Arsenal Women: Trailblazers

Roberto Revilla

Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is an independent podcast and community for people who want to understand Arsenal Women a little more deeply - on and off the pitch. I’m Roberto Revilla, a match-going Arsenal supporter, and this is where we make sense of what’s happening around the team together. That might mean looking beyond the scoreline to understand what Renée Slegers is trying to build, getting properly acquainted with a new signing rather than stopping at their statistics, making sense of a transfer, talking through the stories affecting the women’s game, or noticing the little things happening around Arsenal that can easily get lost in the noise. There’ll still be news, transfers, matches, injuries and all the things you’d expect from an Arsenal Women podcast, but Trailblazers isn’t about racing to tell you something you’ve probably already seen on your phone. I’d rather spend some time with it, ask the questions you might be asking yourself and hopefully leave you feeling as though you understand a little more than you did when we started. And this isn’t supposed to be me talking at you. The Trailblazers community is becoming an important part of the show, with your questions, observations and ideas regularly finding their way into episodes. Whether you’ve followed Arsenal Women for years or you’re only just discovering the team, you’re very welcome here. Trailblazers is family-friendly, independently produced and entirely dedicated to Arsenal Women. You can join the conversation on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers, or read the essays and match analysis at arsenalwomentrailblazers.com. You can also email the show at roberto@arsenalwomentrailblazers.com. Follow or subscribe in your podcast app, and if you enjoy spending time with us, please leave a rating or review and share Trailblazers with another Arsenal supporter. Every follow, listen and recommendation helps an entirely independent show continue to grow. Come on you Gunners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 20h ago

    Arsenal 1–1 Manchester United: Smilla Saves It Late | INSTANT REACTION

    INSTANT REACTION: Smilla Holmberg’s brilliant stoppage-time volley rescued a point for Arsenal Women as Manchester United held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates.   But after last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, that’s now four points dropped from consecutive home games and some familiar questions are beginning to appear.   In this quick post-match reaction, Roberto looks at Manchester United’s disciplined defensive performance, why Player of the Match Verónica Medina caused Arsenal problems, the impact Holmberg made from the right and another impressive performance from Misa Rodríguez.   There’s also the timing of Renée Slegers’ substitutions, Selina Cerci’s late penalty shout and the question we’ll come back to in the full match review: are teams beginning to find a repeatable way of frustrating this Arsenal side?   This is the immediate reaction rather than the full analysis. We’ll be back with a complete Arsenal Women 1–1 Manchester United match review after going back through the whole game.   Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers for independent, fan-led Arsenal Women news, reaction, analysis and the stories behind the players. Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Arsenal 1–1 Manchester United: Smilla Saves It Late | INSTANT REACTION
  2. 2d ago

    Arsenal Women v Manchester United: Team News, Predicted XI & Match Preview

    Arsenal Women are back at the Emirates on Saturday as Manchester United arrive in North London with both sides looking for a response after frustrating weekends. Arsenal somehow came away from Crystal Palace with a 0-0 draw despite 30 shots and 79 per cent possession, while Manchester United suffered a 5-0 defeat at home to Chelsea following their opening-day loss to London City Lionesses. So, naturally, everybody is completely calm about things two games into the season... In this Trailblazers match preview, Roberto looks at what we can sensibly take from those opening results, Renée Slegers' latest team and injury news, what Eva Olid may change at Manchester United and how Saturday's game could develop tactically. We also look at the possible returns of Géraldine Reuteler and Selina Cerci, why Lisa Baum could be important again, whether Olivia Smith should start and the case for pairing Smilla Holmberg with Baum on Arsenal's right. Plus, Roberto picks his Arsenal starting XI, predicts Manchester United's team and, against his better judgement, gives a score prediction. Can Arsenal turn last weekend's dominance into goals and get back to winning ways at the Emirates? Listen now and let us know your starting XI and score prediction. Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers for independent, fan-led Arsenal Women news, match previews, reaction, analysis and the stories behind the players. Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. 3d ago

