Arsenal W.F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Arsenal Women Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Gunners | |||
| Founded | 1987 as Arsenal Ladies | |||
| Ground | Emirates Stadium (from 2024–25 season) Meadow Park (other home games) |
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| Capacity | 60,704 (all seated) Emirates Stadium 4,500 (1,700 seated) Meadow Park |
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| Owner | Kroenke Sports & Entertainment | |||
| Manager | Renée Slegers | |||
| League | FA WSL | |||
| 2019–20 | FA WSL, 3rd of 12 | |||
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Arsenal Women Football Club, often called just Arsenal, is a professional women's football team. They are based in Islington, London, England. The club plays in the Women's Super League. This is the top football league for women in England.
Arsenal Women was started in 1987 by Vic Akers. He became their first and most successful manager. He led the team to many wins until 2009. Arsenal has won more top-tier matches than any other English women's team. They also hold records for winning the most "doubles" (league and a cup) and "trebles" (three trophies in one season). The club has had seven league seasons without losing a single game. They also hold records for the longest unbeaten run, most goals scored, and most points won.
Arsenal is the most successful club in English women's football. They are also one of the most successful women's clubs in the world. They have won the most titles in every domestic competition they've played. This includes 15 league titles, 14 Women's FA Cups, and 7 Women's League Cups. They have also won 10 Women's National League Cups and 5 Women's FA Community Shields. Arsenal is the only English club to win the UEFA Women's Champions League. They won it in 2007 and 2025. In the 2006–07 season, they became the first women's team to win six trophies in one season.
Arsenal plays most of their home games at Emirates Stadium. Some other games are played at Meadow Park in Borehamwood. In the 2023–24 season, Arsenal broke the WSL attendance record three times. The club plans to play all their matches at the Emirates Stadium in the future. This includes league games and Champions League qualifying rounds.
Contents
History of Arsenal Women
How Arsenal Women Started and Early Wins (1987–2009)
Arsenal Football Club thought about having a women's team in the 1960s. But they didn't support local women's teams then. In 1969, the Football Association (FA) allowed women's football again. This made the sport much more popular.
Millwall Lionesses was the first women's team to join a big men's club. They started in 1971 and had a great youth program. Arsenal wanted to do the same. They joined with a local team called Aylesbury Ladies. This is how Arsenal Ladies Football Club began in 1987.
Vic Akers, who was the men's team kit manager, became the first manager. With help from David Dein, the club's vice chairman, Akers got resources for the women's team. This included playing boots, the men's team coach, and training facilities. This support was rare for women's football back then. Because of this, Arsenal became very strong in English women's football in the 1990s and 2000s.
They won their first big trophy, the Women's League Cup, in the 1991–92 season. They also moved up to the FA Women's Premier League that same year. A season later, they won the top league title right away.
This started a time of great success for the club. They moved permanently to Meadow Park in Borehamwood. Arsenal worked hard to make women's football as important as men's. They focused on training, tactics, finding new players, and money. This helped them grow and win many trophies.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Arsenal often finished first in the Premier League. They had talented players from their own youth academy, like Marieanne Spacey and Faye White. They also bought star players like Emma Byrne. Akers briefly stepped down in 1997 but returned in 1998. In 2002, the club became semi-professional.
Under Akers, Arsenal won many domestic titles. They won 11 league titles, 9 FA Women's Cups, and 10 FA Women's Premier League Cups. They also won 5 FA Women's Community Shields. This included winning the league seven times in a row from 2003–04 to 2009–10. Six of these seasons were unbeaten.
Akers led the team to their most successful season ever in 2006–07. They won every competition they played in, including the UEFA Women's Cup. This was Arsenal's only European trophy at the time. It was also the first time an English club won this competition. This amazing achievement of winning six trophies was celebrated by the Sports Journalists' Association.
Akers also set many English women's football records. This included a six-year unbeaten run in the league. It lasted from October 2003 to March 2009, with 108 games without a loss. During this time, Arsenal won a record 51 league games in a row. This streak was from November 2005 to April 2008. Akers retired after winning three domestic trophies in the 2008–09 season.
After Akers and the WSL Era (2009–Present)
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Tony Gervaise took over from Akers. But he resigned in February 2010 after only eight months. He felt his job was being interfered with. The reserve coach, Laura Harvey, then became the first-team manager. Gervaise became the reserve coach. This was the first time Arsenal had a female coach for the main team.
After a break to prepare for a new league, Arsenal became a founding member of the FA Women's Super League (WSL). The WSL started in spring 2011. Arsenal won the first WSL season. This was their eighth league title in a row. They also won the FA Cup, completing another "double."
After two years without a league win, Shelley Kerr became manager in 2013. Under her, the club won two FA Women's Cups. One win in 2014 happened just two weeks after the men's team won their FA Cup. This was a rare FA Cup "double" for the club. But after a bad start to the 2014 season, Kerr resigned. She was replaced by Pedro Losa.
Losa led the team to win the 2015 FA WSL Cup and the 2016 FA Women's Cup. He also helped rebuild the team. He brought in young stars like Daniëlle van de Donk, Kim Little, Beth Mead, and Vivianne Miedema. He also helped young players like Leah Williamson develop. Losa left after a poor start to the 2017-18 season. Joe Montemurro took over.
