There was a mix of positives and negatives for the Gunners from a summer trip which saw them face the Washington Spirit and London rivals Chelsea
While the new Women's Super League campaign might still be several weeks away, Arsenal's season starts sooner than most, with their pre-season tour of the United States this past week made all the more important by the crucial Champions League qualifiers that loom for Jonas Eidevall's side.
Twelve months ago, the Gunners fell at the first hurdle, losing to a giant-killing Paris FC side in the first qualifying round. There is a genuine threat of the same disappointment occurring this time around too, as if they beat Rangers on September 4, they will likely face Spanish giants Atletico Madrid for a place in the second round just a few days later.
To avoid lightning striking twice and ensure they are well-prepared for the challenges that await next week, Arsenal's mini-tour of the U.S. was a big one, and there were certainly positives to take from it, especially after the 2-1 win over the Washington Spirit in their first outing. However, there are also a few concerns, highlighted by the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea that the trip ended with.
So, what did we learn from the Gunners' time Stateside? GOAL picks out seven things…
USA TODAY SportsRusso can be a bigger goal threat
It's no secret that there were a few people who scoffed at the idea of Alessia Russo becoming a 20-goal striker when Eidevall declared it possible last season. The England striker only scored 12 in the league last year, but that was off the back of a total lack of pre-season. She helped her country reach the Women's World Cup final on August 20, had a short break and then, 17 days after the Lionesses' defeat to Spain in Sydney, was back on the pitch for the Gunners' first European qualifier.
That number should increase this season simply based on proper preparations for the campaign, but also because of the work she and her coaches are doing. The fruits of that labour were evident against the Spirit when she scored two equally brilliant goals, and even if she was less potent in defeat to Chelsea, there were still flashes as Arsenal put the pressure on for an equaliser.
"I think she's a very composed finisher. Now it's about, as a striker, getting enough of those goal-scoring opportunities," Eidevall told on Sunday. "If you've seen her game in the past, I think she's been quite a drifting forward. She's been out a lot on the flanks, working balls. I know Sarina [Wiegman] has worked with her in that in England and I'm working with her in that at Arsenal to be in more central positions, be more often in what we call the 'goal zone', and she manages to do that more often and that leads to her being involved in more goal-scoring opportunities and that, combined with her finishing ability, obviously results in scoring more goals as well."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesZinsberger needs to take her chances
This U.S. tour was a real opportunity for Manuela Zinsberger. The Austria international has been Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper for the past five seasons, but that status is under greater threat than ever before going into the new campaign, following the signing of Daphne van Domselaar.
The Dutchwoman didn't play Stateside as she is still getting back to full fitness, with her expected to be available for the first European qualifier against Rangers, so Zinsberger had two big chances to remind Eidevall of her quality. Unfortunately for her, she struggled to make a huge statement in either game, consistently failing to convince when dealing with crosses into the box in particular.
Though Zinsberger is a great shot-stopper, a quality that was on show on this tour, she needs to showcase her strengths in other areas if she wants to remain Arsenal's No.1 moving forward because Van Domselaar is more than impressive there, too.
Getty ImagesWilliamson will shake off the rust
After returning from her devastating ACL injury in January, Leah Williamson had an inconsistent few months for club and country, owing to the nine months she spent on the sidelines. Getting up to speed in the middle of a campaign is never easy, with the England captain not getting the run-up that pre-season gives a player, and many who have suffered the same significant knee injury say it takes several months to feel like yourself again, too.
This pre-season will do Williamson the world of good, then. That was evident even in these two games. In the first, she looked shaky and struggled with the pace of the Washington Spirit attack, committing a number of errors before being taken off at half-time. In the second, she was so much more composed, rarely put a foot wrong and just looked significantly more up to speed.
Williamson is an absolutely massive player for this Arsenal team and if they are to be successful, they will need her to be playing at the high level she is capable of. This pre-season tour, with its demanding conditions, should help her move more quickly towards returning to those heights.
GettyMead needs to stay healthy
Arsenal have made two terrific signings in attack this summer, in Mariona Caldentey and Rosa Kafaji. The former won the quadruple at Barcelona last season and is a proven quantity at the highest level, a Women's World Cup winner who will shine on the left for the Gunners. Kafaji, meanwhile, is still only 21 years old but has really staked a claim for the No.10 position on this U.S. tour.
However, with Cloe Lacasse departing for the Utah Royals, this team is extremely light on the right of attack. That's the position Beth Mead has nailed down for the last few years and maintains a stranglehold on. When she is unavailable though, as she was for the game against Chelsea on Sunday, there is no natural and obvious replacement.
Academy starlets Freya Godfrey and Vivienne Lia were both granted an opportunity there on this tour, while Kathrine Kuhl, more naturally a central midfielder despite her versatility, filled in for Mead when she had to pull out in the warm-up before the clash with the Blues. None are going to compete for minutes with the England star there, however.
Players like Mariona, Caitlin Foord and Katie McCabe can do a job on the right if needed, but Arsenal will certainly lose some balance if Mead is absent for more than a game or two in this upcoming season, unless Eidevall is able to identify another signing to add depth before the transfer window closes.