    Kim Little: The Quiet Leader Who Became an Arsenal Legend

    For the 50th episode of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, there was only one player I wanted to celebrate, the member of the current Arsenal team who is the embodiment of the word Trailblazer. Kim Little. She arrived at Arsenal as a quiet 17-year-old from Mintlaw in 2008, so unnoticed that some of her new teammates initially thought she was simply Julie Fleeting’s friend. Nearly two decades later, she has surpassed 400 Arsenal appearances, become the club’s record holder for Women’s Super League appearances, captained Arsenal to the Champions League, and established herself as one of the greatest players in the club’s history. But the numbers only tell part of Kim Little’s story. In this special long-form Trailblazers audio documentary, we go right back to the beginning: growing up in Mintlaw, practicing alone in her dad’s freezing garage, travelling across Scotland to train with Hibernian and working on a Tesco checkout while scoring 88 goals in senior football before she was 18. We follow Kim to Arsenal, Seattle and Melbourne, through her extraordinary years as one of the best midfielders in the world, 140 appearances for Scotland, an ACL rupture, a broken leg, World Cup heartbreak and the evolution from prolific young goalscorer into the player Arsenal have trusted to control their biggest matches. And we look beyond the football. Kim has spoken with unusual openness about her need for solitude, her thoughts on leadership, the periods of depression she experienced during her career, and why noticing the people around her has become such an important part of the captain she is today. Then there is Lisbon. Seventeen years after first joining Arsenal, Kim finally walked into a Champions League final and helped Arsenal beat Barcelona to become champions of Europe. This is the story of Kim Little, but it’s also a story about leadership without performance, ambition without ego and why you don’t need to be the loudest person in the room to become the person everybody trusts. Episode 50 of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers. Read the complete written version and find all our Arsenal Women coverage at arsenalwomentrailblazers.com. Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers and join the conversation. If you enjoy our player documentaries, follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with another Arsenal supporter. Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Kim Little: The Quiet Leader Who Became an Arsenal Legend
  4. 6d ago

    Arsenal Women 0-0 Crystal Palace: How Did Arsenal Not Win?

    Arsenal had 30 shots, 79 per cent possession and hit the crossbar twice, but Crystal Palace left the Emirates with a point after an extraordinary defensive performance.   Having recorded my raw reaction immediately after the match, I’ve now watched it again and the full picture isn’t quite as bleak as it felt at full-time.   We examine how Palace crowded the spaces around Alessia Russo, the opportunities Arsenal created and why Lisa Baum, Georgia Stanway and Mariona Caldentey offered plenty of encouragement despite the result.   There’s also a closer look at Renée Slegers’ substitutions, what Olivia Smith, Stina Blackstenius, Kim Little, Caitlin Foord and Frida Maanum brought from the bench and whether Arsenal’s problem was creativity, finishing or simply meeting a brilliantly organised defence and an inspired Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.   Finally, we consider the concern that Arsenal may be repeating last season’s familiar mistakes, round up the rest of the WSL weekend and explain why this result feels more like an early warning than a crisis.   Links for listeners   Read more from Trailblazers: https://www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com/   Follow Arsenal Women Trailblazers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arsenalwomentrailblazers/   Arsenal’s official match report: https://www.arsenal.com/news/report-arsenal-women-0-0-crystal-palace-a9WRZ9V1hhBY   Official match centre and statistics: https://www.cpfc.co.uk/match/2674495/women/english-women-s-super-league/2026-27/arsenal-women-vs-crystal-palace-women-2026-09-13/   Current WSL table: https://www.wslfootball.com/standings/wsl Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Arsenal Women 0-0 Crystal Palace: How Did Arsenal Not Win?
  5. Sep 13

