She Shoots, She Scores

It was announced today by Arsenal that goalkeeper Manu Zinsberger will leave the club in the summer when her contract expires.

The Austrian joined the London side in May of 2019, following a five year spell at Bayern Munich. She was quick to stand out, playing six times in her first twelve games, with only eleven goals conceded. She made 88 appearances for the club, including in both of the clubs Continental League Cup final victories, and won the 2021-22 FA WSL Golden Glove with 13 clean sheets.

Questions began to arise surrounding Zinsberger’s future at the club in the 2024-25 season when Daphne van Domselaar was signed from Aston Villa, and was presented as competition for the number one goalkeeper spot. Zinsberger’s performances became less consistent, conceding seven goals in her first three games of the season, and with the arrival of Renee Slegers, van Domselaar quickly becoming the first choice to be in goal.

She played her last game for the Gunners in the final game of the 24-25 season against Manchester United, helping the team to a 4-3 victory and securing a champions league spot.

Back in October, the club announced that Zinsberger had suffered a ruptured ACL, ruling her out of the rest of the season, and beckoned in the beginning of the end of her time at Arsenal.

While the announcement will likely not come as a shock to many fans, it is never easy to see a player depart, especially after so long, and Zinsberger’s dedication to the club was never in doubt. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner.