As the Women’s Super League season kicks off, Arsenal’s Lina Hurtig is vocal about her ambitions for the title.

Following last year’s challenging season plagued by injuries, the Swedish forward and her Arsenal teammates are hopeful for a stronger performance, beginning with their Sunday face-off against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal forward Lina Hurtig is setting her sights on the Women’s Super League title, as she feels optimistic about the upcoming season.

Following a challenging period last year, marked by a slew of injuries within the team, Hurtig and her Arsenal colleagues are eyeing a strong start to the Super League, beginning with Sunday’s game against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

“If the league title is to be salvaged this season, last year’s injury chaos must not be repeated. It was pretty extreme for us. So then there was also rock-hard pressure on those who could actually play,” said Hurtig.

Over 47,000 tickets have been sold for Sunday’s league kick-off against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

In a surprising turn of events, Arsenal were knocked out by Paris FC in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, a result that Hurtig views as an opportunity to focus on domestic success. “The only positive thing you can bring with you is that we can really focus on the league. That we get a few games fewer than our opponents,” commented the Swedish striker.

Hurtig enters the new season feeling physically robust, something she attributes to a dedicated fitness regimen. “Ever since before the World Cup I have had a good setup and really only focused on getting my body in shape and that I would feel good. And since then things have been going well. I feel in good shape, I feel strong,” she explained.

Last year, injuries hampered Arsenal’s campaign significantly. Four players, including stars like Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead, and Leah Williamson, sustained cruciate ligament injuries, ending their season early. Hurtig described it as a “mountain of damage” that put tremendous pressure on an already stretched squad.

However, the team’s circumstances have improved. Returning players and new acquisitions, such as Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt, Spain’s Laia Codina, Australian midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross and English forward Alessia Russo, have boosted the squad’s depth. “We feel more prepared this season. We have a lot of good players, and many more this season than last,” said Hurtig.

Since their last league title in the 2018-19 season, Arsenal have finished in third place three times and in second place once.

Now, the team, also featuring Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius under head coach Jonas Eidevall, is gearing up to challenge Chelsea’s league dominance.

“We go for profit, absolutely. We have the squad and the qualities to win,” concluded Lina Hurtig.