
New Arsenal signing Smilla Holmberg has settled into North London fast and she has already set her sights on winning big.
The Swedish defender joined Arsenal at the start of January and has already made a good impression on the team.
Smilla Holberg aiming high
Despite only being in London for a matter of weeks, Smilla Holmberg has high expectations of Arsenal.
The Gunners have been one of the highest performing teams in England over the last few years and joining them was an easy decision for the defender.
💬 “My dream has always been to play for Arsenal.”
Our exclusive interview with Smilla is here, Gooners 🎙️
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) January 5, 2026
Holmberg has already made three appearances for her new club and she is excited for the challenge.
“I’m driven by challenges and to be in a team like this with many expectations and lots of very good players with quality is something new,” she said. “It’s forced me to push my own level and I want to see how far I can go.
“And of course, I want to win titles with Arsenal. That’s everything I’ve dreamed of. Everyone here is working hard every day to improve and to achieve those types of things.”
The Gunners won the Champions League last season and they had high hopes for 2025/26 at the start of the year.
But Arsenal have been underwhelming in the first half of the season.
Renee Slegers’ team has been poor in every competition and Holmberg will be hoping to help things change quickly.
What next for Holmberg and Arsenal?
Smilla Holmberg has joined Arsenal at a real crunch time in their campaign.
The club is now ten points behind Manchester City in the WSL and their title chances have all but diminished.
The League Cup is also now out of reach for Arsenal. Holmberg played 15 minutes in the semi final this week as her team failed to beat Manchester United for a third time this season.
Arsenal do still have the Champions League to contend in, as they look to retain their title from last year.
🇸🇪 Smilla Holmberg is a Gunner ❤️#UWCL pic.twitter.com/JcG7xyIZOO
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) January 5, 2026
Holmberg is likely to make her European debut for Arsenal in February when the last 16 gets underway.
Before that, Arsenal face Chelsea in a WSL grudge match that could make or break their season.