,1 we felt it was the perfect time to delve into why this team is so important to the women’s game in England. On this page, you’ll Learn about their history, current squad status, star players and more.

History of Arsenal Ladies

Arsenal Women’s Football Club was founded in 1987 by long-serving manager Vik Akers. He was one of the most influential figures in the Gunners setup, having managed the Arsenal ladies for 22 years and accumulating a whopping 33 trophies in his time there, including a season where they won every competition they participated. He left the club in 2009.

After Aker’s Departure, Arsenal went through a couple of management changes. In 2010, Laura Harvey (a youth development coach at the club at the time) was appointed first-team coach, becoming the first female to manage a side in the club’s history. She left the role in 2013. With the introduction of the Women’s Super League in 2011, the Arsenal ladies’ team became one of the league’s founding members and has been ever-present to this day.8

Success in Domestic Competitions

Throughout the years, Arsenal ladies dominated the domestic league and cup competitions. One of their most consistent periods (in terms of trophies) was their time under the stewardship of Vik Akers. The club recorded 11 league titles and 9 FA cups, with a host of other trophies in between. This period also included seven straight league title wins from the 2003–04 to the 2008–09 season.8

Below is a table of some of Arsenal women’s titles and cup wins. For your reference, we have only included data for top flight titles, FA cup and League Cup wins:

Arsenal Ladies Title and Cup Wins in Major Domestic Competitions8 (Data taken as of 28.09.2022)
Title Total Wins Years
Women’s National League Premier Division / Women’s Super League 15 1992–93, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011, 2012, 2018–19
Women’s FA Cup 14 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
FA WSL Cup / FA Women’s League Cup 5 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017–18

European Competitions

Regarded as one of the best ladies football clubs in the UK, Arsenal have had some success in European competitions too. They have won one major European competition in their history. In 2006, they became champions of the Women’s UEFA Cup (now referred to as the UEFA Women’s Champions League), which marked the first time an English club had achieved such a feat since the competition began.8

Current Arsenal Women’s Squad: 2022-23 Season

With the Women’s Super League already in full flow, it would be a good time to talk about the current squad for the 2022-23 season. As squads tend to change over the course of the season, it is good to keep up to date on the latest Arsenal ladies’ team news on their official women’s homepage. In the table below, we have listed all players in the Arsenal ladies squad by position:

Arsenal Women’s Squad for the 2022-2023 Season3 (Data taken as of 28.09.2022)
Position Players
Goalkeepers Manuela Zinsberger, Kaylan Marckese
Defenders Rafaelle Souza, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Jennifer Beattie, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Noelle Maritz, Laura Wienroither, Teyah Goldie
Midfielders Jordan Nobbs, Kim Little, Frida Maanum, Lia Walti, Mana Iwabuchi
Forwards Beth Mead, Vivian Miedema, Katie McCabe, Lina Hertig, Caitlin Foord, Stina Blackstenius

Manager and Notable Players

There are several players in the Arsenal women’s team that we feel will make an impact this current season. Below we will break down the stars to keep an eye on from the current crop, including their squad status, goals and more. In addition, we will give you a little insight into the manager of the team.

Leah Williamson

  • Position: Defender
  • Born: 29th March 1997
  • Nationality: English

As fantastic as she is for England, Leah Williamson is an equally important player for the Gunners. The ball-playing defender developed her talent in the Arsenal Academy of Excellence and has pushed on into the first team with ease. Nowadays, she is regarded as one of the finest in the world in her position.4

Kim Little

  • Position: Striker
  • Born: 19th June 1990
  • Nationality: Scottish

As one of the most experienced players in the squad and the current captain, we had to give a mention to the fantastic Kim Little. The creative scot has over 250 appearances for the club and is seen as one of the best players to wear the Arsenal shirt. Not only does she have the ability to play in a number of positions in midfield, but her vision and tactical awareness also translate into goals and assists for the team. A joy to behold for any spectator!5

Vivianne Miedema

  • Position: Striker
  • Born: 15th July 1996
  • Nationality: Dutch

One of Arsenal Women’s greatest goal scorers, Vivianne Miedema is the player to watch out for this season. With over 100 goals for the club, it is easy to see why she is such a handful for opposition defenders. Her prolific form over the last few years has seen her achieve 20+ goals in a season on more than one occasion, and this form is expected to continue.6

