Arsenal Women: Trailblazers

Roberto Revilla
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Soccer
  • Updated Weekly

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. 3h ago

    Brighton 0-1 Arsenal: Lisa Baum Announces Herself | Instant Reaction

    Arsenal Women are up and running in the 2026/27 WSL after a 1-0 opening-day win away at Brighton, and nineteen-year-old Lisa Baum has certainly introduced herself to English football. In this instant post-match reaction, Roberto looks back at a game which gave us plenty of glimpses of the Arsenal we've been watching Renée Slegers build throughout pre-season, from Georgia Stanway dropping deep and dictating possession to the aggressive counter-press and the constantly changing attacking combinations. And then there was Baum. Starting ahead of Olivia Smith on one side before moving all over the Arsenal attack, she produced an extraordinary first-half strike off the underside of the bar to score the only goal of the game on her first WSL start. But this wasn't comfortable. Kiko Seike and Fran Kirby caused problems, Misa Rodríguez was called upon more than once and Brighton increasingly pushed Arsenal backwards as the game went on, leaving us clinging onto the lead during a rather more stressful final fifteen minutes than Roberto had anticipated when he predicted 4-1 before kick-off. There'll be a proper tactical review once we've had the chance to watch the match back. For now, this is the immediate reaction: three points, a clean sheet and a net improvement on the corresponding fixture last season. 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.

    Brighton 0-1 Arsenal: Lisa Baum Announces Herself | Instant Reaction

  2. 1d ago

    Brighton v Arsenal Women: WSL Season Opener Preview

    The waiting is over. Arsenal Women begin their 2026/27 WSL season away at Brighton & Hove Albion, and this may not be quite the gentle opening fixture some supporters would have chosen. Roberto looks ahead to Sunday’s game at Crawley, including Brighton’s summer changes, their pre-season against PSG and Barcelona, the arrival of new head coach Arturo Ruiz and the players Arsenal will need to keep an eye on, including former Gunner Lia Wälti, Fran Kirby and Kiko Seike. We also look back at Arsenal’s last five meetings with Brighton, including two difficult recent trips away, before turning to Renée Slegers and what six weeks of pre-season might have taught us about the new Arsenal. Can the rotations and connections we’ve been seeing survive a proper WSL match? Does Arsenal now have enough different ways to solve a stubborn opponent? And with almost everybody fit, who should start? There’s also a quick reaction to London City Lionesses’ 2-1 opening-night victory over Manchester United, including Daniëlle van de Donk’s brilliant goal, Alexia Putellas’ WSL debut and what the result might tell us about both clubs this season. A 1-4 Arsenal win score prediction from Roberto, now over to you. Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers wherever you listen, visit ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com and find Roberto on Instagram at @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.

    Brighton v Arsenal Women: WSL Season Opener Preview

  3. 2d ago

    Arsenal’s Champions League Draw: Barcelona, Lyon & More

    Arsenal now know their six opponents for the 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase: Barcelona, Lyon, Benfica, Paris FC, HB Køge and Inter Milan. In this breaking episode of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, Roberto goes beyond simply listing the fixtures and looks at what the draw actually means for Renée Slegers and this Arsenal squad. How difficult is Barcelona away? Can Arsenal take something from Lyon at home after last season’s semi-final? Why could Paris FC be much trickier than the name suggests? How seriously should we take an Inter side who have already knocked Wolfsburg out of Europe? And which matches simply have to become three points if Arsenal are serious about finishing in the top four? There’s also a look at where the real danger lies in the draw, which opponent may be underestimated and why Arsenal’s deeper squad could become crucial once the Champions League and WSL schedules begin overlapping. Arsenal finished fifth in the league phase last season before reaching the semi-finals. This year, with a stronger squad and a full pre-season under Renée Slegers, should the target now be the top four? Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers wherever you listen, visit ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com and find Roberto on Instagram at @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.

