DEFINITELY? MAYBE - North London Expects - The New Women's Sport Magazine

Yet to come down from their Champions League success, Arsenal might just challenge for the title, reckons Helen M Jerome

Head Coach: All guns blazing, Renée Slegers is now in her first proper season, already with the Champions League under her belt. She dearly wants the Gunners to be the great entertainers – but with clean sheets too. She’s making “zero guarantees” though…

New signings: Olivia Smith; Chloe Kelly (loan now permanent signing); Taylor Hinds; Anneke Borbe.

Outlook: Bigger squad now, including the statement signing of speedy Canadian winger Olivia Smith for a world record fee (since beaten by Orlando Pride’s audacious signing of Lizbeth Ovalle from Tigres which has maybe taken some pressure off Smith).

The expanded squad should help Slegers achieve her goal of entertaining, ‘rock & roll football’. She’s also trying out players in different positions, sometimes outside their normal comfort zone, as she seeks to add layers to the team.

Front-footed attack with flying wingers and wingbacks is Slegers’ style, occasionally utilising two number 10s behind Alessia Russo, with Frida Maanum usually involved. Stronger goalkeeper competition for Van Domselaar comes with Borbe’s arrival from Wolfsburg.

Now that Lia Wälti has departed to Juventus, expect more rotation in midfield with some double-pivot combination of Kim Little, Vic Pelova and Kyra Cooney-Cross, plus of course the ‘octopus’ Mariona all over the pitch, conducting and controlling the play and no doubt picking up more awards like Player of the Season (below, left).

Only setback as the season starts is the knee injury sustained by Leah Williamson in the Euros. The England captain has had a procedure and clean-up, and will be out for several weeks, “hopefully not months”. So it’s time for the likes of Lotte Wubben-Moy (above, centre) and Laia Codina to step up.

Expectations have understandably skyrocketed since the UWCL win, but Slegers remains calm. Despite her incredible impact in the Euros, Michelle Agyemang has joined Rosa Kafaji on loan at Brighton, and most of the youngsters are being loaned out for minutes. Expect the Gunners to challenge Chelsea at the top this season.

Will finish: Champions (definitely? maybe!)