Caldentey embraces pressure as Arsenal target Treble

Mariona Caldentey has won four Champions Leagues, six Spanish titles, six Spanish Cups, a European Championship, and a World Cup — but her eyes light up when discussing Arsenal's hopes for the 2026-27 season. The Gunners are chasing their first Women's Super League title since 2019, along with two domestic cups and another Champions League, and the Spain midfielder is explicit about what she expects.

"We have to do it — now it has to be our time," Caldentey said.

The 30-year-old was last seen in an Arsenal shirt in May, standing on an open-top bus during the joint men's and women's victory parade through north London. Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the streets to celebrate the men's first Premier League title in 22 years, while Caldentey and her teammates showcased the inaugural Women's Champions Cup they won against Brazilian side Corinthians in February.

That trophy was a highlight of last season, but Arsenal finished second in the WSL and saw their Champions League defence end with an 87th-minute Lyon winner in the semi-final second leg. Caldentey wants to put things right this season.

Pressure is 'cool' for Caldentey

"We need to take the next step and are ready for it," she said. "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," she added.

Fast start crucial to title chances

Boss Renee Slegers is equally bullish about Arsenal's targets and expects her players to deliver. "We are in a really good place," she told the Women's Football Weekly podcast. "We need to be bold and explicit — we want to win the Women's Super League, and, of course, the Treble."

Last season, Arsenal won only four of their first nine games. By contrast, eventual champions Manchester City recovered from losing their opening match at Chelsea to rattle off 13 straight wins and seize control of the title race. Replicating such a start will leave Arsenal's dreams of a first WSL title in eight seasons in tatters — and it could not be much tougher, with early trips to Stamford Bridge and Etihad Stadium. They also travel to Brighton, where they lost in the FA Cup quarter-finals in April and who, a month later, held them 1-1 to guarantee City the title.

However, after the novelty of a full pre-season, Slegers is confident of a faster start this time. "Some players haven't had that since 2017, 2018, and you can see that," she said. "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."

Why Arsenal feel they are 'ready'

This summer, Slegers has strengthened her hand with seven new players, including full-back Ona Batlle, Caldentey's compatriot, and England dynamo Georgia Stanway to stiffen midfield. Caldentey says Arsenal came up short last season through inconsistency and hopes the signings will help overcome that hurdle.

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

With players such as two-time Ballon d'Or winner and fellow Spaniard Alexia Putellas arriving in the WSL, down the road at London City Lionesses, Caldentey accepts the league is getting tougher. "It is a really attractive league," she said. "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."