The 2017–18 season was Arsenal Women's Football Club's 31st season of competitive football. They won the WSL Cup for the 5th time and finished runner-up to Chelsea in the Women's FA Cup. Arsenal finished 3rd in the Women's Super League, missing out on a spot in UEFA Women's Champions League by 1 point.
Joe Montemurro took over as Manager of Arsenal on 5 December 2017 after Pedro Martínez Losa had departed the club, one month into the season.
Review
Pre Season It was a summer of change for Arsenal, with academy graduates Carla Humphrey, Sian Rogers, Rianna Dean and Charlie Devlin all leaving the club. Also departing was experienced England midfielder Fara Williams, who chose to move to Reading.
Promising young stars Katie McCabe and Chloe Kelly went out on loan to Glasgow City and Everton respectively. Kelly would go on to make her move to Merseyside permanent in January.
In their place, Arsenal reinforced their defence with Jessica Samuelsson from Linköping and brought Josephine Henning back from Lyon for her second spell at the club. In attack, Arsenal made a double acquisition from Bayern Munich, bringing in Scottish winger Lisa Evans and Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema.
Arsenal played two pre-season fixtures, a 3-0 loss away at Turbine Potsdam, and a 3-0 win over Everton at Meadow Park.
September Arsenal opened their WSL campaign with a five-goal thriller at home to Birmingham City. Ellen White gave the Blues the lead when she outstripped Samuelsson and Henning for pace to race onto a long pass and slotted the ball past Sari van Veenendaal. Jodie Taylor equalised when Daniëlle van de Donk's smart pass found her free in the box. White doubled her tally against her former club in the second half, and was denied the chance of a hat-trick with ten minutes remaining when Louise Quinn brought her down as she threatened to burst clear. With Quinn sent off, it looked a tall order for Arsenal to salvage the match, but they were given a lifeline when Lisa Evans scored her first goal for the club to level the match again. And then on 90 minutes, Taylor converted from the penalty spot to complete a remarkable comeback.
Arsenal followed up their heroic win with a disastrous display at Manchester City, as the Citizens ran rampant in a 5-2 win. A near post flick from Jane Ross and a Steph Houghton volley were initially cancelled out by Emma Mitchell's header and Heather O'Reilly's scrambled effort. Manchester City, however, were relentless, and once Georgia Stanway gave them the lead for the third time, they never looked back. Izzy Christiansen capitalised on a defensive mistake from Jordan Nobbs, and Jill Scott completed the rout with ten minutes left to play. It was the most goals ever conceded by Arsenal in a WSL match, in one of their worst ever defeats, and put serious pressure on manager Pedro Martinez Losa.
October October brought no further joy for Arsenal, as another poor result, this time against Bristol City, saw them fall further behind in the title race. Lauren Hemp was able to spin Samuelsson far too easily, and after cutting inside, she unleashed a curling effort that gave Van Veenendaal no chance. Arsenal were able to rally in the second half and levelled the match through Van de Donk, but there was no winner to be found. It proved to be the final straw for Pedro, who in the weeks to come departed the club after three years at the helm. His final match in charge was a WSL Cup tie against London Bees, which Arsenal easily won 7-0.
Whilst Arsenal looked for Pedro's replacement assistant coach Ismael García Gómez took over as interim manager. His first game in charge was away at Everton, which Arsenal won 2-0. Vivianne Miedema scored her first goal for the club, and the win was confirmed late in the second half when Lizzie Durack's clearance was fired straight to Beth Mead, whose lobbed volley from range flew over her head and into the back of the net.
November November opened with two WSL Cup ties which provided mixed fortunes for the Gunners. A 5-2 win over Millwall Lionesses was somewhat negated by a surprise 2-1 home loss to Reading, a game notorious for former Arsenal midfielder Fara Williams scoring direct from the kick-off.
A 6-0 win away at Watford saw Arsenal make it through to the knockout stage as runners-up in Group One South.
In the League, Arsenal made it back-to-back wins for the first time that season, with a 3-0 win over Sunderland. Quinn glanced home Jordan Nobbs' free kick in the second half to give the Gunners a deserved lead. Miedema then doubled their lead 10 minutes later with a curling finish. With less than 15 minutes to play, Nobbs confirmed the win with a well-placed free kick.
December Just over a month after Pedro's departure, Joe Montemurro arrived as Arsenal's new manager. His first match in charge was a WSL Cup quarter-final with Sunderland at Meadow Park. Jordan Nobbs scored the first goal of this new era at Arsenal, followed by another goal from Miedema. Bridget Galloway was able to pull a goal back after mistake from Carter, but former Sunderland forward Beth Mead was able to secure the win and safe passage into the semi-finals.
Winter Transfer Window More departures in the Winter Transfer Window further reduced Arsenal's squad. Taylor Hinds followed Chloe Kelly to Everton. Jemma Rose and Vyan Sampson also left the club later in the window. Whilst Arsenal chose not to sign anyone in the window, they did opt to recall Katie McCabe from her loan spell at Glasgow City.
