Arsenal
Understanding Arsenal After The Transfer Window: What To Expect From The Gunners
With a late twist that is fast becoming the norm for Arsenal these days, the transfer window slammed shut with the acquisitions of Radamel Falcao and Danny Blind for Manchester United while seeing the shock move of Danny Welbeck to Arsenal. A move that initially underwhelmed Gooners around the world, the England man’s signing represents the capture of what appears to be a player hungry for the chance and trust to make his mark on world football.
What kind of a player is Danny Welbeck? From physical appearance alone, the tall Mancunian seems like an out and out striker, a target man who could possibly do the job that Olivier Giroud does so well for Arsenal, holding up the ball and shielding it while more mobile players around him get into dangerous positions. And yet, we see that the Manchester United youth academy product is a bit more and a bit less than that. Perhaps not blessed with the vision and the broad physique of the Frenchman, Welbeck seems to still be a good physical presence up front with the key attributes of pace and power. If Arsenal fans last year were crying out for pace in the absence of Theo Walcott, they most certainly have it now in the form of Alexis Sanchez and now Danny Welbeck. The lanky forward also seems to like the variations of link up play that Arsenal often enjoy with their plethora of attacking midfielders.
The formation Arsene Wenger employs has changed during the last few matches into a sort of 4-1-4-1 which is ideal to field as many of his midfield gems as possible with a lone holding midfielder helped out by the lung bursting running of Aaron Ramsey from box to box. Though Mikel Arteta cuts a worrying figure against some of the more physical sides such as Chelsea and Stoke, the key difference this season will be his ability to distribute from deep. Where last season Arsenal struggled to break free of the chokehold some teams put on their midfield, this year they have Sanchez, Welbeck and a fit again Walcott for Arteta, Ozil and co to spot and set free when teams press too high. Indeed, in Sanchez and Welbeck Arsenal also have two of the hardest working players in the premier league with high stamina and work rates.
A potential benefactor of this sudden abundance of pace is Mesut Ozil. The German maestro is fresh off a world cup winning campaign with his national team having featured in every match after a slightly underwhelming season with the Gunners for his hefty price tag. With the pace and power ahead of him, odds are he will have a much more influential role in Arsenal’s quests for more trophies. While a possible solution for bringing out the best of him was to secure the services of a physically imposing defensive midfielder to protect and supply him with passes, Arsene Wenger has stuck to his philosophy of attacking football by simply ensuring that he has dangerous options to pass to when in trouble. It is this kind of strategy that could potentially bring out the best of Ozil as the playmaker has an eye for a pass like no other, conjuring mesmerizing through balls at will.
On a tactical level, the acquisitions of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez represent Wenger’s take away’s from the embarrassing defeats at Stamford Bridge, Anfield and the Etihad last season where his team was overrun with opposition forwards hounding Mikel Arteta and midfields double marking Mesut Ozil. This season they will be a bit more wary of doing the same, especially because of the raw pace that Arsenal have out wide, a kind of security or insurance for a break away in a split second.
Aaron Ramsey will also find himself a marked man after the stellar season he enjoyed last year with teams now wary of his well timed runs into the opposition penalty box. Whether Arsene Wenger will take this philosophy and put it into practice in the big away games or if he will employ a more conservative strategy by securing his midfield with a two man pivot will be exciting to see from a tactical point of view.
Still, with a very well stocked midfield, Gooners worldwide will be hoping for two key things viz. a lack of injuries at the back so as to not disrupt the excellent Mertesacker-Koscielny partnership and for Danny Welbeck to step up and rack up the goals he is certainly hungry for.
All in all, an exciting season awaits and this writer for one, is glad that the window has closed and silly transfer rumours (Hello, Nikola Zigic!) will be held at bay, at least until January!
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Arsenal Women host Manchester United on Saturday in a crucial six pointer for Champions League qualification. The Gunners sit just one point above United in the WSL table and victory at Emirates Stadium would give them a strong buffer, while defeat leaves them playing catch up in the race for Europe.
The match marks Arsenal’s return from the winter break following a busy week that saw Renee Slegers sign a new contract and Jodie Taylor promoted to Technical Director. However, the immediate focus is on securing three points against Marc Skinner’s side in what promises to be a tense encounter.
