Arsenal’s Steph Catley emphasizes the need for WSL dominance after their Champions League victory, stating there are no excuses for not challenging Chelsea. Despite Chelsea’s recent domestic success, Arsenal’s European triumph has raised expectations. Catley highlights the importance of consistency and learning from Chelsea’s ability to win even when not at their best. With a squad full of winning experience, Arsenal aims to translate their European success into domestic dominance, starting their campaign against London City Lionesses.
Following their stunning Champions League victory, Arsenal's Steph Catley has issued a rallying cry, stating there are “no excuses” for the Gunners not to mount a serious challenge to Chelsea for the Women’s Super League (WSL) title. Arsenal's recent European glory has ignited expectations, and Catley insists the team must translate that success to domestic competitions.
Chelsea has been the undisputed force in the WSL, clinching a sixth consecutive title in the 2024-25 season and their eighth overall. Their dominance saw them finish a significant 12 points ahead of Arsenal, who came in second. Under the guidance of Sonia Bompastor in her debut season, Chelsea also secured a domestic treble, triumphing in the League Cup and the FA Cup, further solidifying their stronghold on English women's football.
However, Chelsea's quest for European glory was shattered in the Champions League semi-finals, where they suffered a heavy 8-2 defeat against Barcelona. Barcelona seemed poised to claim their third consecutive title, but Arsenal delivered a stunning upset in the final. Stina Blackstenius’s 74th-minute goal proved to be the decisive moment, securing a 1-0 victory for the Gunners.
This victory marked a significant turnaround under Renee Slegers, who took over from Jonas Eidevall in October. Arsenal remains the only English team to have ever won the prestigious Champions League title. Despite this European triumph, Arsenal has not won the WSL title since 2018-19 under Joe Montemurro. Catley emphasizes the need to build on their continental success and reclaim their place at the top of English football.
"As soon as you win something as big as [the Champions League], there is a target on your back,” Catley told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Women’s Football Weekly podcast. "There is an expectation that you should go on and do amazing things. Domestically, we haven’t won nearly as much as we probably could have and we probably should have." She added, “There’s really no excuses. We have the team. We have everything in place. It’s about putting it together on the field and matching up to those expectations.”
The season starts here, Gooners pic.twitter.com/ySgsHtdAIv
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 1, 2025
Despite their Champions League win, statistical models suggest Arsenal faces an uphill battle in the WSL. According to the Opta supercomputer’s data-led season simulations, Arsenal has only a 10.1% chance of winning the WSL. Chelsea remains the clear favorite, with a 72.4% chance of securing the title. Manchester City (13.6%) and Manchester United (3.9%) are also considered outside contenders.
Catley stresses that consistency will be crucial for Arsenal this season. Their inconsistent start in the 2024-25 campaign allowed Chelsea to build a significant lead. Arsenal only managed to secure nine points from their opening six WSL matches. A heavy 5-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League also led to the departure of Jonas Eidevall.
“Our goal is to be consistent from round one and then maintain that. Domestically, you can’t afford [to dip in form],” added Catley. “Chelsea have made a habit of being able to win when they are maybe not playing their best football and I think that’s something we could learn from them. Our football looks wonderful most of the time, but is it getting us wins consistently? It probably hasn’t in the past.”
Arsenal's squad now boasts a wealth of winning experience, thanks to successes on both the club and international stages. Leah Williamson, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead, and Chloe Kelly were all part of the England team that won Euro 2025, with Kelly scoring the decisive penalty in the final shootout against Spain.
Alessia Russo, who was joint-top goalscorer in the WSL last season with 12 goals, believes that Arsenal’s Champions League victory has fueled their desire for further success in England. “Winning the Champions League was something I dreamed of as a kid. When you win a trophy, you get a craving for more,” said Russo. “We’re all really motivated to go on and start the season strongly. For sure [the stakes are higher] and I hope the fans expect that, because we expect that. We have such a talented squad. We know we’ve not competed as we want to in the league and the cups and we want to put that right this season.”
Arsenal's campaign begins this Saturday against newly-promoted London City Lionesses. The team aims to start strongly and maintain consistency throughout the season, turning their European success into domestic dominance.