Arsenal Women's season has not gone to plan, with the team failing to win the WSL title or Champions League. Despite a 93rd-minute winner against Everton, Manchester City have already been crowned champions. The Gunners lifted the inaugural Champions Cup, but failed to retain their Women's Champions League title and also exited the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage and the League Cup in the semi-finals. Starting slowly has become a costly trend for Arsenal, with the team picking up just two points from their next three outings after winning their first two league matches by an aggregate score of 9-2. The Christmas deficit was eight points after 11 matches, a gap they have been unable to close. Former England forward Ellen White said on the Women's Football Weekly podcast, 'The start of the season was another issue for them. They've done that for a couple of seasons now and then they're on catch-up.' Given Arsenal have only lost one game all season, those draws have proved particularly costly. Whatever is said in the summer, making a hot start has to be the priority. Finishing fourth was not the plan for Manchester City last season, but it may have been a blessing in disguise for the 2025-26 champions. After all, Andree Jeglertz's side have had the luxury of playing 10 fewer games than Arsenal. The expanded Champions League format this season meant more matches, while the Gunners also played an extra two games in the inaugural edition of the Champions Cup. Playing in five competitions has tested the club's squad depth to the limit. Alessia Russo has been Slegers' most used player, with 3,150 minutes under her belt. At City, Khadija Shaw - the league's top scorer - has played 762 minutes fewer than Russo, equivalent to almost eight and a half games. Meanwhile, Mariona Caldentey, who was named the WSL player of the year for 2024-25, has played 3,092 minutes and not hit the same heights as last season. As the chart shows, on average, Arsenal's squad have played 481 minutes more than Manchester City. That extra time on the pitch has arguably taken its toll, with the players looking jaded in the 1-1 draw at Brighton last week - four days after their European title defence came to a crushing end in Lyon. Those dropped points against the Seagulls left Arsenal unable to catch City, who won the WSL title.