Arsenal Women Secure Late Victory Over Paris FC and Bid Farewell to Lia
The new Women's Super League season is still a dot on the horizon, but Arsenal Women are already moving at full speed. A late win, a young talent heading for Germany, and a manager sharpening every edge of her squad – the pieces of Renée Slegers’ 2026/27 puzzle are starting to fall into place.
Smith snatches it at the death
Pre-season friendlies rarely crackle like cup finals. This one came close.
At Mangata Developments Stadium in Borehamwood on Sunday, Arsenal looked set for a goalless draw with Paris FC. Ninety minutes gone, the game slowing, legs tiring, both sides seemingly resigned to a stalemate.
Then Olivia Smith changed the script.
Deep into stoppage time, the Canadian international – who arrived in north London last summer – cut inside and curled a precise finish into the far corner. A 91st‑minute strike, 1-0 to Arsenal, and a reminder of why she’s seen as one of the most exciting young attackers in the squad.
It was only a pre-season win, but it carried weight. Another step in Slegers’ plan to build rhythm and resilience before the real tests begin. The head coach spread minutes across her squad, pushing players towards full match fitness while experimenting with combinations and roles.
Slegers left the pitch satisfied with parts of the display, but she did not pretend the work is done. There are details to tighten, movements to sync, and habits to hardwire before the WSL whistle blows.
Leah Williamson, too, took encouragement from the afternoon. For senior figures like her, these games are less about the scoreline and more about the feeling: sharpness returning, patterns of play bedding in, a title challenge slowly taking shape.
Vivienne Lia heads to Frankfurt
While one young player grabbed the spotlight on Sunday, another said goodbye earlier in the week.
On Friday, Arsenal confirmed that 19-year-old winger Vivienne Lia has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a permanent deal. It marks the end of a five-year journey in north London for Lia, who entered the club’s academy at 14 in 2021 and climbed through the youth ranks.
Her move is part of a wider reshaping of the squad after a busy summer of arrivals and departures. For a player of her age, regular senior minutes in the Frauen-Bundesliga offer a clear pathway to development, even if it means Arsenal lose a homegrown prospect.
For Slegers, though, the focus is narrowing. The churn of the window is slowing. The task now is less about who comes and goes, and more about moulding the group that remains into a side ready to compete from day one.
Charlton next, then Brighton on opening day
There is barely time to pause.
Arsenal are back at Mangata Developments Stadium on Wednesday, August 26, when they host Charlton Athletic Women in their next pre-season friendly. Another chance for Slegers to test ideas, refine pressing triggers, and push fitness levels up another notch.
After that, the phoney war ends.
The WSL campaign begins away to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday 6th September, a fixture that will offer the first real glimpse of how this new-look Arsenal side intends to attack the season.
By then, the late winner against Paris FC and the departure of Vivienne Lia will be filed under “preparation”. What matters is whether the work done in these August friendlies translates into a ruthless, coherent Arsenal once the points are on the line.
