"Arsenal are facing a run of "must-win" fixtures this month across their next eight games, in four different competitions, that will come to define their season. The Women's Super League title race is slowly slipping out of their grasp after a sluggish start to their season, so the last thing the Gunners needed was an expanded fixture list. Yet the reward for last summer's UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) triumph in Lisbon was participation in the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup."
"Meanwhile, the price for Arsenal's poor start to their UWCL defense was a place in the playoffs, so Renée Slegers' side have added a further two games to the list, against Belgian minnows OH Leuven, to try to secure a place in the knockout stages. As a result, the club now face four extra games across four vital weeks -- four more than title rivals Chelsea and WSL leaders Manchester City; two more than Manchester United, who are also in the UWCL playoffs."
Arsenal confront a congested schedule of eight fixtures spanning four competitions that will shape their season. Participation in the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup added two late-January matches after the UWCL triumph in Lisbon. A poor start in the UWCL forced playoff ties against OH Leuven, adding further matches to an already crowded calendar. The club now faces four extra games across crucial weeks, more than direct rivals, with each match carrying knockout or title-preserving importance while Arsenal sit 10 points behind WSL leaders Manchester City. Recent League Cup semifinal defeat ended the first realistic chance at silverware this season.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]