    Arsenal’s Champions League Draw: Barcelona, Lyon & More

  4. 2d ago

    Élisa de Almeida: Arsenal’s New No.5, the Controversy & the Footballer

    In this episode, Roberto looks carefully at the allegations being made about Arsenal’s new No.5, tracing what can actually be established from the available evidence, what remains unproven and why repeating something hundreds of times online doesn’t make it fact. Then we get back to the football. Who is Élisa de Almeida? What sort of defender have Arsenal signed? Why has Renée Slegers added a 28-year-old with 52 France caps, 154 PSG appearances and extensive Champions League experience to a defence already containing Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Steph Catley? And could her mobility and experience at both centre-back and right-back change the way Arsenal defend this season? There’s also Friday news on Olivia Smith’s forthcoming Olivia in London documentary and Georgia Stanway’s Arsenal Reddit AMA. A slightly different Trailblazers episode, but an important one: slow the conversation down, follow the evidence and then make up your own mind. Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers wherever you listen, visit ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com and find Roberto on Instagram at @ArsenalWomenTrailblazers. Chapters 01:35 Intro 03:18 Olivia Smith: Olivia in London 05:05 Georgia Stanway’s Arsenal AMA 08:15 What’s actually behind the Élisa controversy? 10:00 Evidence, allegations and social media 18:17 Who is Élisa de Almeida the footballer? 25:50 What her signing changes for Arsenal Read Georgia Stanway's AMA on Arsenal's Reddit 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.

    Élisa de Almeida: Arsenal’s New No.5, the Controversy & the Footballer

  5. 5d ago

    Arsenal Move for Elisa De Almeida + The Mystery Everton Friendly

    Arsenal’s final week of pre-season has suddenly become rather busy. Reports suggest Arsenal have agreed terms with Paris Saint-Germain for France international defender Elisa De Almeida, potentially answering the centre-back question we’ve been asking throughout the summer. Nothing has been officially announced by either club at the time of recording, so Roberto looks at what we actually know, why another specialist centre-back makes sense for Renée Slegers’ squad and what the move might tell us about Arsenal’s ambitions this season. There’s also the small matter of a football match nobody was allowed to watch. Arsenal reportedly beat Everton 6-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly played over three 45-minute periods. Neither club has published a match report and Roberto certainly isn’t going to invent one, but a Trailblazers follower has provided the apparent Arsenal goalscorers. That information hasn’t been independently verified, so we treat it accordingly, but if correct, six different goalscorers following five against Charlton gives us another interesting clue about something we’ve been watching develop throughout pre-season: more movement, more positional rotation and potentially more places for Arsenal’s goals to come from. We also look ahead to Friday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League draw and Sunday’s WSL opener against Brighton, when pre-season theories finally have to survive an actual competitive football match. Plus, there’s a first little preview of the next Trailblazers player profile: Géraldine Reuteler. Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com Instagram: @ArsenalWomenTrailblazers If you enjoy the podcast, please follow or subscribe, leave a rating or review and share the episode with another Arsenal Women 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.

  6. Aug 30

    Kyra Cooney-Cross: The Story Behind Arsenal’s No.32

    Kyra Cooney-Cross has spent most of her football life ahead of schedule. She was playing professionally in Australia at 15, made her Matildas debut at 19, went to the Olympics that same year, moved to Europe at 20 and became one of the breakout midfielders of the 2023 Women’s World Cup before joining Arsenal at 21. But understanding Kyra’s story means understanding far more than the football. In this special episode of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, Roberto traces Kyra’s journey from Queensland, Alice Springs and Ballarat through Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers, Hammarby, the Matildas and eventually Arsenal Women. It’s also the story of her mum, Jessica Cooney, whose support and sacrifices were part of that journey from the very beginning, from long drives to training and finding the money to help a 12-year-old Kyra travel to a football tournament, through to watching her daughter play at a home World Cup and for Arsenal. We also talk about Kyra’s difficult first years in North London, the devastating loss of Jessica in July 2026, the support Kyra received from Arsenal, her teammates and supporters, and her emotional return to Meadow Park against Paris FC. Then there’s that goal against Charlton. This isn’t an attempt to turn grief into a sporting comeback story, because none of us knows what being “back” means for Kyra. It’s simply the story of an extraordinary young footballer, the mum who helped her get there and the Arsenal player we’re very pleased to see playing football again. A personal note before listening: this episode contains discussion of terminal cancer, bereavement and grief, including Roberto's own recent experience of loss. Chapters: 00:00 Kyra Cooney-Cross: Football, Family and Finding Her Way Back 05:51 Where Kyra's Story Really Begins 09:16 The Little Girl From Australia 14:40 Professional Football at 15 18:12 Sweden, Hammarby and the 2023 World Cup 24:34 Arsenal and a Much Harder Challenge 27:25 When Football Stopped Mattering 34:42 Kyra Comes Back to Meadow Park 38:43 What Does Coming Back Actually Mean? Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit ArsenalWomenTrailblazers.com Instagram: @ArsenalWomenTrailblazers If you enjoy the podcast, please follow or subscribe, leave a rating or review and share the episode with another Arsenal Women 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.

