Have Arsenal blown their WSL title bid already?

At first glance, nan mobility posed successful nan header of this portion seems ridiculous.

It is 4 games into nan Women's Super League (WSL) season, and Arsenal are unbeaten. They are second, 1 constituent down leaders Chelsea, are reigning European champions and this week had 4 players named successful nan apical 7 of nan 2025 Ballon d'Or.

Comments successful nan BBC Sport inbox from Arsenal fans - "So mediocre from Arsenal", "There you spell Chelsea, each yours again" - could beryllium publication arsenic protagonist hysteria.

Yes, a precocious equaliser conceded against Aston Villa astatine Emirates Stadium represents 2 points dropped. But blowing nan title title - really?

Scratch nan aboveground though, and location is constituent to nan evident clickbait.

Chelsea are nan awesome problem. Last season, Sonia Bompastor's broadside went unbeaten done their WSL run - a first successful a 22-match play - and dropped conscionable six points.

Arsenal, aft 4 games, person dropped 4 points already - a drab stalemate astatine Manchester United past play followed by a 1-1 tie astatine location to Villa connected Saturday.

In specified a compact league, immoderate points dropped could beryllium hugely damaging.

"Even though we're not astatine our highest level coming - and that's going to hap passim nan play - what we request to do amended is to find those ways of winning," Arsenal head Renee Slegers told Sky Sports. "That 2nd extremity would've been truthful important for us."

Last season, a 5-2 conclusion astatine Villa for Arsenal efficaciously handed nan title to Chelsea, nan Blues sealing nan convention crown that aforesaid evening. A fewer months on, a akin pall fell crossed northbound London connected Saturday lunchtime.

The astir worrying point for Arsenal is really avoidable this was. Last season, tiredness, attraction connected nan Champions League and an inspired Villa show each played a portion successful that defeat.

But connected Saturday it felt self-inflicted. Arsenal led aft 10 minutes but ceded nan tempo arsenic nan crippled progressed. And conscionable arsenic they seemed to person seen retired a constrictive win, they gave up nan triumph to set-pieces.

A soft free-kick extracurricular nan container led to Lynn Wilms drafting a bully prevention from Daphne van Domselaar. And Arsenal did not take sides nan resulting corner, allowing Lucy Parker to bundle home.

Any broadside considered superior title contenders should not beryllium dropping points successful that manner. It is difficult to ideate Chelsea doing so.

"Chelsea predominate this WSL because of those games that they are capable to finish," erstwhile Arsenal striker Ian Wright told Sky Sports.

"Chelsea don't suffer that game, Chelsea don't tie that crippled - Chelsea triumph that game."

Responsibility for nan mediocre 2nd half from Arsenal must beryllium divided betwixt nan players and nan manager.

Arsenal dominated possession, had 19 shots and could person been retired of show successful nan first half.

But they went astir 35 minutes successful nan 2nd half without a changeable connected target, until Sabrina D'Angelo saved good from Katie McCabe. This follows nan tie astatine Manchester United wherever they only had 1 changeable connected target.

After scoring 9 goals successful their first 2 convention matches, it is simply a worrying drop-off.

"The value we person successful nan team, I deliberation we didn't bring successful nan last 3rd today," Slegers said.

"I judge successful nan squad and nan players. It was conscionable not coming retired today. We'll person to reappraisal that. It's frustrating if you get an early goal. We request a 2nd goal."

"For me, they request excessively galore touches connected nan shot - very negative, backwards passing," said Wright. "It's not capable energy.

"I deliberation these games show them up for precisely wherever they are because that's a mediocre capacity successful respects of a squad going to effort and triumph nan league."

As for Slegers, questions will beryllium asked astir her usage of nan squad and substitutes.

She had to fend disconnected questions astatine her Thursday media convention astir American defender Jenna Nighswonger, who has hardly played since joining successful January.

And connected Saturday she near Stina Blackstenius and Kyra Cooney-Cross connected nan bench, while Chloe Kelly - 5th successful nan Ballon d'Or - came connected only successful nan 87th minute.

This season, Taylor Hinds has travel connected arsenic an Arsenal sub for McCabe successful each 4 convention games.

Blackstenius, Maanum, Kelly, Beth Mead and Victoria Pelova person mostly been interchangeable - either starting aliases replacing different arsenic a sub. It gives Slegers' broadside an aerial of predictability.

"She's sewage to spot successful that squad," said Wright.

"She uses nan aforesaid substitutes each time. There's nary quality successful nan game. There's nary alteration successful nan measurement somebody's going to travel connected and abruptly make it quicker and sharper for us, because she's utilizing nan aforesaid players.

"You've sewage players who are astir apt upset location now because they've drawn a crippled that you should beryllium winning and they've sewage obscurity adjacent a team."

If Chelsea triumph astatine West Ham connected Sunday, Arsenal will beryllium 4 points down nan champions.

Their gathering connected 8 November would go must-win.