Chloe Kelly has delivered decisive goals for Arsenal and England but is mostly used as a substitute in 2026.
Chloe Kelly’s iconic shirt-twirl celebration followed her extra-time winner at Euro 2022, which secured England’s first major international title, and she repeated the feat three years later by scoring the decisive penalty in another final victory. These performances cemented her place in football history.
The 28-year-old has rarely featured as a starter for Arsenal this season, tallying just nine minutes of substitute appearances in England’s recent World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Iceland. As Arsenal prepares for a Champions League semi-final clash with Lyon, questions persist about why she remains outside the starting lineup for both club and country.
Kelly enjoyed a strong season in 2022-23 immediately after her Euro success, starting all but one of Manchester City’s Women’s Super League games. Since then, injuries have disrupted her progress, leading to more appearances off the bench than starts over the past three years.
Her stint at City ended before a January 2025 move to Arsenal, where she began brightly with nine starts in the remaining 14 fixtures that season. Kelly’s move to Emirates Stadium started promisingly, with starts in nine of Arsenal’s final 14 matches, including the Champions League final win over Barcelona.
Her Euro 2025 campaign included a semi-final winner and the trophy-winning penalty in the final, but a knee injury soon sidelined her for nearly four months. She returned to score a hat-trick against West Ham in March and netted in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Chelsea, only to be back on the bench for the return leg.
In 14 substitute appearances for Arsenal, Kelly has recorded just one goal and two assists, which pales in comparison to teammate Stina Blackstenius. Blackstenius, who has come off the bench 24 times since Kelly’s Arsenal debut, has six goals and scored the winning goal in last season’s European final.
Blackstenius’ 15 substitute goals in the WSL and Champions League since 2022-23 are nearly double that of any other player during that span. Kelly’s numbers indicate she performs best when starting games for Arsenal, with 87.5% of her goals coming from matches where she began on the pitch.
Since joining Arsenal, only teammates Alessia Russo, Beth Mead, and Mariona Caldentey have more goal contributions. For England, however, Kelly has thrived in high-pressure moments as a substitute, scoring five goals off the bench since June 2022, including key knockout stage goals.
England’s record goalscorer Ellen White acknowledges Kelly’s world-class talent and pressure-proof nature. White notes the Lionesses possess one of the strongest attacking lineups in the world, including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Beth Mead, Jess Park, and Chloe Kelly.
The current setup appears to be functioning well, with White suggesting the squad’s balance supports success. At Arsenal, competition for starting positions is intense.
Alessia Russo has scored 26 goals in WSL and Champions League matches since Kelly’s arrival last season, often deployed in multiple attacking roles by manager Renee Slegers in 2025-26. Beth Mead, a long-standing right-winger and trusted player, creates more chances than Kelly and excels in duels and pressing, though she missed the upcoming fixture for personal reasons.
On the opposite flank, Arsenal invested nearly £1 million in Canada’s Olivia Smith last summer, and the 21-year-old has impressed in her debut season. She has started two-thirds of Arsenal’s games this year, indicating her role is expected to expand.
The club’s willingness to spend reflects their strategy to build a deep squad, with Slegers rotating forwards regularly. At 28 and in her prime, Kelly stands at a critical point in her career.
By the end of next month, she could hold back-to-back Champions League winners’ medals alongside her Euro titles if Arsenal progresses. Her track record suggests she will contribute meaningfully in big games, but questions remain about her future role at Emirates Stadium.
Will she accept a rotational position or seek a guaranteed starting role to impress England manager Sarina Wiegman ahead of the World Cup in Brazil next summer?