    Kyra Cooney-Cross: The Story Behind Arsenal’s No.32

  7. Aug 28

    Arsenal Women News: PFA Awards, Olivia Smith & Academy Moves

    What looked like a quiet Friday turned into a fairly busy Arsenal Women news round-up. We start with the Trailblazers community itself, welcoming new website members from the UK, Iceland and Australia, and hearing from Australian listener Nicki Reeves, whose message about Caitlin Foord sent us back into the Arsenal defender’s early career and reminded us why supporters from different parts of the world can sometimes see the same player very differently. Then we get into the Arsenal news. Vivienne Lia has left Arsenal permanently for Eintracht Frankfurt after progressing through the academy and several loan spells, while 18-year-old Sophie Harwood has joined Sheffield United on loan for the 2026/27 season. Two young players, two very different next steps, and a wider question about what development actually looks like when Arsenal’s senior squad already has so much competition for places. There’s plenty of recognition for the first team too. Emily Fox, Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo have all been selected in the PFA WSL Team of the Year for the second season running, while Olivia Smith has won PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year for the second consecutive year — this time after doing it at two different clubs. We also look at Steph Catley’s nomination for Australian PFA Player of the Year, where she is chasing a fourth overall award and a third consecutive win. Finally, Renée Slegers appears to have revealed one last Arsenal pre-season match before the WSL opener away to Brighton. We know it exists. We don’t know who Arsenal are playing, where they’re playing or very much else at all, so for now we’re sticking with the useful answer: we don’t know. Plus, Nicki Reeves has accidentally commissioned Monday’s episode. Kyra Cooney-Cross is next. Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you enjoy the show, please rate, review and share it with another Arsenal Women supporter. Instagram: @arsenalwomentrailblazers Website: 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: PFA Awards, Olivia Smith & Academy Moves

  8. Aug 27

    Arsenal 5-1 Charlton: Are We Starting to See Renée-Ball?

    Arsenal Women finished their latest pre-season test with a 5-1 win over Charlton Athletic at Meadow Park - but the scoreline might be the least interesting thing about the performance. After my first visit to Meadow Park, I went back and watched the match again to understand what Renée Slegers’ Arsenal were actually trying to do. And I think we’re beginning to see something taking shape. We look at the developing partnership between Lisa Baum and Smilla Holmberg, why Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey were creating a similar overload on the opposite side, Georgia Stanway’s increasingly fascinating midfield role and why Alessia Russo appeared to be operating as a number ten behind Stina Blackstenius. Then Renée changed seven players at half-time - and something rather important happened. The players changed. A surprising amount of the football didn’t. Smilla moved from attacking right-back to centre-back. Emily Fox took over the role ahead of her. Kyra Cooney-Cross and Géraldine Reuteler entered midfield. Taylor Hinds, Caitlin Foord and Lotte Wubben-Moy formed new combinations on the left. Yet many of the movements and relationships Arsenal had been building in the first half remained recognisable. Could we finally be seeing what “Renée-ball” is supposed to look like? There’s also an intriguing continuation from the Paris FC match. After Arsenal occasionally wanted one touch too many around the penalty area on Sunday, Renée spoke about getting the “final detail” right. Against Charlton, Arsenal were suddenly much more willing to shoot when space appeared - with spectacular results from Kyra Cooney-Cross, Olivia Smith and Frida Maanum. We also look at Charlton’s opening goal and the communication breakdown behind it, Misa Rodríguez’s involvement in Arsenal’s build-up, Lisa Baum’s increasingly difficult-to-ignore pre-season, Géraldine beginning to find her place and why Arsenal’s extraordinary squad depth becomes much more interesting if different players can perform the same roles within the same system. Five goals. Five different scorers. Seven half-time substitutions. And perhaps our clearest look yet at the Arsenal Renée Slegers is trying to build for 2026/27. Follow Arsenal Women: Trailblazers wherever you listen to podcasts, and please rate, review and share the show with another Arsenal Women supporter. Join the conversation on Instagram: @arsenalwomentrailblazers Read the essays and more at 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 5-1 Charlton: Are We Starting to See Renée-Ball?
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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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