Finding Our Footing Again.

From uncertainty to momentum, Arsenal’s season begins to take shape once more.

It’s been a while since I last sat down to write about Arsenal. Over a month, in fact. I should probably begin with an apology for the silence, but the truth is simpler than that. Work took over, time disappeared, and writing slipped down the list of priorities. Still, this felt like the right moment to return. Not because everything is perfect, but because where this team is now feels meaningfully different to where it was just a few weeks ago.

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The last time I wrote, I published a piece titled “Where Arsenal Go From Here”, subtitled “The process needs more than trust.” It came from a place of frustration but also honesty. At the time, optimism had given way to doubt. Belief, built after the Chelsea performance, had started to erode under the weight of inconsistency. The season felt like it was drifting rather than progressing. I wrote about the lack of cohesion, the absence of clarity, and the sense that while the talent was clearly there, the structure around it was not quite functioning. It wasn’t a call for panic, but a warning that drifting was not an option if this team wanted to move forward.

@boodlepim

Since then, a lot has changed. Six games. Six wins.

Alessia Russo’s double against Madrid, Olivia Smith scoring a goal that could easily be one of the season’s best, and a freezing night in Leuven that combined Christmas markets with a confident 3–0 performance. Beth Mead began a quietly brilliant run of form, and a rotated side did enough to secure a place in the League Cup semi-final. It hasn’t always been fluid or pretty, but it has been effective and in football, that is what ultimately counts.

With a bit of distance, it becomes easier to see why things have shifted. Beth Mead returning to something close to her best has changed the dynamic of the attack. Olivia Smith has grown into her role with confidence and intent, offering directness that had been missing. The rotation across the back line has helped manage workloads and maintain intensity, while the midfield balance finally feels closer to right. Kim Little’s return alongside Kyra Cooney-Cross has brought control and composure, allowing Mariona to operate higher up the pitch and influence games in more dangerous areas. It is not perfect, but it is functioning in a way it simply wasn’t earlier in the season.

There has also been a noticeable improvement in game management. Cooney-Cross has been instrumental in breaking up play and protecting the back line, while Little’s presence brings calm to moments that previously felt chaotic. Mistakes still happen, and the tendency to overplay remains at times, but the structure is stronger. Rotation has played its part too, giving players like Caitlin Foord, Stina Blackstenius and Taylor Hinds meaningful minutes while keeping others fresh. The gradual return of Leah Williamson only adds to the sense that things are starting to stabilise.

Before the break, there was a genuine question over whether the timing was unfortunate, whether momentum might be lost. But listening to Lotte Wubben-Moy speak after the Palace game reframed that perspective. For the players, it was an opportunity to reset, to recover, and to return sharper. With key figures regaining fitness, that outlook makes sense.

What comes next will not be easy. Manchester United and Chelsea loom large in the league. There is a League Cup semi-final to navigate, an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa, and then Manchester City waiting on the other side. These are no doubt the weeks that define seasons. Fine margins will matter. Mistakes will be punished. Arsenal will need to be ruthless in both boxes if they are to come through this period with something tangible to show for it.

Yet despite the challenges ahead, the mood has shifted. You can’t help but feel there is a renewed connection between the players, the staff and the supporters. Our away ends, long committed, have become louder and more full of belief than ever. For the first time in a while, it feels as though something is building rather than slipping away.

Now it is about continuity. About turning good spells into sustained momentum. About progress without losing control. The potential is there, and for the first time in a while, it feels like it might finally be heading in the right direction.

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