Jonas Eidevall – Manager

  • Games Managed: 51*
  • Games Won: 36*
  • Born: 28th January 1983

*Data taken as of 30.11.20227

Jonas Eidevall began coaching in his early twenties, taking on an assistant manager role at Swedish division 2 side, FC Lunds BK. Later, he would become manager of the women’s team, FC Rosengård. He gained an impressive record at the club and adding numerous Swedish cup and league titles to his CV, which by 2021, was enough to secure him a move to North London.11

Where Do the Team Play?

In this section, we discuss the facilities that Arsenal Women’s Football Club have at their disposal, including where they play their home fixtures and the training ground they use.

Meadow Park

Arsenal Ladies play the majority of their home matches at Meadow Park in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. An interesting fact about this stadium is that it is also home to Vanorama National League side Boreham Wood, which means both sides must coordinate their fixtures accordingly. On some occasions, the team play fixtures at the Emirates Stadium in London.9

Arsenal Training Centre

The Arsenal Training Centre (also known as London Colney) is a state-of-the-art complex that opened in 1999. A brainchild of Arsène Wenger (the men’s head coach at the time), the training facility houses 10 full-size pitches, various training and rehabilitation facilities as well as meeting, working and social hubs for players and staff to use.10

FAQs – All the Important Questions, Answered!

Do you still have questions that you are unsure of on this page? Below, we have collected some commonly asked questions about Arsenal Women’s Football Club and other relevant topics.

How many trophies have Arsenal Ladies won?

In total, Arsenal ladies have won 58 trophies in their history to date. Amongst these trophies are 15 league titles and 14 Women's FA Cups, as well as a UEFA Women's European Cup for extra measure.2

Who is the captain of Arsenal Ladies?

The current captain of Arsenal W.F.C is Kim Little. She has over 250 appearances for the gunners and captained the side to many titles down the years.5

Do any of the Lionesses play for Arsenal?

Yes, centre-back Leah Williamson and attacking midfielder Beth Mead have been critical to the Lionesses' success in recent times and they are expected to be in the England squad for the upcoming Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Where do Arsenal Ladies train?

The Arsenal women's team trains at the Arsenal Training Centre in London Colney. The complex was built in the late 1990s and is one of the best facilities in the UK. All senior and youth squads use this as their training headquarters.10

What is Arsenal women's home ground?

Arsenal Women play most of their home games at Meadow Park in Hertfordshire. They share their home ground with Borham Wood of the Vanorama National League, but on occasions, play fixtures at the Emirates Stadium (home of the men's team).9

Sources

  1. Arsenal Football Club. (n.d). Arsenal Women History. Accessed on September 28, 2022 from https://www.arsenal.com/women/women-history
  2. Arsenal Football Club. (n.d). Arsenal Women’s Honours. Accessed on September 28, 2022 from https://www.arsenal.com/women/honours
  3. Arsenal Football Club. (n.d). Arsenal Women’s Squad. Accessed on September 28, 2022 from https://www.arsenal.com/women/players
  4. Arsenal Football Club. (n.d). Leah Williamson. Accessed on September 28, 2022 from https://www.arsenal.com/women/players/leah-williamson
  5. Arsenal Football Club. (n.d). Kim Little. Accessed on September 28, 2022 from https://www.arsenal.com/women/players/kim-little
  6. Arsenal Football Club. (n.d). Vivianne Miedema. Accessed on September 28, 2022 from https://www.arsenal.com/women/players/vivianne-miedema
  7. FootyStats. (n.d). Jonas Eidevall Manager Stats. Accessed on November 30, 2022 from https://footystats.org/managers/sweden/jonas-eidevall
  8. Arsenal W.F.C. (2022, September 25). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arsenal_W.F.C.&oldid=1112184435
  9. Meadow Park (Borehamwood) (2022, August 10). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meadow_Park_(Borehamwood)&oldid=1103552458
  10. Arsenal Training Centre (2022, August 10). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arsenal_Training_Centre&oldid=1103552248
  11. Jonas Eidevall (2022, September 28). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jonas_Eidevall&oldid=1112840502