January Arsenal suffered a rough return to the WSL following the winter break with a winless January. Joe Montemurro suffered his first defeat as Arsenal manager when he took his side to Kingsmeadow to face second-placed Chelsea. Maren Mjelde's first half scrambled effort was cancelled out when Miedema converted Nobbs' cross. Chelsea were quick to restore their lead, Ji So-yun's effort just creeping over the line, despite the efforts of Jemma Rose. Again, Arsenal responded, with Dominique Janssen forcing home Nobbs' corner. But with time running out and a draw looking likely, Van Veenendaal fumbled a low cross over her own goal line to gift all three points to Chelsea.
It also finished 3-2 in the WSL Cup, but this time, it was Arsenal who were the beneficiaries of a late twist. Their semi-final saw them paired off with Reading, and they made the perfect start when Beth Mead volleyed home after Danielle Carter's cross was missed by the Royals' defence. Reading's response was rapid, Brooke Chaplen's exquisite effort giving the home side parity. Both sides had chances to nudge ahead, and it was Reading who looked to have found the winner on 70 minutes through Lauren Bruton's well placed effort. But in the last 10 minutes, goals from Miedema and Nobbs swung the tie back the Gunners way and booked their place in the WSL Cup Final.
Two weeks later and it was a rematch between the two sides, this time in the WSL. This time however, there was to be no drama at all, as both teams played out a 0-0 draw. It was a result that saw Arsenal fall to fourth place, 10 points off leaders Manchester City, ending any hope of a WSL Title
February Arsenal returned to winning ways at the start of February with the commencement of their FA Cup campaign away at Yeovil Town. Despite both Mead and Carter missing first half penalties, goals from Nobbs, Mead and an own goal from Hannah Miles saw the Gunners progress to the next round. There, they faced Milwall Lionesses, and it was Mead who made the difference, scoring past former Arsenal keeper Sarah Quantrill for the only goal of the game. Then, with 15 minutes left to play, Kim Little was subbed on, making her long awaited return from an ACL injury.
In the WSL, Arsenal made it three wins from three to move up to third place. Away at Liverpool, Miedema saw her penalty saved, but was quick to convert the rebound. Then, with half time approaching, Janssen's looping effort from the edge of the box found the top corner. Lisa Evans' fierce near post drive midway through the second half secured the win. Back at Meadow Park, Arsenal trounced Yeovil Town 4-0 thanks to braces from Carter and Mead, and then followed that up with a 1-0 win over Everton.
March Arsenal took their winning momentum into the WSL Cup Final, where they faced Manchester City. A tight contest was settled by a single goal from Vivianne Meidema, capitalising on Jen Beattie's mis-directed header and outmuscling Demi Stokes to finish past Ellie Roebuck. Arsenal were able to see out the win, winning their fifth WSL Cup and a first major trophy for two years.
In the FA Cup, Arsenal faced Charlton Athletic in the quarter-finals. Kim Little's early penalty put the Gunners on their way, but it took until midway through the second half for Arsenal to finish off The Addicks' resistance. Heather O'Reilly's drilled effort and Miedema's header made the game safe, before Carter and Nobbs' late goals added the gloss on a 5-0 win.
April Arsenal faced a marathon April as they looked to try to add the FA Cup to their trophy haul and secure a return to European Football. First up was Chelsea, and misplaced clearance from Van Veenendaal gifted Chelsea the lead on the half-hour mark. However, a marauding run from Mead on the cusp of half time ended with her squeezing her strike in at the near post to ensure it ended honours even.
Arsenal rediscovered their winning touch in their home match against Reading. Kim Little's well placed effort set the tone, and Janssen's header doubled their money. Reading were briefly back in the contest when Williams found the net with a thumping volley, but it wasn't to be. Van de Donk's dancing feet flummoxed the Reading defence and keeper, allowing the simplest of tasks to roll the ball into the empty net.
Unfortunately, Arsenal's momentum was beginning to run dry, as they suffered an embarrassing 0-0 draw away at Yeovil Town. Despite dominating the match, the found keeper Megan Walsh in impenetrable form. It was only the second point Yeovil Town had won that season.
A second half rocket from Katie McCabe saw her open her account for Arsenal and help them on their way to three points against Liverpool. A Jordan Nobbs brace secured the win, including an Olimpico effort direct from the corner.
Any lingering hopes of European football were all but extinguished, however, after Arsenal's trip to Solihull to play Birmingham City. An Ellen White hat-trick clinched the win, and it could have been worse, had Van Veenendaal not saved Aoife Mannion's penalty.
European Football may have been lost, but there was still a chance for Arsenal to claim a second trophy. They travelled to Everton for their FA Cup semi-final. Carter gave them the lead when she converted O'Reilly's low cross, but former Arsenal forward Chloe Kelly levelled the tie from the penalty spot midway through the second half. With the 90 minutes up, it looked as though extra-time and penalties were inevitable, until Louise Quinn rose to meet Nobbs' corner and crash home the header with seconds to spare.
May May opened with the FA Cup Final at Wembley, and a replay of the 2016 Final, as Arsenal took on Chelsea. Arsenal were the victors then, but this was to be Chelsea's day. After an even first half, the Blues pulled away thanks to a splendid brace from Ramona Bachmann. Arsenal were able to pull a goal back when Vivianne Miedema tapped in Mead's low cross, but Fran Kirby rendered it irrelevant three minutes later when she curled the ball past Van Veenendaal.