The Conti Cup final beckons and our clash with Chelsea on Sunday at Selhurst Park could mark the end of a four-year wait for a trophy.
The only thing between us and the cup is a Chelsea side in fearsome form. The Blues haven't lost in any competition since an opening WSL defeat to newly-promoted Liverpool but our Gunners are primed for the challenge.
A patient wait
We have to travel back to the 2017-18 season for the last time we lifted the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup, where our 1-0 win over Manchester City came courtesy of a close-range effort from Vivianne Miedema.
Joe Montemurro lead our Gunners to the league title the following season and since then, it's been an unlucky wait to add to our historic club's trophy cabinet. Some incredibly near misses have happened along the way, including Chelsea pipping us to the WSL title by a solitary point only last season, yet silverware has continued to evade us.
For Jonas Eidevall and our squad, that historic pressure won't be a factor on Sunday. The focus is on tomorrow's possibilities and giving everything in pursuit of success.
"It means a lot for both the team and me," our coach said in his pre-match press conference. "Of course, we want to win things. What we can control is how we do things, how we're playing, how we're behaving, and what our mindset is. That's where we need to get 100% of our focus on. If we're doing that well enough, I have so much belief that we can win this trophy."
Last time around Chelsea
Our Gunners haven't beaten Emma Hayes' side since September 2021 but it's often been tantalisingly close. Our January clash with Chelsea in the Women's Super League saw us lead until the 89th minute, only for Sam Kerr to head home and spoil a perfect afternoon at Emirates Stadium.
Last week's disappointing loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup was a recognisable tale of dominated possession and close chances, where we lacked only a killer instinct in front of goal. Thankfully, we don't have long to wait to get a second chance against our London rivals.
Team news
Lina Hurtig and Sabrina D'Angelo returned to training after the pair suffered minor knocks during February's international break.
Beth Mead ramped up her progress in the gym this week following her ACL injury, while Vivianne Miedema and Teyah Goldie also remain on the sidelines.
How to watch
A sell-out crowd awaits us at Selhurst Park but for Gooners watching in the UK, the match will be broadcast live on BBC One when we kick off at 3pm. Supporters across the world can keep up with the action via the FA Player.
What the managers say
Eidevall on Chelsea: "This game isn’t about any revenge from me or any other side at Arsenal. It’s about what we want to try and create together and the memories we want to create, so that's all we will focus on.
“Chelsea have obviously been doing that very very well here over the last couple of seasons and it’s very impressive winning that much, but we need to focus on what we can do and not show them too much respect."
Hayes on us: "Yes, we know the opponent but football is fluid in the sense that both teams make adjustments here and there. We have to keep adapting to that.
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