Arsenal & Chelsea US tours are a sign of women's soccer growth

Both Arsenal and Chelsea Women are heading to the US to begin their preseason preparations. This is the first time Arsenal have made the trip stateside whilst this is Chelsea’s second visit in three years.

The London sides will begin the tour with games against NWSL sides.

Arsenal starts against Washington Spirit on August 18, and Chelsea will face Gotham FC on August 20. Jess Carter will face her old teammates after her recent move to New Jersey. 

The tour will conclude when both teams face each other on August 25 at Audi Field. Although the clash between the two teams in Washington DC will mean little in terms of the result, the psychological edge either Arsenal or Chelsea could gain from a victory could be significant.

Growth of women’s soccer

Arsenal and Chelsea’s impending visits are emblematic of the global growth of Women’s soccer. Both teams have developed strong fanbases worldwide, specifically interested in seeing women’s football.

It would be fair to say that tours like this would not have been feasible just a few years previously.

With international fanbases of women’s teams continuing to grow, these tours will become commonplace in the upcoming years. 

Both teams go into the tour with significant question marks regarding the upcoming season. 

Arsenal have critical season ahead

This year is critical for Jonas Eidevall and his Arsenal side.

The Swede has come under increasing pressure from Arsenal fans for a below-par 23/24 season for a club of Arsenal’s stature, although retaining the Continental Cup at least provided fans with silverware to celebrate. 

The departure of Vivianne Miedema to title rivals Man City, after the club and the Dutch international decided to part ways did nothing to help quell the unrest, but they have added Mariona Caldentey and Daphne van Domselaar to an already talented squad during the summer transfer window.  

If reports are to be believed, BK Häcken midfielder Rosa Kafaji is soon to follow. Whether these additions will be enough for Arsenal to win their first WSL title since 2019 remains to be seen.

Chelsea will begin a season without Emma Hayes at the helm for the first time since 2011. Her replacement, Sonia Bompastor, boasts one of the most impressive CVs in women’s football. Her time at Lyon was littered with success, winning three Division 1 Féminie titles alongside a coveted Champions League title in 2022. Whether this success can be translated to the WSL will remain unknown for the present but this tour will give a glimpse into what we can expect from Chelsea this season. 

So far, they have signed PSG duo Sandy Baltiomore and Oraine Jean-Françios alongside Júlia Bartel and the vastly successful Lucy Bronze from Barcelona. They were also able to renew the contract of star striker Sam Kerr for another two years.  The expectations as per usual will be sky-high for Chelsea. The one title they are missing, the Champions League, will be the goal.

With both teams facing uncertainty and the historical nature of the visit, the upcoming tour of the US by the two London giants will be one to closely watch.  

Photo credit: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo