Arsenal
Why The FA Cup Is Chipping Away At The Heart
Saviour the moment; Ben Watson rising highest at a corner kick to head home the only goal of last May’s FA Cup final, cementing Wigan Athletic into FA Cup folklore with a victory over Manchester City. Saviour the moment, because the FA Cup, a competition steeped in the history and heritage that Watson and Wigan claimed a piece of in May, is slowly beginning to see those moments ebbed away.
It is indeed worrying that Paul Lambert, in the build-up to his side Aston Villa’s third round game with Sheffield United at the beginning of January, claimed that the bigger clubs are usually ambivalent to the trophy, treating it as an unwanted irrelevance that compromises league form.
“If they were being honest, they probably would do (avoid the competition)” said the Scot, “It is realistic. That is the nature of it. If anyone says any differently then I am not so sure they will be telling the truth because the Premier League is the most vital thing that anyone wants to get into and we are no different.”
With first tier broadcasting rights set to top £5 billion in the summer, it can be argued that Lambert has a point, a betrayal enough over the importance of a cup steeped in history and heritage. It was an insight into the reduced reputation of England’s prime domestic competition that has been harmed not only by the juggernaut of the Premier League, but also by the gross unbalance of finances that are now undermining the English game.
This week in the third round of Wigan’s defence of the trophy, the Latics, now of the Championship after last season’s relegation, were required to travel to MK Dons for a replay on the Tuesday night. On the Wednesday, it was time for last year’s losing finalists Manchester City to play Blackburn Rovers but they, unlike MK Dons and Wigan, would play in front of the television cameras. City, with a squad assembled at a cost in excess of £400 million, duly demolished Blackburn, who have had to borrow £36 million just to remain credible Championship opposition, by 5 goals to 0. Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko, City’s strike pair who netted two goals each in the rout, cost more combined than the whole of Blackburn’s squad.
ITV’s logic in screening City, who have registered victories over Spurs, Manchester United, West Ham, Fulham, Arsenal, Newcastle and Norwich by scoring at least 4 goals at the Etihad, was misguided if it was a search for the most competitive, or even the most romantic tie. The true spirit of the cup, constantly reiterated in Bookie William Hill’s sponsorship of the coverage, would probably have best been found at Peterborough, where Kidderminster Harriers of the Skrill Premier defeated a side residing two leagues above in League One.
Harriers, on an average attendance of 2,210, earned £67,000 for their win at London Road and the scorer of the winning goal, Joe Lolley, transferred to Huddersfield the following day for a six-figure fee. The story however was wilfully ignored in favour of boosting the coffers of Manchester City, bankrolled (at a rate of a massive $1.15 billion in little over five years) by the ruling family of oil-rich Abu Dhabi, to the tune of £144,000, the fee given to teams who have the luxury of being screened in this season’s competition.
In the fourth round, that luxury was given to AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool, perhaps righteously as Eddie Howe’s men were presented with a viable chance of an upset despite the form of Brendan Rodgers’s Premier League title challengers. However, the Reds managed to pick up a 2-0 victory.
Tomorrow, Chelsea host Stoke City in an all-Premier League tie, putting on display the humdrum banality the cup is supposed to provide an escape from. There were opportunities for upsets at Southend, Port Vale, Rochdale, Bolton, Birmingham and the holders Wigan who knocked out Crystal Palace, yet they are all restricted only to highlights, at a fee of a mere £6,500 per club, whilst Chelsea get a prime-time helping of the prize-money bucket because their Oligarch-funded squad boasts the most attractive of names.
Coventry are also inconvenienced by television as they travelled to Arsenal for the first screened match of the weekend on Friday evening. The Sky Blues, locked in a bitter dispute over the tenancy of their stadium and having just escaped from administration, will no doubt welcome the £144,000 income but it will come at the expense of the supporters.
Jan Mokrzycki, spokesperson for supporters’ group Sky Blue Trust, said:
“The general reaction seems to be that it is not a very good idea because people are going to have to take time off work and some people might not be able to go.” It is a plum draw for the League One club, getting the rare chance to travel to the Emirates to face the Premier League leaders, though many may have to sacrifice the privilege in favour of pleasing BT Sport’s schedule. “Basically supporters are the least of the minor considerations – it’s money first, money second, money third and oh yeah there’s the supporters.” said Mokrzycki.
It is a resentment that has been exacerbated by controversial Coventry owners SISU and their decision to, perhaps unwisely, turn down an extra allocation of 3,500 in fear that the difficult timing will lead to unsold tickets that Coventry would have to pick up the tab for. It can be construed as good business sense though this is the FA Cup, the competition that permits eleventh in League One to travel to deluxe Premier League grounds and there is something disconcerting about denying fans that day out in preference to watching the purse strings. That in itself is an indicator into the balance of this tie. Arsenal, who have had to spend £42 million on Mesut Ozil just to compete with the behemoths Chelsea and Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League, hosting Coventry, a side who have just emerged from a transfer embargo after narrowly avoiding liquidation in the summer, the word “contest” is used very loosely.
The romance of the cup is still a beating heart, Oldham’s victory over Liverpool last year and Sheffield United’s 1-2 win at Aston Villa this time around has shown that the lower leaguers can still dream. It should please many fans however, that Swansea’s surprise victory at Manchester United in the third round means the Red Devils won’t feature on television again in this year’s competition, they are on an astounding run of 42 consecutive games to be featured on the box. It is suggestive that the bigger clubs are always the draw regardless of who they face, not the smaller ones that so often provide the magic and the incredulity the cup is renowned across the globe for.
This year’s final will mark 6 years since Portsmouth won the trophy by beating Cardiff 1-0 at Wembley and now languishing in League Two after a torrid time of financial mismanagement, the south-coast club epitomise the great deal of risk involved in attempting to compete at the top and what happens when it falls apart. All the cup now provides to so many when they come up against those at the top is a good day out, as Barnsley and Blackburn (both 5-0 losers at Manchester City in the past year) have found out, rather stealing away any sense of competition. Wigan and Portsmouth have provided the anomaly in the recent years as over the past 18 cups, Manchester United, City, Arsenal and Liverpool have shared 16 of them. The FA Cup can still extend a bridge from the big guy to the little guy, though it is over an ever-widening chasm. True competition in the FA Cup is slowly beginning to die out.
Arsenal Women were held to a goalless draw by Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby at Brisbane Road, failing to capitalize on Chelsea’s earlier slip-up against Liverpool.
Despite dominating possession and registering 13 shots, the Gunners couldn’t find a way past a resilient Spurs side, leaving them eight points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
1: Arsenal’s Creativity Crisis Is Getting Worse
The numbers tell a damning story. Arsenal have scored more goals than any other WSL side in 2025 with 60 from 21 games, yet they’ve suddenly lost their cutting edge when it matters most. Renee Slegers’ side were completely dominant at Brisbane Road, but goalkeeper Lize Kop was never at full stretch.
Stina Blackstenius was denied twice by routine saves, while substitute Olivia Smith also failed to test Kop with any conviction. Coming off Wednesday’s 3-2 collapse against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Arsenal’s creative struggles are becoming a concerning pattern. Slegers admitted Arsenal need “a better end product.”
2: Tottenham Set Up Perfectly to Nullify Arsenal
Martin Ho’s tactical approach was spot on. As Sky Sports pundit Izzy Christiansen bluntly put it, “Tottenham were set up to draw.” And they executed that game plan brilliantly.
Spurs flooded bodies back into their defensive third, made it difficult for Arsenal in the box, and succeeded in their objective of leaving with a point. This was Tottenham’s first goalless draw in the WSL in 81 matches. The last came against Reading in March 2022, and only the third time in 12 WSL encounters they’ve taken points off Arsenal. The 6,788 fans at Brisbane Road witnessed a masterclass in defensive organization from Clare Hunt and Toko Koga.
3: Title Race Is Slipping Away From Arsenal
Here’s the harsh reality: No previous WSL champion has ever gone on to lift the title having dropped 11 points across a 22-game campaign. Arsenal have now reached that unwanted milestone with more than half the season still to play.
Manchester City extended their lead at the top to three points from Chelsea – their biggest margin of difference so far this season. Arsenal sit eight points behind the league leaders having played the same number of games. They had the perfect opportunity to gain ground after Chelsea dropped points earlier in the day, but instead passed up the chance spectacularly.
Also read: AI Predicts Upcoming Heated North London Derby Between Arsenal Women and Tottenham Hotspur Women
Arsenal Dragon
Tottenham Women vs. Arsenal Women Player Ratings: Misfiring Russo and Blackstenius Draw Blank as Gunners Squander Chance to Close Gap
Arsenal Women missed a golden opportunity to gain ground on the WSL leaders after being held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Tottenham at Brisbane Road. Despite dominating possession and registering 13 shots, Renee Slegers’ side failed to score. The result sees Arsenal fall eight points behind leaders Manchester City.