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT, Saturday, January 11, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports (UK)
Cooney Cross Absent For Personal Reasons
Arsenal will be without Kyra Cooney Cross who has returned to Australia for personal reasons. Daphne van Domselaar is not quite ready to return from a quad injury while Chloe Kelly remains out with a knee problem. Jenna Nighswonger will not be in the matchday squad as she negotiates a loan move.
New signing Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby will be in the squad alongside recalled goalkeeper Naomi Williams. Manu Zinsberger and Katie Reid are out with ACL injuries. The absence of Cooney Cross means Mariona will likely drop into the deeper midfield role she has occupied for much of the last year.
United Strengthened in January
Manchester United have been busy in the transfer window, adding full back Hanna Lundkvist from San Diego Wave and centre forward Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Skinner was dealt a poor hand over the summer with a very small squad handling Champions League qualifiers and the group phase.
Predicted Lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Borbe; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Mead, Russo, Smith
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Malard, Awujo; Schuller
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that Jodie Taylor has been appointed as the club’s first ever Technical Director.
The 39-year-old former England striker moves up from her existing role as Technical Services Manager, a position she has held since September 2023 following her retirement from professional football.
Taylor’s promotion comes on the same day Arsenal announced Renee Slegers’ new contract extension through 2029, creating a strategic restructuring of the women’s football department.
A Decade Long Arsenal Connection
Taylor’s relationship with Arsenal spans ten years since first joining as a player in 2016. She scored 10 goals in 17 appearances during her initial spell before returning on a short-term deal in March 2023. Taylor earned 50 plus England caps during her international career and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2017.
She represented her country at the 2015 Women’s World Cup finishing third and played for multiple elite clubs including Lyon, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave throughout her career.
Strategic Structural Development
Taylor’s new role bridges critical areas of football operations including recruitment, analysis, coaching and performance support. She will work closely with Renee Slegers on a daily basis as the Technical Director, providing structural support for coaching decisions and squad development.
Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley praised Taylor’s appointment as integral to continued development of the program as Arsenal challenges for major trophies consistently. Wheatley will now focus on upward management across UEFA, FIFA and domestic boards while Taylor handles day to day operations.
Building a High Performance Environment
Taylor expressed immense pride stepping into her new position, emphasizing Arsenal’s remarkable growth over the past decade. She committed to nurturing a high-performance environment where players, coaching staff and support teams have the right tools to deliver at the highest level.
Her appointment represents investment in female leadership within Arsenal’s technical infrastructure, aligning with the club’s commitment to developing their women’s program systematically and strategically moving forward into their next phase.
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that head coach Renee Slegers has signed a new long-term contract extending through the summer of 2029.
The 36-year-old Dutch coach was previously due to exit at the end of the 2025-26 season but now commits three and a half additional years to the club. Her extension rewards an extraordinary debut season where she guided Arsenal to historic UEFA Women’s Champions League victory after beating Barcelona 1-0 in the Lisbon final.
From Academy Player to Champions League Winner
Renee Slegers’ connection to Arsenal dates back decades. She played in the club’s academy as a teenager and watched Arsenal claim their previous Champions League trophy in 2007 from the stands. Her return to the club came in summer 2023 as assistant coach following two years leading Swedish club Rosengard where she won back-to-back Damallsvenskan titles.
She stepped into the interim role in October 2024 when Jonas Eidevall departed and impressed immediately with an 11-match unbeaten run. That performance earned her permanent appointment in January 2025, and by May 2025 she had delivered historic Champions League glory.
Arsenal’s Long-Term Vision
Slegers told club media that her journey from academy player to Champions League winning head coach represents immense pride. She stated the club has much to achieve together in the coming seasons. Arsenal Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley described Slegers as an elite coach with capabilities to lead continued title challenges.
Chief Executive Richard Garlick praised her impact driving standards and progress toward consistent top-level competition.
Jodie Taylor Joins as Technical Director
The announcement accompanied confirmation that former England international Jodie Taylor has been appointed Arsenal’s first ever women’s technical director. Taylor, who retired in 2023 after two Arsenal playing spells, will work closely with Slegers on recruitment, analysis and specialisation. Her role bridges previously disconnected recruitment and technical departments creating stronger operational cohesion.
Arsenal continues their title defence facing Manchester United on January 11 with five trophies remaining in play this season.
Also read: Arsenal star Kyra Cooney-Cross returns to Australia after mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis
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