Caldentey embraces ‘cool’ pressure as Arsenal target Treble

Caldentey Ready for Arsenal’s Treble Ambitions

Ninoda.com – Mariona Caldentey has featured in 43 matches across the Women’s Super League and Champions League this campaign, sharing that tally with Alessia Russo. Since her arrival at the Emirates Stadium during the summer of 2024, the Spanish midfielder has accumulated an impressive collection of honours: four Champions League trophies, six domestic league championships, six Spanish Cup victories, plus a European Championship and World Cup triumph. Yet when asked about Arsenal’s prospects for the 2026-27 campaign, her enthusiasm is unmistakable.

The Gunners are pursuing their first league championship since 2019 while also targeting two domestic cups and Champions League glory. Caldentey, now 30, has been clear about her expectations.

We have to do it – now it has to be our time.

Building on Recent Success

The last time supporters saw Caldentey in an Arsenal jersey was May, when she joined the men’s and women’s victory parade through north London on an open-top bus. Hundreds of thousands of fans gathered along the route to celebrate the men’s first Premier League title in 22 years, while Caldentey and her teammates displayed the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup, secured against Brazilian club Corinthians in February.

That trophy remains special, but Arsenal’s campaign ended with mixed results. They finished second in the WSL and saw their Champions League defence collapse after Lyon scored an 87th-minute winner in the second leg of their semi-final tie. The Spain international believes the time has come to improve.

We need to take the next step and are ready for it. We need to be ambitious, have no fear and believe in ourselves.

That does not mean we are going to win it – there are other things that we cannot control, but that’s the message. We are professional athletes at a big club and we have to deal with pressure. We accept it and I think it’s a cool part of the job.

Slegers Demands Boldness

Manager Renee Slegers shares her players’ confidence and has set ambitious targets for the new season. Speaking on the Women’s Football Weekly podcast, she emphasized the squad’s readiness.

We are in a really good place. We need to be bold and explicit – we want to win the Women’s Super League, and, of course, the Treble.

History suggests a strong start is crucial. Last season, Arsenal managed just four victories from their opening nine matches. Manchester City, meanwhile, lost their season opener at Chelsea before embarking on a remarkable run of 13 consecutive wins to dominate the title race. A similar pattern this year could derail Arsenal’s hopes of ending an eight-year league championship drought.

The fixture list offers no respite. Early visits to Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium test the squad immediately. Brighton also presents a challenge; Arsenal lost to them in the FA Cup quarter-finals in April before being held to a 1-1 draw a month later, a result that effectively handed the title to City.

Energy and New Signings

Slegers believes her squad will benefit from a full pre-season preparation. Several players have not experienced such extended preparation since 2017 and 2018.

Some players haven’t had that since 2017, 2018, and you can see that. They come back with so much energy, so much excitement. I think honestly they’ve been decompressing, recharging. Sometimes you understand what you’re missing when it’s not there. I think that’s what the players have gone through so you can really feel the excitement to do something.

The summer transfer window saw Slegers add seven new faces to her squad. Full-back Ona Batlle, a fellow Spanish international, and England midfielder Georgia Stanway have strengthened the midfield. Caldentey, who faced Stanway in the 2023 World Cup final, the 2025 European Championship final, and 2026 World Cup qualifiers, believes the reinforcements address last season’s inconsistency.

We have shown amazing moments and amazing games and others where we haven’t been good enough. That happened too many times last year. It was painful. We have added a lot of quality and that will help us.

A League Growing Stronger

Caldentey acknowledges the WSL is becoming increasingly competitive. With players like two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas now playing for London City Lionesses, the standard continues to rise.

It is a really attractive league. What you see and experience here, you don’t get in other places. There are never any easy games. You want to play against the best – that’s the challenge as a player and the quality here is really high.

Observers would certainly classify Caldentey among the division’s elite. Over two seasons at the Emirates, she has claimed WSL Player of the Season twice, finished second in the 2024-25 Ballon d’Or voting, and earned WSL Team of the Year honours on both occasions. Her position has shifted from forward to midfielder during this period, yet her contributions remain exceptional. Only Alessia Russo has recorded more goals and assists combined during Caldentey’s time at Arsenal.