Arsenal hoping to better last year's WCL qualification campaign

Arsenal will be hoping to improve on last year's Women's Champions League qualification campaign as they host Rangers tomorrow.

The Gunners were knocked out of round one of the WCL's 2023/24 campaign after initially defeating Swedish side Linköping comfortably. 

However, Jonas Eidevall's team couldn't get past Paris FC in the next round. First, the London side came from 2-0 down to equalise at the death to force the game into extra-time. Then they had to come from behind again after the French team took the lead in extra-time. 

Despite all that drama, Arsenal eventually fell to a 4-2 defeat during the penalty shoot-out with Frida Maanum and Alessia Russo failing to convert their spot-kicks.

This season will be difficult again. Although many expect the WSL to defeat Rangers they would next face either Atlético Madrid or Rosenberg in the next game – either of those are a potential banana skin.

@Arsenal

There have of course been changes to Eidevall's squad of the summer. The biggest news was the departure of Gunners legend Vivienne Miedema who has now joined Manchester City. 

Cloé Lacasse also left after just a season in England while the likes of Sabrina D'Angelo, Kaylan Marckese, and Giovana Queiroz. Although Gio could potentially return to haunt her former club in the next round after having signed for Atlético.

There are three new arrivals at the club. One of the WSL's best goalkeepers, Daphne van Domselaar has joined from Aston Villa while the forward line has been reinforced with Swedish international Rosa Kafaji from Häcken and the vastly-decorated Mariona Caldentey (pictured) who joined from Barcelona. It will be fascinating to see how the World Cup winner adapts to life in English football.

Gers looking to cause a shock

While Arsenal are heavy favourites for Wednesday's clash, they shouldn't underestimate their Scottish opponents.

Rangers are managed by one-time Arsenal player Jo Potter and her side are already a month into their season. So far, things have gone pretty well for the Gers with plenty of goals... and we really mean plenty.

The Glasgow team have won their matches 11-0, 4-0, 9-0, 9-0, 10-0 so far to give them a goal difference of +43 after just five matches. That's a team making very sure they don't lose to rivals Celtic on goal difference like they did last year.

"The whole emphasis will be on them [Arsenal] to beat us because that is probably what everybody expects so we have got to try and take a little bit of an advantage of that," Potter said in the build-up to the game.

"We have had good conversations with the group and the players about how we are going to play, how we are going to set up, what that looks like and we are going to go down there and try to cause an upset."