Arsenal Ladies defender Gilly Flaherty is looking forward to the “new challenge” that awaits the team as the start of the season draws closer.

The Gunners, winners of the Women’s Super League and the Continental Cup last season, welcome Italian side ASD Torres to Meadow Park for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie tomorrow.

The Ladies haven’t lost since May and have already eliminated Barcelona and German champions Turbine Potsdam in the Champions League this season, but Flaherty is not taking their Italian opponents lightly.

“We’ve done well in previous games but you’re only as good as your last game in the Champions League,” she said. “Torres are a great team and we’re not going to underestimate them. We know what we’ve got to do.

“We want a clean sheet, no away goals and we want to try and get as many goals as we can as well. The fans will be our 12th player if they’re there supporting us and being loud like we know they can be.”

The WSL is a relatively new division – this season will be its third – and the summer schedule means Arsenal go in to the quarter-final tie before the league season has even started. Flaherty doesn’t think this can be seen as an excuse, though.

“It is hard to be fair," she admitted. "We’ve just come through pre-season and we’ve not had many games but there are always obstacles thrown at us and we keep jumping over them. We’re used to it now and it can’t be seen as an excuse anymore.”

Since their last competitive match, Shelley Kerr has replaced Laura Harvey as manager and Flaherty is excited at the prospect of working under the former Scotland international.

“It’s exciting, a new challenge and a change as well,” she said. “We appreciate what Harvs [Laura Harvey] has done. She won a lot in her four years here but it’s a chance to show everyone that with a new manager we will still compete.”

Arsenal Ladies have had phenomenal success throughout their history, and Flaherty says the aim this season is the same as it has always been – to win everything.

“We want to win everything we enter so we can better ourselves as a team. We didn’t win the FA Cup last season so we want that back and we want to win the quadruple.

“Last year we went unbeaten the whole season. It will be hard to match that but we have to try, with the same desire and passion to win everything.”

The Ladies were due to play Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday but the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, so the Torres match will be their first competitive game of the season.

Arsenal Ladies' ties against ASD Torres kicks off at Meadow Park at 2pm on Wednesday, with tickets priced at £5 adults and £2.50 concessions.