Updated introduction: Arsenal Women line up against Paris FC
Arsenal Women’s starting line-up against Paris FC at Meadow Park is confirmed. This update, refreshed on 17 September, revisits that team sheet as the club’s pre-season build-up continues.
The original starting XI announcement named four summer signings from kick-off. That remains the definitive record of the head coach’s selection for the fixture. That mix of continuity and fresh faces sets the tone for how the squad is likely to look once the new season begins in earnest.
Kim Little wore the captain’s armband on the day, while two senior forwards had to settle for places among the substitutes. Below is the full breakdown of who started, who waited on the bench, and who was missing from the squad altogether.
Four summer recruits start at Meadow Park
Four of Arsenal’s summer arrivals were handed starts against Paris FC: Misa Rodriguez, Georgia Stanway, Lisa Baum, and Selina Cerci. Their selection shows how quickly each has settled into first-team plans during pre-season.
Misa joined Arsenal in the summer from Real Madrid and was trusted from the first minute. Her arrival was one of the most eye-catching pieces of Arsenal’s summer business, given her profile at her former club. Starting her against Paris FC sends a clear signal about the trust already placed in her.
Cerci arrived with recent form already behind her. She scored her first Arsenal goal in a 3-2 friendly defeat to AC Milan. Getting on the scoresheet against opposition of that calibre will have given her confidence heading into the Paris FC fixture, where she started again.
Stanway and Baum complete the quartet of new faces trusted from the off. Both are part of the club’s wider squad overhaul this summer, as Arsenal reshaped large parts of their first-team options heading into the campaign.
Russo and Blackstenius on bench as Little captains
Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius, two of Arsenal’s established forwards, started the match among the substitutes rather than in the starting XI. Their availability from the bench still gave the head coach attacking options to bring on as the game developed.
Being named among the substitutes in a pre-season friendly is not unusual for senior players, since minutes are often shared out across a busy schedule of warm-up fixtures. Kim Little captained the side, leading a team that blended experienced players with the summer’s new arrivals.
Her presence, alongside Stanway and Mariona in midfield, gave the line-up a settled look through the middle of the pitch. Several unfamiliar names still appeared elsewhere in the XI.
Arsenal Women vs Paris FC: Full team news and squad availability
Arsenal Women’s confirmed starting XI against Paris FC was Misa, Holmberg, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Fox, Stanway, Little, Mariona, Baum, Smith, and Cerci. Russo and Blackstenius were the notable names held back for the bench, while Little wore the captain’s armband throughout.
One absence stood out from the matchday squad entirely. Summer signing Ona Batlle did not feature in either the starting XI or among the named substitutes for the fixture. Batlle arrived as part of the same summer intake as Misa, Stanway, Baum, and Cerci, which makes her omission notable. No explanation has been given for her absence. It should not be read as confirmation of an injury or a tactical rest.
Taken together, the team sheet shows a squad in transition. Familiar names such as Williamson, Wubben-Moy, and Fox lined up alongside four brand-new signings, with senior forwards Russo and Blackstenius kept in reserve. Further clarity on Batlle’s availability, and on the progress of this summer’s new arrivals more generally, is likely to emerge as the pre-season schedule continues.
What happens next for Arsenal Women
Arsenal’s pre-season schedule continues with Charlton Athletic visiting Meadow Park on Wednesday. The fixture gives the coaching staff a further opportunity to assess the squad, including the summer signings still adapting to life at the club.
The men’s first team have selection questions of their own to answer around the same period, shown by the Carabao Cup lineup selection named for their midweek tie. For the Women’s side, the priority now is building match sharpness and settling the new arrivals before competitive fixtures resume in earnest.
Supporters keeping track of the rebuilt squad will want to watch how regularly Misa, Stanway, Baum, and Cerci continue to feature as pre-season progresses. Many will also wonder whether Batlle returns to the matchday squad before the campaign proper gets under way.
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