Positioning

Last week, the news broke that Emma Hayes will leave Chelsea for the USWNT job. Clearly, this is going to be a seismic change for Chelsea, a club sculpted into Hayes’ image. I don’t envy whoever follows her, as we have seen in the men’s game, when Arsene Wenger departed Arsenal and Alex Ferguson Manchester United, dynasties are difficult to transition away from smoothly.

In fact, I have a theory that the task is basically impossible for the immediate successor and you have to go through a slightly rocky period, a sacking and subsequent appointment before you can really get anywhere. Chelsea might prove me wrong on this. Their DoF Paul Green has worked closely with Hayes during her tenure at the club and, as far as I know, Green will not be leaving. That continuity could be helpful.

However, from Arsenal’s perspective, this means there is going to be a disturbance in the force for the team who has done the most to obstruct them from collecting more domestic trophies. I have whispered it quietly and confined it to these pages, away from the noise of Twitter, but I came into this season thinking Arsenal were probably better placed for a significant title challenge next season (which is not to say I don’t think Arsenal should challenge at all this year, they absolutely should).

Making five signings is very exciting but it’s also a lot of upheaval and with key players slowly being re-integrated back into the team during this campaign. My aspiration for next summer is that there is very little business, in or out, for Arsenal next summer and they attack 2024-25 from a position of absolute strength.

Jonas Eidevall signed a new contract in October and, in light of Hayes’ incoming departure, that decision is given new context. Gareth Taylor and Marc Skinner’s deals run until the end of this season and it feels unlikely both will continue (maybe neither will). In essence, Arsenal did a lot of foundational squad work this summer and, if they have done it well, they shouldn’t need to do much more of it for a couple of years.

Arsenal ought to be in a position where they know that this squad and this manager will be in situ next season and that is a level of certainty none of their most obvious competitors currently have. I think stability has been Chelsea’s biggest strength over the last 3-4 years (stability and Sam Kerr) and they are about to lose it at a time where, theoretically at least, Arsenal should really be consolidating it.

In terms of branding or positioning or whatever you want to call it, Arsenal have shown a willingness to retain their position as a leader in women’s football. The resource expended in the squad and the swelling staff, the use of the Emirates, signing Alessia Russo and demonstrating interest in Mary Earps, having a bespoke Stella McCartney designed kit. All of this points to a club positioning itself as elite women’s football grows.

Privately, Arsenal ought to be pinpointing the departure of Hayes and the subsequent disruption it might cause as a real opportunity to fully climb back on their perch. The days of Arsenal winning the league 462 seasons in a row are gone for good and the strength of the competition means they cannot and will not dominate to the extent that they did before Hayes and Chelsea came along.

But the league title has eluded Arsenal in all but one of the last 11 seasons and that is a datapoint that needs to change (that was true regardless of Hayes’ departure). In short, Arsenal are, of course, not in a position to take anything for granted. At all. United and City will hope Hayes’ departure offers opportunity for them too but Arsenal really should be in a strong position at the beginning of next season when the WSL universe alters just slightly.