Football had been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic but was able to restart with strict measures in place.

It has not been a particularly happy return for Arsenal fans, however. The North London team has lost both matches played so far, conceding five goals in the process. Three players have gained serious injuries, while another is set to be suspended after giving away a penalty and receiving a red card.

As an Arsenal fan myself, I often look to the women’s team for some relief when the men’s side is causing an almighty headache. With 15 league and 14 FA Cup titles to their name, Arsenal Women are always in contention for at least one trophy and are, more often than not, extremely enjoyable to watch.

Unfortunately, as the men’s side struggle to gain a footing in the post-lockdown Premier League table, my ploy no longer works. This year’s FA Women’s Super League (WSL) was ended last month, with Chelsea awarded the title on a points-per-game basis.

The decision to finish the season early was accepted by most. It was clear the finances required to complete the remaining matches would damage the sustainability of women’s football. It was better to cut this season short to allow future seasons to take place.

This does not stop women’s football fans viewing the restart of the Premier League with jealousy, though. The same can be said when observing the solution for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in America.

Their season was due to start on April 18, but was inevitably postponed due to the pandemic. The NWSL Challenge Cup was created instead, with the one-off tournament featuring all nine teams in the league.

It is due to start on Saturday (June 27), with sides playing four games in the preliminary rounds to determine seeding. The top eight teams are then set to advance to the knockout stage, with the final scheduled to be held on July 26. 

Utah Royals FC are hosting the tournament across the Zions Bank Stadium and Rio Tinto Stadium in Herriman. Players will live in an "NWSL Village" and detailed medical and testing protocols have been developed, ensuring the safest possible environment for a return to play.

Each player, official, and essential staff member will be tested 48 hours prior to departure for Utah and upon arrival, and will be subject to consistent testing, temperature readings, and symptom reviews during the tournament. 

Such a tournament is possible because the NWSL is financially stronger and more established than the FAWSL. Companies such as Procter and Gamble and Budweiser are backing the event, while CBS All Access is airing all 25 matches. CBS will also show the opening game and final, the first time professional women’s club football will be seen live on a national broadcast network in the United States.

There are concerns that women’s sport may regress during the pandemic, whether that is due to the financial pressures of the crisis, or the loss of momentum from cancelled events. The opposite seems to be happening in the US, with the NWSL now set to be the first major team sports league back in action there. 

This is now an incredible opportunity to grow interest in women’s football in America, even with its relative popularity already. With it being the only sport on TV, and also the only live sport to take place in months, viewing figures should be high and interest in the NWSL may boom. 

The Frauen-Bundesliga, the women's professional football league in Germany, is another to have got its season back underway. Matches from that competition have been shown on Scottish television channel BBC Alba, and have drawn viewers who desperately miss live football. 

It is understandable, then, that FAWSL fans are slightly envious of other women's football leagues starting again around the world. It is not just because of the matches themselves, but also the potential and opportunity that is being missed to grow and develop the women's game. Instead, there is just the tangible concern that women's football in the UK may be stunted by the pandemic. 

The FAWSL was not in the financial position to launch a restart, and of course, the health and safety of players, coaches and officials must take precedence over anything else. Nonetheless, the creation of the NWSL Challenge Cup compared to the early finish of the FAWSL shows that women's football in the UK still has much work to do to reach the professional levels of the sport in the US. 

The FAWSL is indeed becoming more competitive and attracting some of the best players in the world, but recent events has exposed it to be lagging somewhat behind the NWSL.