Rachel Yankey is one of England's most successful and celebrated players, having won over 100 caps for her country. Having played professionally for Fulham previously, she has been instrumental in establishing Arsenal as the top team in England since rejoining in 2005. The winger spoke to WSR to give us the lowdown on the Gunners.
INS: Steph Houghton, Ellen White (both Leeds), Katie Chapman (Chicago Red Stars), Jordan Nobbs (Sunderland).
GROUND: Meadow Park, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 5AL (Home of Boreham Wood FC)
KEY PLAYER: KIM LITTLE
"Kim Little will be massive for us. She has been a key player for a number of years now since she joined. She plays for Scotland, she is an attacking midfielder that has everything in her game and she can pretty much do anything with the ball. Teams find it difficult to get the ball off her and stop her from being a general pest and scoring goals. Hopefully she will have a good season."
ONE TO WATCH: JORDAN NOBBS
"Jordan has come down from Sunderland and is at our academy. She has come straight into the first team and doesn't seem fazed by any of the first teamers that have been there for years. She has come in, she puts her stamp on the game and she is a player that will only improve when playing with better players."
BEST SIGNING(S): STEPH HOUGHTON AND ELLEN WHITE
"I'm trying to remember our signings now! I think Ellen White and Steph Houghton from Leeds were really good signings. They are two solid players so I will go for those two."
CAPTAIN: FAYE WHITE
"You kind of know what you are going to get from Faye. She is a solid defender and that is what you need from a defender and captain. She is a good player for the younger players coming through and makes them feel at home."
MANAGER: LAURA HARVEY
"She makes the players feel relaxed, comfortable, confident and people want to play for her and that is what every manager wants. In last season's FA Cup final the players were coming off the field obviously down because we lost but feeling guilty because we let her down. I think that is the ultimate sign of respect for any manager."
HOW DO YOU FEEL ARSENAL'S FA WSL PREPARATIONS BEEN GOING?
"It hasn't been the easiest season because everyone is used to a winter league and we feel like we have had about three or four pre-seasons already it has been so stop-start. We have made the semi finals of the Champions League and the players definitely don't feel at their fittest or their sharpest so I think there is a lot more to come from this team."
WHAT DOES BEING IN THE FA WSL MEAN TO ARSENAL LADIES?
"Arsenal are a massive club, the history of the club is huge and there have been some great names that have played for them. This is a great chance and challenge to play in the WSL but not only just play in it, we want to win it. It sounds like a big statement to say we want to win it but we always want to go out there and win and, just like every other season, we would love to come back with four trophies."
PREDICTIONS:
Who will win the FA WSL? Arsenal
Who will win the FA Cup? Arsenal
Can you predict the WSL's round one scores?
Birmingham 2-2 Bristol Academy
Chelsea 0-3 Arsenal
Lincoln 1-2 Doncaster
Liverpool 1-2 Everton
WSR's Verdict: 1st. It is difficult to look past Arsenal for the inaugural FA WSL season. The hope is that this new league will bring the other teams closer to challenging the Gunners, which it is sure to do, but it won't happen overnight. Laura Harvey's side are still a quality prospect, as their progress in the Champions League proves.
Rachel was speaking to David Brenchley
