The 2022/23 season is over, and whilst many Arsenal fans will be keen to move past the injuries that have marred this campaign for the Gunners, their ability to pull through and end the season with several successes is one to celebrate.

This was an up-and-down season to say the least. Recording emphatic wins, lifting the Conti Cup and striding all the way to the Champions League semi-finals was flawed by injury after injury, dropping points in crucial games and struggling to gel on the pitch given the ongoing turbulence.

It goes without saying that despite such an injury crisis, losing two star goalscorers, the skipper and vice-captain, among other starting players, at various times throughout the season, the fact Arsenal managed to regroup to end the season in a positive way is a true testament to their mentality.

Arsenal came into this campaign reeling after losing the 2021/22 WSL title by just one point. Starting last season off with a win over Chelsea sent them into a plethora of league victories, but losing to Barcelona twice, then losing to Hoffenheim, meant their UWCL campaign was less successful.

Arsenal struggled in the middle of last season, falling short in the Conti Cup glory after losing to Manchester United and subsequently losing their FA Cup semi-final tie with Chelsea. Despite having an impressive league run, the Gunners finished a point behind Chelsea.

Coming off the back off Euro 2022, during which Beth Mead had been player of the tournament, and with new contracts for Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson in the bag, all eyes were on the league in 2022/23, which the Gunners hadn’t won since 2019.

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Frida Maanum

Having signed for the Gunners in 2021, Frida Maanum was initially a second option to newly transtioned ’number 10′ Vivianne Miedema and grappled to find a place in the starting XI. However, with the turn of the new season and Miedema struggling with health issues, the Norweigan midfielder had an opportunity and took it with both hands.

Staking a claim, Maanum proved herself in the big games, stepping up to help carry a team that, by October, had already begun to suffer with a string of injuries. Holding the midfield together, becoming the top scorer for the side and helping Arsenal to find ways through tough games, the 23-year-old suddenly became one of the most important players in the team.

Ending the season with 16 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, Maanum had her breakout season, recording some brilliant goals – notably in the Champions League – and developing impressive link-ups, despite players so many around her falling with injuries.

Honourable mentions: Katie McCabe, Lia Walti

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Katie McCabe against Manchester City

Katie McCabe scored this STUNNER for Arsenal against Manchester City yesterday 🚀

A HUGE goal in the #WSL title race 👀pic.twitter.com/bwCsEw2HVw

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 3, 2023

This wonder strike from Katie McCabe has not only become a fan favourite for how technical it was, but the meaning behind the goal speaks more for the mentality of the player and team.

Being taken off injured against Bayern Munich days earlier in a game that saw Arsenal progess to the Champions league semisl, the Gunners were already juggling multiple injuries and losing McCabe for the Manchester City WSL clash would have been a massive blow in both attack and defence

Her recovery was near miraculous, although the game did not initially go to plan as Arsenal were 1-0 down within a matter of minutes. Maanum managed to level the score before McCabe’s strike from distance clinched the win for the Gunners, taking crucial points off their third-place competitor.

The goal, incredible as it was, stood for much more than just the three points and rang true to Arsenal’s fight all season, refusing to give up in the face of adversity.

Honourable mentions: Jordan Nobbs against West Ham (3-1), Frida Maanum against Bayern (2-0), Caitlin Foord against Lyon (5-1)

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Champions League campaign

Another shining example of bravery, the Gunners‘ Champions League campaign is truly remarkable given the fact that they did not play a single game beyond the qualifying rounds with a fully fit squad nor their first-choice XI selection available.

Facing Ajax to qualify, Miedema managed to give the Gunners the upper hand to take them to the group stage, where a whole host of difficult games faced them, including having to grapple with reigning champions Lyon.

Losing several key members from their defence weeks prior, somehow Arsenal toppled the 14-time champions with an emphatic 5-1 win, giving them the upper hand in the group, followed by a 3-1 win over Zurich and a 1-1 draw to Juventus.

The reverse fixtures went slightly less to plan, beating Juventus 1-0 and losing 1-0 to Lyon, marred by Miedema’s ACL injury. Ending the group stage on top with a 9-1 win over Zurich thanks to a Maanum hat-trick, Arsenal then faced Bayern Munich in the quarters and used the power of the Emirates to overturn a first first leg deficit, taking them through to the semi-finals.

With Wolfsburg next, Arsena went 2-0 down in the first leg, before clawing their way back into the game 2-2 and making it all to play for in front of a sold-out Emirates. It was a five-goal thriller, losing the tie in the final minutes and bowing out of the competition.

Whilst they failed to make the final, the sheer ability to face the toughest of games against some of the hardest opponents in Europe without a fully fit squad is an impressive feat and one that deserves recognition, all whilst also selling out Emirates Stadium for the very first time.

Honourable mentions: Conti Cup win, Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City, Arsenal 4-0 Spurs

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Victoria Pelova

Arsenal focused their business at the end of last season on retaining players rather than bringing in a host of new talent, only bringing in three players. However, the January window saw the introduction of Victoria Pelova as an alternative to Miedema and Mead, both out with ACL injuries.

The Ajax player caught Arsenal’s eye during their Champions League qualifying tie, where her physicality, versatility and control for just 24 years old dazzled boss Jonas Eidevall.

Coming into a side doused with injuries is hard; forming connections with new players for them to suddenly be unavailable, all whilst learning a new style of play in a new league, is no easy task. However, Pelova took to the job like a duck to water and became instrumental in Arsenal’s successes, earning herself a regular starting position in the latter part of the season.

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Laura Wienroither

Before suffering her ACL injury at the start of May, Laura Weinroither had been battling all season to become starting right-back, often winning the fight.

Whilst her defensive ability was often patchy after arriving in January 2022, her development since September has been second to none. She proved herself as one of the most physical players on the flank, causing all sorts of problems for the opposition wingers.

It’s easy to forget how young Weinroither still is as at just 24. Her promising talent has begun to shine, and whilst her season ended early, her growth throughout has been a joy to watch.

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West Ham 0-0 Arsenal

In one of the most frustrating matches for fans, echoes calling players to shoot, Arsenal were unable to break down West Ham’s defence, and despite having shot after shot blocked by Mackenzie Arnold, the Gunners walked away with only one point.

Whilst the 2-1 loss to Manchester City in February was tough to take, the West Ham draw is more of a disappointment to the Gunners. Winning the game was not down to injuries but a lack of creativity and was the first time Arsenal looked like they had given up.

The singular point from this match also meant Arsenal were in hot water after failing to beat the other members of the top four and had to fight tooth and nail just to get into the top three.

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