In July 2017, the club changed its name to Arsenal Women Football Club. This was to show "togetherness and unity." Montemurro used the strong team Losa had built. He led Arsenal to win the 2018–19 Women's Super League title. This was their first league title in seven years. It also meant they returned to the Champions League. Montemurro left the club at the end of the 2020–21 season.
After Montemurro left, Jonas Eidevall became the new head coach. On September 24, 2022, a game against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium had 47,367 fans. This was the highest attendance ever for a WSL match at the time. Arsenal won that game 4–0. On March 5, 2023, Arsenal beat Chelsea 3–1 in the Women's League Cup final. This was their first trophy since 2019. Arsenal won the League Cup again the next year. They beat Chelsea 1–0 after extra time. This was their ninth Women's League Cup title.
In the 2023–24 season, the WSL attendance record was broken three times at the Emirates. There were 54,115 fans against Liverpool in September. Then 59,042 against Chelsea in December. And 60,160 against Manchester United in February. In March, the Emirates was full again for the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. There were 60,050 fans, making it the second-biggest crowd in WSL history.
On October 15, 2024, during the 2024-25 season, Jonas Eidevall resigned as manager. This happened after some poor results. Renée Slegers, a former Dutch national player, became the interim head coach. On January 17, 2025, Slegers was made the permanent head coach. On April 27, 2025, Arsenal reached their first UEFA Women's Champions League final in 18 years. They beat Lyon 5-3 over two games. In the final on May 24, Arsenal defeated Barcelona 1–0. This was their second Champions League title.
Team Kits
Kit Makers and Shirt Sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–1994 | Adidas | JVC | None |
| 1994–1999 | Nike | ||
| 1999–2002 | Dreamcast Sega |
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| 2002–2006 | O2 | ||
| 2006–2014 | Fly Emirates | ||
| 2014–2018 | Puma | ||
| 2018–2019 | Visit Rwanda | ||
| 2019– | Adidas |
Stadiums Where Arsenal Women Play
Arsenal played most of their home games at Meadow Park. This is the home of National League team Boreham Wood FC. Meadow Park can hold 4,500 fans.
In the 2022–23 season, Arsenal had the highest home attendance in the WSL. They averaged 15,046 fans per match. This average included games at both Meadow Park and Emirates Stadium. For the 2023–24 season, Arsenal played five matches at the Emirates Stadium. The rest were at Meadow Park. The average attendance was 30,017 per match.
Starting with the 2024–25 season, Emirates Stadium is the main home for Arsenal Women. The team will play 8–11 WSL matches and Champions League 2024–25 matches at the Emirates. Other matches will still be played at Meadow Park.
Players of Arsenal Women
First-team squad
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Players on Loan
These players are temporarily playing for other teams.
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Youth Academy
Arsenal also has a reserve team, mostly made of players from their Academy. The reserves have won four FA Women's Premier Reserve League titles. They also won five FA Women's Premier Reserve League Cups.
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Dual Registration Loans for Academy Players
Academy players can go on "Dual Registration" loans. These loans can be for half a season or a full season. This lets them get experience playing for senior teams in lower leagues. They can still play for their Academy or even the Arsenal senior team.
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Famous Former Players
For notable current and former players, see Category:Arsenal W.F.C. players.
Management and Staff
Current Staff Members
- As of 17 January 2025
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Director of Women's Football | Clare Wheatley |
| Technical Services Manager | Jodie Taylor |
| Manager | Renée Slegers |
| Assistant coaches | Aaron D'Antino |
| Kelly Smith | |
| Chris Bradley | |
| Goalkeeper coach | Sebastian Barton |
| Lead strength and conditioning coach | Padraig Roche |
| Head of sports medicine and sports science | Gary Lewin |
| Doctor | Matthew Ogunsanya |
| Lead physiotherapist | Rose Glendinning |
| Sports psychologist | Matt Domville |
| Analyst | Jonny Dixon |
| Melissa Phillips | |
| Head of Women's Football Operations | Holly Skinner |
| Academy manager | James Honeyman |
History of Managers
| Dates | Name |
|---|---|
| 1987–1997 |  Vic Akers |
| 1997–1998 | Terry Howard |
| 1998–2009 | Vic Akers |
| 2009–2010 |  Tony Gervaise |
| 2010–2013 | Laura Harvey |
| 2013–2014 | Shelley Kerr |
| 2014–2017 |  Pedro Martínez Losa |
| 2017–2021 |  Joe Montemurro |
| 2021–2024 |  Jonas Eidevall |
| 2024– |  Renée Slegers |
Trophies and Honours
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional | London County FA Women's Cup | 10 | 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 |
| National | English Football Championship | 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 |
| FA Women's Premier League South | 1 | 1991–92 | |
| 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 Women's League Cup | 7 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017–18, 2022–23, 2023–24 | |
| FA Women's National League Cup | 10 | 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09 | |
| Women's FA Community Shield | 5 | 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008 | |
| Continental | UEFA Women's Champions League | 2 | 2006–07, 2024–25 |
See also
In Spanish: Arsenal Women Football Club para niños
