Have McCabe and Mead taken Arsenal Women’s fire with them?

Arsenal Women entered the new season with high expectations, but five Women’s Super League matches later, the picture looks rather different. Just one victory, five points from a possible fifteen and a ten-point gap to leaders Manchester City have left Renée Slegers with plenty to think about during the international break.

There is no shortage of quality in this Arsenal squad. So why are the results not reflecting the talent available? Perhaps the problem goes beyond formations, tactics and team selection.

Have Arsenal lost some of the competitive edge that once made them such difficult opponents? Has Arsenal lost some of its fighting spirit? An interesting article in The Guardian recently raised the question of whether Arsenal are simply too nice to compete consistently with Manchester City and Chelsea.