The Standout Performers:
Lotte Wubben-Moy – 7.5/10 Kept a clean sheet on her 100th WSL appearance, marshalling Arsenal’s defence with composure throughout. Never looked flustered and kept Tottenham at arm’s length with intelligent positioning. Shaken up after taking a blow to the head during the first half but played through any discomfort.
Emily Fox – 7/10 Fired Arsenal’s first effort in the 15th minute after a neat one-two with Alessia Russo, though her shot was tame and straight at Lize Kop. Happy to sit deep and allow others to flood forward. One bright burst into the penalty area troubled Spurs late on, though her cross-shot was ultimately cut out.
Kyra Cooney-Cross – 7/10 Nearly broke the deadlock with an ambitious strike that curled inches past the post. Her inswinging free-kick towards the far post created danger before being headed clear. Kept Arsenal ticking over in midfield with intelligent distribution.
Other Notable Performances:
Daphne van Domselaar – 6.5/10 Did what was required on a relatively quiet afternoon, making one early save from Eveliina Summanen’s long-range free-kick. Took the odd risk in possession but remained composed to preserve her clean sheet.
Mariona Caldentey – 6/10 Worked hard but struggled to influence proceedings in the final third. Arsenal’s usually reliable Spanish midfielder couldn’t find spaces to hurt Tottenham’s compact defensive setup.
Beth Mead – 6/10 Involved in buildup play but her final ball lacked precision. Touched the ball inside for Russo for one of Arsenal’s better chances but couldn’t create the moment of magic needed.
The Disappointing Displays:
Stina Blackstenius – 4.5/10 Missed Arsenal’s clearest opportunity when firing high over the crossbar from eight yards out in the second half, leaning back and getting her effort all wrong. Also saw a poor header and low drive from a tight angle easily kept out before the interval.
Alessia Russo – 5/10 Endured a frustrating afternoon in front of goal. Fired a difficult volley wide with 10 minutes of the first half remaining when presented with Arsenal’s best chance. Her movement was intelligent but lacked the clinical finishing Arsenal desperately needed.
Arsenal Dragon
Chelsea Women’s Star Voices Out Against WSL in the Wake of ACL Crisis Following Katie Reid’s Injury
Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh has issued a powerful call for governing bodies to address the mounting ACL crisis plaguing women’s football after Arsenal teenager Katie Reid became the seventh WSL player to rupture her anterior cruciate ligament this season.
Read More: Ailing Katie Reid Receives Words of Consolation From Arsenal Loanee Suffering From Same Injury
Keira Walsh voices Out Against WSL: “People Higher Up Need to Listen”
Walsh delivered her stark assessment ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash, demanding decision-makers take player welfare seriously. “Maybe sometimes we do play too many games in a congested fixture schedule. There’s not enough recovery time,” the 28-year-old stated bluntly. “You can do the research, but ultimately you need to listen to the ones going through it and how we can best find the solutions.”
Teams like Arsenal and Chelsea who advanced deep into last season’s Champions League played over 50 matches throughout the year. With Euro 2025 also taking place during summer, the world’s best players received minimal rest before diving straight back into another grueling campaign.
“Sometimes as players you do worry about it,” Walsh continued. “You still want to play those games. But sometimes people higher up do need to listen to what we’re saying as players.”
Crisis Deepens Across the WSL
Reid’s injury represents a particularly cruel blow for the 19-year-old defender, who had forced her way into Arsenal’s starting lineup ahead of established internationals. Her impressive performances earned Arsenal’s Player of the Month award for September and a first England senior call-up before the training ground injury ended her breakthrough season.
The teenager joins Arsenal teammates Manuela Zinsberger and Michelle Agyemang on the treatment table with season-ending ACL injuries. Liverpool have three players sidelined ~ Marie Höbinger, Sophie Román Haug, and Zara Shaw.
Chelsea’s Kadeisha Buchanan and Brooke Aspin, Everton’s Megan Finnigan and Aurora Galli, plus Manchester City’s Mary Fowler have all suffered ACL ruptures this campaign.
The statistics are harrowing, with seven ACL injuries in just eight weeks of the season. Female footballers are already two to six times more likely than men to suffer ACL injuries, making the current crisis even more alarming.
Read More: Who Is Katie Reid? The 19-Year-Old Arsenal Defender Set for England Debut
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