The Gooner's attackers range from well-known names such a Mead, Miedema and Russo, to young talent Gio, and the experience of Foord, Lacasse, Hurtig and Blackstenius. With immense squad-depth, and no Champions League football this season, is this finally the year that Arsenal lift the Women's Super League trophy once again?
Jonas Eidevall has eight outstanding forwards to choose from when picking his starting XI. Arsenal typically play a front three, but have been attempting to play a front four in recent matches to involve more of their attacking talents. The Gunners' squad depth up front means they always have quality fresh legs available to come off the bench.
Beth Mead
Arsenal's 21/22 Player of the Season by a long way, Beth Mead has proved time and time again why she is one of the greatest female footballers of this generation. She holds the record for all-time most assists as well as having the second-most all-time goal contributions in the WSL.
Mead is a highly decorated footballer, having won the Euro 2022 Golden Boot, Euro 2022 Player of the Tournament, 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, 2022 UEFA Player of the Year, 2018 Football Supporter's Association Player of the Year, as well as finishing as the runner-up for the 2022 Ballon d-Or.
Mead is Arsenal's first-choice right winger, with her long list of honours proving why she deserves to start for the Gunners. However, in November 2022, she tore her ACL and has since been struggling to return to her goal scoring ways a year on from the injury.
If Mead does not return to her previous outstanding form soon, will she tumble down the pecking order at Arsenal?
Vivianne Miedema
Miedema is regarded as one of the greatest female strikers in modern football. She has scored the all-time most goals in the WSL, as well as scoring more goals than any other player, male or female, for The Netherlands.
Vivianne Miedema is another highly decorated footballer, with a long list of awards and honours to her name. She holds the record as the WSL's all-time top goal scorer, with 78 goals, a record she obtained just over three years after joining Arsenal, and was the 18/19 PFA Player's Player of the Year.
Miedema shines most in a number ten role on the pitch, feeding balls to the striker ahead of her. She has impeccable control of the ball and easily spots solutions on the pitch, making her a masterful asset to the Gunners.
She has yet to start upon her return from an ACL injury, which saw her unable to play for almost a year, but has come off the bench in two of Arsenal's games, both against Bristol City.
With teammate Mead making a slow start upon her full return from her ACL injury, Miedema will be looking to hit the ground running when she is fit enough to start for Arsenal once again.
Caitlin Foord
Caitlin Foord signed for Arsenal in early 2020, and has since averaged a goal every two starts. Foord's versatility is impressive, with her playing as a right back at the beginning of her career before settling in as a left winger at Arsenal. Although often starting on the left wing, she is able to play anywhere across the front three.
Foord was named Best Women's Young Player at the 2011 Women's World Cup, Asian Women's Young Footballer of the Year in 2011 and Asian Women's Footballer of the Year in 2016.
As an integral part of the Gunner's side, Foord has shown why she deserves to be in Arsenal's starting XI, with head coach Jonas Eidevall admitting that she is one of the best forwards in the world.
In the 22/23 season, Caitlin Foord scored eleven goals with nine assists. Having signed a new contact with Arsenal in the summer, she will continue to shine with the Gunners for plenty of seasons to come.
Lina Hurtig
Hurtig joined Arsenal ahead of the 22/23 season with three titles under her belt, having won the Swedish Damallsvenskan with Linkopings and Italian Serie A with Juventus twice. She has since won her first trophy with Arsenal, the FA Women's League Cup.
As a Swedish international, Hurtig has obtained impressive achievements, having scored in the 2019 Women's World Cup, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Lina Hurtig is an incredibly versatile forward who is comfortable playing anywhere across the front line. She typically plays as a left winger for the Gunners, often coming off the bench as a talented set of fresh legs to boost Arsenal's attack.
Hurtig has proven useful as an aerial specialist who is especially dangerous in the box for Arsenal's set-pieces. She is a constant threat to defenders, with her determination and strength rarely faltering throughout a match, making her a great fit for Eidevall's fierce Arsenal side.
