‘No-one would have thought Arsenal could have won the Champions League, and they did it. They proved their character - they were resilient and hard to beat’ Rachel Yankey on Arsenal’s WSL hopes

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The Gunners will be hoping to end London rivals Chelsea’s recent WSL domination

Arsenal Women
Arsenal Women conquered Europe last season (Image credit: Getty Images)

The new Women’s Super League Season kicks off on September 5, when Chelsea begin their title defence with a home clash against Manchester City.

Last season’s victory was the Blues’ sixth success in a row and part of a domestic treble for Sonia Bompastor’s side.

Leading the charge for Chelsea’s rivals this season are freshly-crowned European champions Arsenal, who claimed their second Champions League title in May when they saw off Barcelona 1-0 in Lisbon.

Rachel Yankey assesses Arsenal’s title chances ahead of WSL opener

Rachel Yankey

Rachel Yankey is a former Gunners winger (Image credit: Getty Images)

So will the Gunners’ European victory be the perfect springboard for them to end Chelsea’s domestic domination? Former Arsenal winger Rachel Yankey believes so.

“I don’t see why not,” Yankey tells FourFourTwo when asked if she believes Arsenal can win this WSL this season. “Everyone is fighting for that top spot, a few teams are up there, but no-one would have thought Arsenal could have won the Champions League, and they did it.

Chelsea Women players celebrate after winning the Barclays Women's Super League during a Barclays Women's Super League match between Manchester United and Chelsea FC at Leigh Sports Village on April 30, 2025 in Leigh, England.

Chelsea made is six WSL titles in a row last season (Image credit: Getty Images)

“They proved their character - they were resilient and hard to beat. The pressure is on them.”

Yankey was part of the Gunners team that won their first Champions League title back in 2007 when they defeated Swedish side Umea in the final, four years before the WSL began.

“I was beaming when they won it last season,” Yankey adds. “There were so many things that we could relate to from 2007 - they were underdogs and people had written them off. Barcelona had won it multiple times before, the same with Umea.

“People were talking about Barça’s midfield and not really appreciating the calibre of players that Arsenal have.

Leah Williamson of Arsenal acknowledges the fans after the team's victory during the UEFA Women's Champions League match between Arsenal FC and Valerenga at Emirates Stadium on October 16, 2024 in London, England.

Arsenal skipper Leah Williamson (Image credit: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“It was against all the odds, and it was fantastic to see the amount of fans they took to Portugal for the final, and then for the celebrations at the Emirates.”

Arsenal’s campaign kicks off with newly promoted London City Lionesses, who won the Women’s Championship on the final day of last season.

Joe Mewis
Joe Mewis

For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

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