Arsenal Women’s team news is confirmed for their Women’s Super League fixture against Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium. This update, published on 17 September 2026, reflects the starting line-up Renée Slegers has named for kick-off, along with the full substitutes list.
Updated: Arsenal Women team news for Crystal Palace clash
Renée Slegers has confirmed her Arsenal Women starting XI for the visit of Crystal Palace, with the match kicking off at 2.45pm BST at Emirates Stadium. The head coach’s selection follows a summer of significant squad turnover, detailed in our piece on the club’s summer squad rebuild, and this line-up gives an early sense of how those new faces are being integrated.
Crystal Palace’s own team news has not been confirmed at the time of writing, so this report focuses solely on Arsenal’s verified selection.
Three changes from opening weekend victory
Slegers has made three alterations to the side that beat Brighton 1-0 on the opening weekend of the season. Lotte Wubben-Moy, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Chloe Kelly all come into the starting line-up for this match.
Wubben-Moy’s return bolsters the back line, while Cooney-Cross adds further control in midfield alongside Georgia Stanway. Kelly’s inclusion in the front line gives Arsenal extra pace and directness against a Crystal Palace defence they will be looking to stretch from the opening whistle.
Substitute bench and deadline-day inclusion
Steph Catley, Kim Little and Olivia Smith are the three players to drop to the bench as a result of those changes. All three remain available to Slegers and could still have a role to play if the game requires fresh legs or a change of shape.
Deadline-day signing Élisa De Almeida is named among the substitutes, giving her a first involvement in a matchday squad since arriving at the club. Her inclusion on the bench means Slegers has the option to introduce her new full-back at any stage should conditions in the match demand it.
Arsenal WFC vs Crystal Palace F.C. Women lineups
Arsenal’s confirmed starting XI against Crystal Palace is: Misa Rodríguez; Emily Fox, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Ona Batlle; Kyra Cooney-Cross, Georgia Stanway; Mariona Caldentey, Lisa Baum, Chloe Kelly; Alessia Russo. The substitutes named by Slegers are Anneke Borbe, Élisa De Almeida, Steph Catley, Smilla Holmberg, Kim Little, Olivia Smith, Frida Maanum, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius.
Rodríguez continues in goal behind a back four of Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy and Batlle, with Williamson captaining the side from the heart of defence. Cooney-Cross and Stanway sit in midfield, tasked with dictating tempo and protecting the back line.
Further forward, Caldentey and Baum support Kelly across the attacking line, with Russo leading the line as the focal point up top. No confirmed Crystal Palace line-up has been made available, so this report cannot speculate on how the visitors will set up.
What happens next
Kick-off is at 2.45pm BST at Emirates Stadium, with Slegers’ selection now locked in ahead of the visit of Crystal Palace. Supporters can expect further updates once the match gets under way and the impact of the three changes becomes clear.
For context on how Arsenal have approached team selection elsewhere this season, our report on the men’s cup team selection shows a similar willingness from the club to rotate and blood new arrivals. This piece updates our original team news report with the confirmed starting XI and bench for kick-off.
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