    Instant Reaction | Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace

    Arsenal Women have dropped their first points of the new WSL season after being held to a goalless draw by newly promoted Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium. Roberto has just returned from the match and switched on the microphone to record his immediate, completely unscripted reaction to what he saw and felt inside the stadium. This isn’t the polished match review or the final verdict after watching everything back. It’s the raw response to a deeply frustrating afternoon, the performance Arsenal produced, the questions it raises and the moments that stood out from inside the Emirates. A fuller analysis will follow once there has been time to rewatch the match and separate the immediate frustration from what actually happened on the pitch. Were you at the Emirates or watching from home? Join the conversation with Trailblazers on Instagram and tell us what you made of the performance. READ AND LISTEN FURTHER Arsenal v Crystal Palace preview: https://www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com/arsenal-women-crystal-palace-wsl-preview/ Trailblazers website: https://www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arsenalwomentrailblazers/ Official match centre: https://www.cpfc.co.uk/match/2674495/women/english-women-s-super-league/2026-27/arsenal-women-vs-crystal-palace-women-2026-09-13/ Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Instant Reaction | Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace
  6. Sep 12

    Arsenal v Crystal Palace: Can Arsenal Turn Control Into Goals?

    Arsenal Women return to the Emirates on Sunday for their first home match of the new WSL season, with newly promoted Crystal Palace arriving after winning their opening game against Everton. Palace’s last experience of the WSL ended in relegation, but this is a very different side. Jo Potter guided them back at the first attempt after 12 wins from their final 14 league matches, before adding Bethany England, Molly Bartrip, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin and last season’s WSL2 leading scorer Lexi Lloyd-Smith. Roberto looks at how Palace rebuilt, what their 1–0 victory over Everton tells us, where they could threaten Arsenal and why this may become a test of patience against a team comfortable playing without most of the possession. There’s also a provisional Arsenal starting eleven, the selection questions facing Renée Slegers and a prediction for Sunday. MATCH INFORMATION Arsenal Women v Crystal Palace Women Sunday 13 September Kick-off: 2.45pm Emirates Stadium UK coverage: BBC Two and BBC iPlayer READ MORE Arsenal’s official 2026/27 WSL fixture list https://www.arsenal.com/news/arsenals-202627-wsl-fixture-list-aR0Wt9g9dCCh Official match page https://www.cpfc.co.uk/match/2674495/women/english-women-s-super-league/2026-27/arsenal-women-vs-crystal-palace-women-2026-09-13/ Crystal Palace 1–0 Everton: match record and statistics https://www.cpfc.co.uk/match/2674489/women/english-women-s-super-league/2026-27/crystal-palace-women-vs-everton-women-2026-09-06/ Why Crystal Palace are ready for their next WSL challenge https://www.wslfootball.com/news/wsl/why-crystal-palace-are-ready-for-next-bwsl-challenge Arsenal Women tickets https://www.eticketing.co.uk/arsenal/ What is your predicted score and would you keep the same Arsenal eleven that started at Brighton? Follow Trailblazers on Instagram: @arsenalwomentrailblazers Visit the website: https://www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com/ Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Arsenal v Crystal Palace: Can Arsenal Turn Control Into Goals?
  7. Sep 11

    Arsenal Women News: Ballon d’Or Nods, Kyra’s Gift & More

    In this week's Arsenal Women news, Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo have been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Féminin, Kyra Cooney-Cross has won Arsenal’s August Goal of the Month and Jessie Gale has scored for England at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup.   But this has also been a remarkable week for Trailblazers.   Roberto shares the story behind an unexpected signed shirt and handwritten note from Kyra and her family, the emotional response to our Géraldine Reuteler documentary and the news that the Selina Cerci profile has reached people within the player’s own network.   There’s also a first live radio appearance with Track Radio, a new weekly Arsenal Women column for Impetus Football and a request for listeners to help choose the subject of our next player documentary.   READ AND LISTEN FURTHER   Impetus Football https://impetusfootball.org/   Trailblazers: The Arsenal Women’s Column https://impetusfootball.org/2026/09/09/trailblazers-the-arsenal-womens-column/   Géraldine Reuteler: The Arsenal Player We’re About to Get to Know https://www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com/geraldine-reuteler-arsenal-women-player-profile/   Kyra Cooney-Cross: The Story Behind Arsenal Women’s No.32 https://www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com/kyra-cooney-cross-arsenal-women/   Track Radio https://www.trackradio.com/   The 2026 Ballon d’Or nominees https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a9-218b019cbca5-cb4b9be51c4b-1000--2026-ballon-dor-awards-nominees-revealed/   England Under-20s 5–1 Tanzania https://www.northeurope.englandfootball.com/articles/2026/Sep/08/england-wu20s-v-tanzania-world-cup-match-report-20260908   Who should be the subject of our next player documentary? Send us the player’s name and tell us what part of her story you’d like to understand better.   Follow Trailblazers on Instagram: @arsenalwomentrailblazers   Visit the website: https://www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com/ Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Arsenal Women News: Ballon d’Or Nods, Kyra’s Gift & More
  8. Sep 9

