Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has said the team needs to be committed to winning to advance in the Champions League this season after failing to qualify for the group stages last term.
Arsenal are preparing to kick off the 2024-25 season with Champions League first-round qualifying matches in early September. They exited the competition in this round -- the earliest stage of the competition -- last campaign after falling short on penalties to Paris FC.
After finishing third in the Women's Super League (WSL) for a second consecutive season, the team needs to be focused on progressing in the competition, Williamson said.
"We've not helped ourselves in the league by finishing third because it's given us this schedule, but I think considering the time that we haven't had together, everything's coming together quite nicely, which is great, but it is very hard," she told ESPN in an exclusive interview in Washington DC during Arsenal's preseason tour of the United States.
"Obviously, you want to be competitive straight away, but naturally, we have two weeks until the really important game. You want to just go full pelt all the time, but there's learnings to be had and it's kind of like being patient and making sure that we're ready for that and not just focusing on the two days ahead of you."
Only WSL winners Chelsea earn a direct path to the group stage, with second-place Manchester City joining the second qualifying phase.
Arsenal have not won the continental competition since its inception in 2006. They reached the semifinals during the 2022-23 season but were defeated by Wolfsburg, missing out on a place in the final.
They last won the league in 2019, extending their WSL title drought to five seasons, all of which have been won by their biggest adversaries, Chelsea.
However, the England captain admitted that Jonas Eidevall's side are focused on what they need to do to lift a major piece of silverware again.
"I don't even think there's really pressure. It's more of a factual thing. We have underachieved in the last couple of years," Williamson added.
"We didn't get Champions League last year so for us, it's like, how are we going to do that? Rather than focusing on the pressure and the emotion around it, it's just what do we need to do to get over this line? And then once that line's done over the next and the next.
"Winning breeds winning, and we haven't done it for so long that almost you have to go to the next level. You have to do more than what everybody else is doing to win. I think we need to; we're building in the right direction. I don't think we need to scrap everything and start again.
"I just think we need to be committed to deciding what we want to do. And if that is the win, then it takes everything, it takes every day. It's a whole season worth of work. I'm excited, very excited."
Williamson's defensive teammate, Emily Fox, recently returned to the squad after winning an Olympic gold medal with the United States women's national team. The right-back has not played in the competition after signing for the side in January.
"[I'm] very excited to be able to be a part of that," Fox told ESPN, her first interview since winning gold at Paris 2024.
The 26-year-old revealed that her first half-season in the WSL has been "exciting", but she is really looking forward to the challenge and high stakes of the Champions League
"I mean, it's deciding whether you go on or not, so it's huge," she said. "I feel like with this preseason tour and our preparation, we really have made an emphasis on getting everyone back as quickly as possible and having that chemistry and connection start to happen. So I feel like we're really doing everything we can to be prepared and to make sure that we start strong."
After crashing out of the competition last season, it took Arsenal three games to pick up a win in the league after a 1-0 loss to Liverpool and 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
"I think a lot of it is starting strong, and we're going to play in a lot of games and a lot of competitions, and so I also think it's taking it one game at a time and really focusing on each game and each opponent.
"I think those are huge things and then really just having that fight and getting after it and just honing in on the little details."