Arsenal’s road to glory hinges on squad depth and rotation | OneFootball

Arsenal’s demanding first half of the season has pushed their players to the limit, with the second half poised to test their squad depth and rotation strategies.

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Arsenal played 20 games in the first half of the 2024-25 season, more than any other WSL team. The second-busiest sides were Manchester City with 18 games and Chelsea with 16, while all non-UWCL teams played only 13 matches.

This heavy schedule is reflected in the WSL players with the highest minutes played in club competition, with four of the top five players coming from Arsenal.

Katie McCabe leads with 1,711 minutes, followed by Emily Fox (1,568), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City, 1,559), Mariona Caldentey (1,548), and Alessia Russo (1,466). For Chelsea, Millie Bright has clocked the most minutes at 1,260.

In contrast, some clubs—Leicester City, Crystal Palace, and West Ham—have players whose highest minutes played are under 1,000.

The second half of the season could be even more demanding, depending on how far Arsenal progress in the Subway Cup, the Adobe FA Women’s Cup, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The team could play as many as 24 matches or a minimum of 16 if they are eliminated in the first knockout rounds of all three competitions.

Looking at the full season schedule, it’s clear that the further Arsenal progress in each competition, the more squad rotation and load management will be critical to success.

Expecting Arsenal to reach the finals of all three cups may be unrealistic. A run to the final in either the Subway Cup or the Adobe FA Women’s Cup is achievable, but reaching the Champions League final would be a monumental feat given the current squad depth—unless significant reinforcements are brought in during the January transfer window.

Every player in the squad will need to step up and deliver if Arsenal are to secure a runner-up finish in the WSL and claim at least one of the three available trophies.

The second half of the 2024/25 season promises to be both challenging and thrilling for Arsenal fans.