    Géraldine Reuteler: The Arsenal Player We’re About to Get to Know

    Arsenal’s new number 14 arrives in North London with more than a decade of senior football behind her, over 180 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt and a reputation as one of Switzerland’s most complete midfielders. But Géraldine Reuteler’s story is about much more than where Renée Slegers might eventually use her. In the latest of our Trailblazers player-profile documentaries, Roberto goes back to Stans in central Switzerland to meet the little girl who grew up surrounded by four football-playing brothers, lasted barely a fortnight at ballet and initially didn’t want to leave home when the Swiss development programme came calling at 12 years old. We follow Géraldine through homesickness, boys’ teams, three European Championships in three years, her move to Frankfurt at 19, the ACL injury that kept her out for 349 days and the club that eventually became her second family. Then we arrive at Euro 2025, where three consecutive Player of the Match awards introduced Géraldine Reuteler to a much wider audience, before discovering that Arsenal had already been watching. And finally, we ask what Arsenal have actually signed: an eight, a ten, a wide player, or perhaps something rather more interesting than any of those labels suggest. This is the story of Géraldine Reuteler, the footballer and the person behind Arsenal’s number 14. Read the full written profile at ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com Follow us on Instagram: @ArsenalWomenTrailblazers Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is a regular fan podcast dedicated to Arsenal Women. Join host Roberto Revilla for latest news, match previews and reports, tactical talking points and the stories that make Arsenal Women true trailblazers. Connect with the show on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers Find us on BlueSky Social @arsenalwomentb Our website can be found at www.arsenalwomentrailblazers.com Intro/Outro Music thanks to raspberrymusic from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Géraldine Reuteler: The Arsenal Player We’re About to Get to Know

Ratings & Reviews

About

Arsenal Women: Trailblazers is an independent podcast and community for people who want to understand Arsenal Women a little more deeply - on and off the pitch. I’m Roberto Revilla, a match-going Arsenal supporter, and this is where we make sense of what’s happening around the team together. That might mean looking beyond the scoreline to understand what Renée Slegers is trying to build, getting properly acquainted with a new signing rather than stopping at their statistics, making sense of a transfer, talking through the stories affecting the women’s game, or noticing the little things happening around Arsenal that can easily get lost in the noise. There’ll still be news, transfers, matches, injuries and all the things you’d expect from an Arsenal Women podcast, but Trailblazers isn’t about racing to tell you something you’ve probably already seen on your phone. I’d rather spend some time with it, ask the questions you might be asking yourself and hopefully leave you feeling as though you understand a little more than you did when we started. And this isn’t supposed to be me talking at you. The Trailblazers community is becoming an important part of the show, with your questions, observations and ideas regularly finding their way into episodes. Whether you’ve followed Arsenal Women for years or you’re only just discovering the team, you’re very welcome here. Trailblazers is family-friendly, independently produced and entirely dedicated to Arsenal Women. You can join the conversation on Instagram @arsenalwomentrailblazers, or read the essays and match analysis at arsenalwomentrailblazers.com. You can also email the show at roberto@arsenalwomentrailblazers.com. Follow or subscribe in your podcast app, and if you enjoy spending time with us, please leave a rating or review and share Trailblazers with another Arsenal supporter. Every follow, listen and recommendation helps an entirely independent show continue to grow. Come on you Gunners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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