In the past 15 years, the Women’s Super League has advanced significantly thanks to increased interest and coverage, well-known players, and record audiences.
But the fact remains that it has been that long since an English team has captured the Champions League, with Arsenal the sole British team to do so in 2007.
With women’s football in England perhaps in its finest state ever following the historic Euro 2022 triumph, Arsenal and Chelsea are gearing up to prove they can compete with the best in Europe as they get set for their Champions League group games this week.
Arsenal take on eight-time champions Lyon, who they have never beaten, on Wednesday before Chelsea face Paris-St Germain on Thursday.
But, can English sides compete with the European heavyweights who have dominated the Champions League for so long?
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Across the competition’s 21-year history, England have had 12 semi-finalists. But if you look at the list of finals, you will see the same names over and over.
Everton midfielder Izzy Christiansen, who won the Champions League with Lyon in 2019, said there is still a way to go before Arsenal or Chelsea can knock Europe’s elite teams off their perch.
“To be competing in the later stages you need to be reaching at least the quarter-finals or semi-finals year on year,” she told BBC Sport.
“It’s about time – you need the experience of being around those later stages.”
Chelsea seemed like they could finally do it when they made the final in 2021, but were completely blown away by Barcelona.
Christiansen said Chelsea boss Emma Hayes has established a “winning machine” in the domestic league but this season Arsenal look better equipped to put up a fight in Europe.
Having won the tournament in 2007, Arsenal reached the semi-finals three years in a row from 2011 but have failed to reach a final since their historic crown.
“Arsenal have a ridiculously good squad and bench,” Christiansen adds. “The loss of Leah Williamson may be a problem but if they can keep the squad fit, especially Kim Little and Lia Walti, who are playing so well, they could do well.”
Christiansen recalls reaching the semi-finals in 2017 and 2018 with Manchester City but said getting used to playing at the weekend and in midweek can be challenging.
“At City we were best placed tactically to try and beat Lyon in the semi-final because we had a very good squad,” she says. “The manager at the time, Nick Cushing, was incredibly intelligent tactically and we got so close to beating them purely because of his coaching methods.”
That was the closest City have come to progressing to the final and they have missed out on reaching the group stage for the last two seasons, both times losing out in the qualifying rounds to Real Madrid.
‘Ridiculously hard groups’
This year, Arsenal will meet Juventus and Zurich as well as Lyon in Group C while Chelsea take on PSG, Real Madrid and Vllaznia in Group A.
“Both have ridiculously hard groups. If Arsenal can get out of that group they will see that as essentially knocking out at least one of the favourites,” said Christiansen.
Lyon, Wolfsburg and, more recently, Barcelona dominate Champions League history and Christiansen said she could feel the difference during her time at the French giants.
“At Lyon I found the step up in training very clear,” she continued. “They were world class in every position. I loved training because it was quick and intense.
“The thing I found strange was how well the players adapted to playing in the Champions League versus the domestic league in France, which in my opinion was quite weak, apart from matches against PSG.
“I think it [the league] has improved since I was there but how Lyon kept winning the Champions League without being tested each week domestically defies the theory that we think the WSL needs to be more competitive so an English club can win the Champions League,” she said.
Many of England’s European Championship-winning squad ply their trade in the WSL but with high-profile players Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway all moving abroad this summer, there is still a clear pull towards the continent.
“They must think they have a better chance of winning the Champions League with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively, than they do here,” said Christiansen.
“But I’m sure there are also players now looking at Arsenal and Chelsea and thinking they could win the Champions League with them.”
In recent years there has been an increased migration of players from Europe’s top teams to the WSL.
Pernille Harder joined Chelsea from two-time European champions Wolfsburg for a then-record fee while Hayes added highly experienced defender Kadeisha Buchanan, who won the Champions League five times with Lyon, to her ranks this season.
Arsenal held onto sought-after striker Vivianne Miedema and recruited Juventus’ Lina Hurtig – testament to the Gunners intent under boss Jonas Eidevall.
The Swedish manager has previously stated that Arsenal’s European ambition was part of the reason he joined the club in 2021 and the depth in his squad indicates they are ready to fight on all fronts this year.
“Eidevall has spoken about the difference between beating a team in the WSL and beating a team in Europe. You can’t ignore Arsenal’s previous success in the Champions League, but when they won it they had a ridiculously strong squad,” Christiansen said.
Four of the last eight Champions League seasons lacked an English semi-finalist and Christiansen believes it is important to have the experience of being in the latter stages of the tournament.
“Realistically I think we are a couple of years off seeing an English team win it. That’s not to say that Arsenal and Chelsea don’t have fantastic squads, but I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Source: BBB Sports
