Arsenal Women's bid for the Women's Super League crown fell short as they finished fourth, with Manchester City claiming their first title since 2016. Despite playing 10 fewer games than City across all competitions, fixture congestion took its toll on Jonas Eidevall's side, particularly in the season's final stretch.

The Gunners competed in five competitions including the expanded Champions League and new Champions Cup, leading to significant player workload disparities. Alessia Russo accumulated 3,150 minutes compared to City's top scorer Khadija Shaw, who played 762 minutes less. Arsenal's squad averaged 481 more minutes than their rivals, with the team appearing jaded during their 1-1 draw at Brighton just days after exiting Europe in Lyon.

Arsenal faced six games in 18 days compared to City's two, creating a punishing schedule that former player Jen Beattie called "the hardest part" of the season. With the campaign concluded, the club confirmed Beth Mead will depart after nine years and 86 goals in 264 appearances. Transfer speculation links them with major signings including Georgia Stanway and Ona Batlle as they rebuild for next season.

The fixture accumulation proved decisive in Arsenal's failure to challenge for major honors, exposing squad depth issues that need addressing in the summer window.