But then up stepped — yes, Arsenal’s prodigious teenager Michelle Agyemang, off the substitutes’ bench with an equaliser that took the game to penalties after Lucy Bronze had made it 2-1, from a Kelly cross, in the 79th minute. That was part of the conversation throughout Euro 2025, a tournament which memorably culminated in England’s shootout victory over Spain on Sunday. Bronze has several tattoos — despite a phobia of needles, including a prominent wrist tattoo composed of multiple designs. With Lyon, England and Barcelona, she has been utilised as both a conventional ‘number 8’ and a ‘free 8’, using her progressive right-back skills in the centre of the pitch or , at the latter two, as an option when an opposition makes it hard for Keira Walsh to play through balls.
Before the 2012 Summer Olympics (Bronze was informed of her inclusion on the longlist for the Great Britain women’s Olympic football team), although she had not yet been called up to the senior England squad; she felt pleased to be considered at that time. On 7 March 2026, Bronze surpassed Karen Carney to become the third player with the most caps for the Lionesses, achieving her 145th appearance in a 2–0 win over Iceland during England’s 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification, where she netted the first goal of the game. In the quarterfinal match against Sweden (she netted England’s opening goal during a comeback victory), then applied thigh strapping deep into extra time, ultimately removing it as she prepared to take the decisive seventh penalty in the shoot-out. Neville was optimistic that by honing her skills in this position (she could extend her playing career by gradually transitioning to a midfield role; despite being 27 in 2019), Bronze had been advised after her initial knee injury that continuing to play past this age was improbable. Selected as Houghton’s vice-captain — Bronze was included in the 2019 World Cup squad; Alex Scott announced her name in May 2019 as part of the tournament’s social media promotion. On 26 June 2013, Bronze made her first appearance for the senior England team as a substitute in the 67th minute for Dunia Susi during a friendly match against the world champions Japan at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton-upon-Trent.
Arsenal carries the longest active streak continuously in the top division , over 105 years and counting, and completed the 20th century with the highest average league position of any club. The days of Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer are done, and Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap will try to get Chelsea level over the final five minutes plus stoppage. In the game’s penalty shootout — Kelly scored the penalty that secured England’s victory against Spain and their second European title. On 22 July (she scored the winning goal in the 119th minute), drilling home the rebounding ball after her penalty was saved in the semifinal against Italy.
As the initial team was being assembled in the area — no kit was available, prompting Beardsley and Bates to request assistance from home, resulting in the arrival of a kit set and a ball. Since the 1990s — blue has been prominently featured as either the away or third kit. During the 2005–06 season, the team sported a similar kit, though their socks were in redcurrant. The away kit continued to incorporate it in the 2022–23 season (and in the 2023–24 season), it was added to the third kit as well, ultimately being featured on all three kits in 2024–25 – marking the first occasion since 2002 that the crest wasn’t present on an Arsenal kit. Adidas reinstated the cannon-only crest on the away kit for the 2021–22 season.
Leah Cathrine Williamson CBE (born on 29 March 1997), is a professional footballer from England who plays for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League and is the captain of the England women’s national team. Greenwood is known for her defensive skills, particularly her positioning, tackling, and blocking abilities. In the tournament final on 27 July 2025 (Greenwood started and scored a penalty during the shootout), contributing to England’s victory over Spain and securing their second European title in a row. Bardsley praised Greenwood’s ability to position herself (her tackling), and especially her passes that split defenses, rating her and Amanda Ilestedt as the two best center-backs of the tournament.
During the European Championship quarter-finals two months later, the same player had placed England in a precarious position by allowing Sweden to take a 2-0 lead within 25 minutes. Although she only started in the semi-final, she was still featured on UEFA’s list of players to watch from the tournament, recognized for her offensive contributions and speed in defense. Bronze dreamed of playing for England but observed that scouts rarely attended her matches in Sunderland; during a summer camp in North Carolina (Dorrance pledged to assist her), using his contacts at Arsenal to arrange someone to watch her play, which led to her inclusion in the England youth system. Encouraged to maintain fluidity in her position as a right back starting from pre-season, she shifted into midfield during their first league game at the 60-minute mark to collaborate with new transfer and England teammate Keira Walsh.
Aston Villa signs Alejandro Garnacho on loan from Chelsea
Frida is a safe starter for Norway and usually plays in a similar position to her White Runtz strain characteristics Arsenal role just behind the striker. Mariona is a certified starter for Spain, she played for Barcelona as a regular starter for nine years before joining the Gunners last summer. White retired in 2022 and Russo has since become England’s first choice number 9, a position she has secured even more firmly both with her own improvement and the retirement of Rachel Daly in 2024. With James and Kelly there is a lot of competition for the starting spot but Mead will participate in every game she is fit for, one way or another. Academy graduate and (much like Lotte), childhood Arsenal fan Williamson is the first choice centre-half and has been England captain since 2021. Wubben-Moy was a member of the Lionesses squad that won Euro 2022 and got to the 2023 World Cup Final but did not play a minute in either tournament.