Cloe Lacasse
Arsenal snatched up Canada's Lacasse from Portuguese club Benfica in the summer. She is a three-time Campeonato Nacional Feminino winner, having won Portugal's top-tier of women's football for three consecutive years in 20/21, 21/22 and 22/23.
Just before her departure from Benfica, she was named the league's Player of the Year for the 22/23 campaign. Lacasse's time with Benfica not only gave her a long list of honours, but also provided her with plenty of competitive top-flight experience before joining Arsenal in the WSL.
Cloe Lacasse is an incredibly talented forward, having scored 102 goals in 131 games during her time at Benfica.
Lacasse has already made an impact at Arsenal on the right wing. During Arsenal's 6-2 win over Leicester City, Lacasse kickstarted the Gunner's incredible comeback from 2-0 down with a goal in the 49th minute that gave her side the confidence they needed to fight for the win.
Arsenal's last minute comeback to draw 2-2 with title rivals Manchester United also saw a goal from Lacasse, as she helped her new side gain a crucial point. She has been an outstanding addition to Arsenal's squad and will continue to gain goal contributions throughout the season.
Alessia Russo
Russo was nominated WSL's player of the month in only her second month in the league in October 2020, following her departure from American North Carolina Tar Heels, where she studied alongside playing football at the University of North Carolina, before joining Manchester United.
Alessia Russo left Manchester United, the club she grew up supporting, in the summer to join Arsenal after making her name for herself as one of United's best female players. She was voted as Manchester United's Player's Player of the Year in 21/22 with 11 goals in 30 games.
As an England international, Russo has been an integral part of the lionesses' squad in recent years, helping England win the 2022 Women's Euros and reaching the final of the 2023 Women's World Cup, making her one of the greatest strikers in the world.
Russo has settled in well at Arsenal, featuring in Eidevall's starting XI for most of the Gunner's games so far this season. Her first goal for Arsenal in the WSL came at a crucial time for the Gunners, as she found the back of the net in the 94th minute to secure a 2-1 win against Aston Villa.
More goals are sure to come for Russo this season, as she proves why she deserves to play as Arsenal's starting striker.
Stina Blackstenius
Before joining Arsenal in January 2022, Stina Blackstenius played for BK Hacken in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. In 2021, she led the league in both goals and assists, having scored 17 and assisted 8, and was also named on the 20-player Ballon d'Or shortlist.
Blackstenius has made a name for herself as one of the best centre-forwards in the world.
As a Swedish international, Stina Blackstenius has achieved two Olympic silver medals and has most recently helped Sweden to win a bronze medal at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
During her first season with Arsenal in 2022, she scored 7 goals in 16 appearances. She has been off to a flying start so far this season as well, with 6 goals in 9 games across all competitions.
With immense pace and incredible instincts, Blackstenius is an outstanding striker and brings a lot to the Gunners, with plenty of goal contributions across all competitions.
Gio Queiroz
In 2021, Gio won the Samba Gold Feminino, an award honouring the best Brazilian player working abroad. This was the first time a women's category was introduced for this award, making Gio the inaugural winner.
Gio signed for Arsenal ahead of the 22/23 season and was sent on loan to fellow WSL club Everton to gain experience in the top-flight of women's football in England. She was recalled from her loan spell in January 2023 to return to Arsenal as they suffered from an injury crisis with their attacking players.
Gio was part of the Brazil squad that lifted the 2022 Copa America trophy. She is an incredible talent, and at just 20 years old, will be able to master her technical abilities whilst surrounded by a wealth of experienced players at Arsenal.
The youngster was supposed to depart on loan in the summer, with links to Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, but neither deal was finalised, meaning Gio was stuck at Arsenal and was left out of this season's 25-player WSL squad. A loan-deal is looking likely for January 2024, and with Arsenal's immense attacking squad-depth, Gio could even leave the club all together.
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