Another Women’s Super League season beckons, one that will determine just how dominant Chelsea can be without talismanic head coach Emma Hayes. With Hayes gone, having left England to coach the U.S. women’s national team and winning Olympic gold over the summer, the door is open for a new team to supplant them and establish themselves as the new superpower in England. The top contenders are the other members of the often called ‘big three,’ Arsenal and Manchester City.
In prior seasons, both teams have struggled to keep up with Hayes’ Chelsea, inevitably losing out in different circumstances. However, with Sonia Bompastor now at the helm — the former player hired from French giants Olympique Lyon in May — there will inevitably be a bedding-in period and an unknown amount of time to adapt her tactics to her squad.
Their rivals now have a chance to overtake them and assert their mark on the league.
So far Arsenal have been impressive, with their recent 6-0 victory over Rangers in the UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifier showcasing their potential dominance. The style and approach adopted by the Gunners in preseason highlighted both their ruthlessness and tactical confidence.
Though head coach Jonas Eidevall’s summer signings were limited, they are packed with quality. The additions of goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar, attacking midfielder Rosa Kafaji, and winger-cum-midfielder Mariona Caldentey have undoubtedly strengthened Arsenal’s squad, with Caldentey’s impact likely to be the most significant.
The signing from Barcelona is widely viewed as an astute acquisition — the Spanish international is one of the best players in the world and has been underappreciated in Spain’s Liga F for many years. She comes into a side brimming with talent so let’s look at how Caldentey fits and what she brings to this Arsenal team.