The Influence of Arsenal on the Lionesses
Joe Prince-Wright catches up with Riccardo Calafiori following Arsenal’s dominant 3-0 victory against Fulham at the Emirates to six points clear at the top of the table. Bukayo Saka scored the second leg’s only goal in the 45th minute — when he put back Leandro Trossard’s shot which was initially saved by Jan Oblak.
He became the club’s first ever ‘head coach’ and second manager from outside the United Kingdom. After conducting an overhaul in the club’s operating model to coincide with Wenger’s departure, Spaniard Unai Emery was named as the club’s new head coach on 23 May 2018. The side immediately won the 1988 Football League Centenary Trophy (and followed it with the 1988–89 Football League title), snatched with a last-minute goal in the final game of the season against fellow title challengers Liverpool. Even former England captain Billy Wright could not bring the club any success as manager, in a stint between 1962 and 1966. Whittaker (despite his disarming humble and modest disposition), was oft-referred to as the “brains” behind charismatic Chapman’s legendary Arsenal side.
Slegers has become only the fourth female coach to lead a team to victory in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and at 36 years of age, one of the youngest. Arsenal were playing in a record 15th match in the competition this season having entered the competition at the First Qualifying Round and becoming the first third-placed placed team to reach the final of the subsequent UEFA Women’s Champions League. Arsenal, who were the only previous English winners of the competition in 2007 in its previous guise of the UEFA Women’s Cup, thus also became the first English team to win the modern UEFA Women’s Champions League. Arsenal Women won their second Champions League title to end the reign of FC Barcelona, the winners of the competition in the previous two seasons. Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams (who faces four weapons charges after his recent arrest in Canada), took part in the team’s first training camp practice.
Career statistics
Arsenal and Deloitte both listed the match day revenue generated in 2019 by the Emirates Stadium as €109.2m , £96.2m,. In 2025 the club’s social media activity was the fifth-highest among English football clubs. As a homage to this support, the 2024–25 alternative away kit used black, red and green to refer to the pan-African flag. The club’s supporters also publish fanzines such as The Gooner, Gunflash and the satirical Up The Arse! Like all major English football clubs, Arsenal have a number of domestic supporters’ clubs, including the Arsenal Football Supporters’ Club, which works closely with the club, and the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association, which maintains a more independent line.
In December 2020, McCabe made her 100th appearance for Arsenal in a 4–0 victory over Everton, assisting a Jen Beattie goal from the corner. Upon returning to Arsenal at the end of her loan, new Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro shifted McCabe to the left-full-back position. McCabe clinched the last minute winner for the 2015 WNL cup in extra time, defeating Peamount United 3–2. Katie Alison McCabe (born 21 September 1995) is an Irish professional footballer who plays for English Women’s Super League club Chelsea and captains the Republic of Ireland national team.
Adeyemi talks Barcelona move, Flick, Lamine, idols: ‘The best club in the world’
When the FA Cup was the only national football association competition available to Arsenal (the other football association competitions were County Cups), and they made up many of the matches the club played during a season. The Kent Junior Cup, won by Royal Arsenal’s reserves, was the club’s first trophy, while the first team’s first trophy came three weeks later when they won the Kent Senior Cup. Fellow centre half and former captain Tony Adams comes second — having played 669 times. Arsenal also have the highest average league finishing position for the 20th century — with an average league placement of 8.5. Additionally, the club formally partnered with a variety of clubs overseas including Virginia based Richmond Strikers and Cairo based Wadi Degla. Another film reference to the club’s defence comes in the film Plunkett & Macleane, in which two characters are named Dixon and Winterburn after Arsenal’s long-serving full backs – the right-sided Lee Dixon and the left-sided Nigel Winterburn.
In domestic competitions, Arsenal has secured 14 league titles (including one unbeaten), a record 14 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 17 FA Community Shields, and a Football League Centenary Trophy. Arsenal intends to field the same starting lineup that defeated Spurs last weekend, but captain Martin Odegaard is missing from the squad. Cole Palmer sends a shot well off target, while Zubimendi similarly misses the target from a promising position just outside the box. Veteran goalkeeper Jan Oblak has returned to fitness and is making a significant impact — while it will be interesting to observe how Johnny Cardoso of the USMNT performs in central midfield alongside legendary captain Koke.