Alessia Russo’s second-minute opening goal in Arsenal’s 3-0 north London derby win over Tottenham represented pretty much everything René Slegers has been trying to do since taking over as interim manager last month. past.
The former Netherlands international, who took over after the departure of Jonas Eidevall, focused on three things before his brief trip to Tottenham: “Bcalm, precision and cruelty.
All three included Russo’s shot when he quickly decided to pass Becky Spencer with his left foot and reach the bottom corner. It was a continuation of the confidence seen in both Russo and the Arsenal team as a whole, especially after the October break.
During the break, Rousseau and his teammates struggled to convert meaningful opportunities into goals, which contributed to Eidevall’s exit. Arsenal’s xG team has grown year after year with the Swede, but they have not surpassed those numbers. In five matches (excluding qualifying matches) in the Women’s Super League and the Champions League with Eidevall this season, they have conceded only six goals with an average of 8.6. This has since improved from 1 goal to 19.3,62xG In six games with Slegers.
Rousseau has scored 1.4 goals per xG in games with Eidevall this season. Sometimes he seemed to overthink his actions instead of acting on instinct. Unfortunately, it was a collective theme that the striker exemplified in the opening day draw against Manchester City, when he had the chance to open the final third, only to find himself late and the goalkeeper fouled for a direct hit. Conversely, the chances he took gave Arsenal the advantage against Spurs, with just 0.06 xG, but his pace gave Spencer no time to react.
The 25-year-old showed signs of increased precision and ferocity in Arsenal’s first game after the break against Manchester United in October. He made eight tackles that day, mostly for his goal in the North London derby, and scored his first goal of the season.
Since then, much of Arsenal’s game has become more instinctive.
His first goal against Juventus in midweek was a great example of how quick passing and good movement without the ball can open up a defence. The same could be said for her second goal against Tottenham, Frida Maanum scored again after some good play with Leah Williamson and Kim Little.
He settled at home @FMaanum 🙌#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/aEUyVFlDUP
— Barclays Women’s Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 16, 2024
Her third goal, a first pass from Mariona Caldentey to Stina Blackstenius, was another example.
“I think so,” Slegers said in the post-match press conference when asked if less thought was put into the final third. “The faster football is played instinctively (the better). But there must always be a base. That’s always the hardest part of training, finding the balance between fundamentals and structures, and then giving the players freedom and creativity. At the moment, this seems to be true for players.
“We want to find some variety in the way we attack and when we are on the field, we want to understand a little better how much they (the players) invest and where the space is. Where are the new places for us? We tried to play with that and the players understood it very well today.
Importantly, these issues were not just Arsenal’s goals. Russo received the ball very well and connected with his teammates to create space throughout his 64 minutes of action.
Aside from Rousseau, the right half of the field with Maanum, Little, Caitlin Furd and Emily Fox, the unit also ran smoothly. Quick forward passes, as well as corner bends and failed third-man plays, caused Spurs real problems and have become an increasing feature of Arsenal’s recent play. On the other wing, Caldentey kept his width with Rousseau on the field, but Blackstenius dropped more centrally after England’s advanced position.
Slegers said that when he stepped forward to take Eidevall’s place, much of the foundation was already in place for the uniform beneath him. Still, the interpersonal skills that have seen him work as an individual coach appear to have allowed him and his staff to instill more confidence in a team that needs it. He also insisted that he will force the players to take charge of the situation ahead of the north London derby.
Arsenal celebrate their 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Looking ahead to another international break, he added: “We try to help them as much as we can by getting them on track. But, for example, how much can we ask them to participate in meetings instead of us presenting them? Can they really activate their brain and see what they’re thinking, because they often have good ideas?
“The lockdown has been very good so far. Now we have one more game to play and we will do everything we can to do well and get a result in that last game. That’s when we start to catch our breath. That’s all we can. Focus on this moment because we have a lot of hard work ahead of us.”
The match is a Champions League clash against Juventus on Thursday at the Emirates Stadium. This will be Slegers’ seventh game as head coach and could be his last. The 35-year-old’s impressive record of five wins and six draws has seen external support mounting for him to take on the vacant full-time coaching role. He has not publicly diverted his attention from the task of steadying Arsenal’s ship, but he has with a constant message. “be at the same time“.
This mentality has helped Arsenal secure their place in the WSL as they are currently third behind Brighton and four points behind Manchester City in second place. However, Slegers’ next aim will be to put Arsenal further ahead in their Champions League group, where they currently sit in second place, three points behind Bayern Munich and three behind Juventus.
(Top image: Sebastian Frege/MB Media/Getty Images)
