Big week ahead for misfiring Arsenal | OneFootball

It's been a tough start to the season for Arsenal who are struggling to score goals while already finding themselves someway off top spot but this week could already be quite significant for Renée Slegers' side.

The Gunners began the 2026/27 campaign with a narrow 1-0 win away to Brighton & Hove Albion with new arrival Lisa Baum scoring the only goal of the game 10 minutes in. However it would be 190 minutes before Arsenal scored again in the WSL when a stoppage-time goal from Smilla Holmberg earned a point at home to Manchester United. Those two games sandwiched a surprise goalless draw to Crystal Palace.

Then came the Champions League where, after one goal was ruled out, stoppage time was again needed to defeat Danish side HB Køge, with Mariona Caldentey netting a penalty.

Finally, on Sunday Arsenal drew another blank away to Chelsea. While that was their toughest game of the season to date, it comes ahead of two other tricky games in just the next few days: away to Paris FC in the Champions League midweek and then a trip to face champions Manchester City at the weekend. If the Citizens win that, Arsenal will be 10 points behind them already.

Frustratingly, had Arsenal avoided defeat against Chelsea then that game against City would have been the chance for Slegers' side to complete a full year undefeated in the WSL. Now however, pressure could well be building.

Of course, the talent is definitely still there in the Arsenal attack. And looking at the xG stats perhaps the only thing missing for the Gunners is a bit of luck.

Still, it is hard for a team like Arsenal to have only scored twice in the league so far despite having had 78 shots in total. That's a total xG of 7.98 meaning that they're -5.98 below their expected goals – the lowest differential in the league.

Indeed, Arsenal are so far averaging just 0.1xG per shot with only Everton (0.08xG per shot) lower than that.

"It will swing, and you have to capitalise," Slegers said about her team's fortunes in front of goal following Sunday's game. Arsenal will just hope it swings back sooner rather than later in a WSL that is increasingly competitive.