Part One of this Arsenal Ladies feature focused on the history, rise to prominence and the unique qualities that set Arsenal Ladies Football Club apart from other similar set-ups. It showed why Arsenal LFC are not just about the trophies and why its continued and consistent success is a thing to be emulated and respected. However we cannot avoid the mention and discussion of the impressive trophy haul amassed since the club’s inception.
Perhaps the most impressive achievement is the record breaking season of 2006-07, over the course of which, the club won every single competition available (all three domestic trophies, the Champions League, the FA Women’s Community Shield and the London County FA Women’s Cup), ending up with a unique sextuple (not unlike Pep’s Barca during his first season as manager). They beat Umea IK 1-0 in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League becoming the first British club to win the competition. Arsenal also won all 22 games in the PL that season with a goal tally of 119 after conceding just 10. What is even more commendable is that all the wins that year were against full-time professional players with most of the Arsenal team maintaining full-time jobs. They thoroughly deserved their Committee Award by the Sports Journalists’ Association during the 2007 Sports Journalists’ Awards.
And the team has only gone from strength to strength, even with the formation of the Women’s Super League (formerly the Women’s Premier League), an elite summer league in 2011.
Arsenal Ladies have won the first two WSLs, including setting the record for being the first team in the WSL to complete an unbeaten season. They sealed the title with a 1-1 draw in October 2012 versus their closest rivals Birmingham after winning 10 of their 14 games. They not only ended the season unbeaten, but also 8 points ahead of second placed Birmingham.