Arsenal Women
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal Women’s striker Alessia Russo has opened up about her remarkable goalscoring form since Renee Slegers took over as interim manager. After struggling for consistency under former boss Jonas Eidevall, Russo has flourished in recent weeks, finding the net in six consecutive matches, including a brace in Arsenal’s 3-1 Champions League victory over Valerenga on Thursday night.
Speaking toArseblog News after the win, Russo credited her soaring confidence and the team’s fluid attacking play as pivotal factors in her resurgence.
“The confidence is really high,” Russo said. “As forwards and an attacking line, we often interchange a lot anyway; we are quite fluid. You get used to other people’s movements and where you can find them in different areas. It’s feeling nice and fluid at the moment.”
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The England international, who joined Arsenal from Manchester United last summer, also shared her dedication to improving her finishing, a skill she has been honing since childhood.
Arsenal - Alessia Russo
Alessia Russo (Image credit: Getty Images)
“I am always working on finishing. Ever since I was a kid, it’s the part of training I loved the most,” she explained. “Any time there are finishing drills, I am always up for it and always trying to do more. I am enjoying my football, and that’s when I get the best out of myself.”
Russo acknowledged that her recent form is as much about tactics as it is about confidence, highlighting the strength and variety of Arsenal’s squad.
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“We have so many different players with different strengths, and finding them in different areas is key,” she noted. “You are only ever as good as your team, and we’ve got a fantastic team. Players are really hitting their form, and it’s nice—we are connecting really well.”
When asked whether she aspires to match the goal output of forwards like Bunny Shaw and Sam Kerr, Russo was clear about her ambitions.
“I’m a forward. I want to be scoring and creating as much as I possibly can,” she said. “Whether the goals are coming or not, it’s a process you never want to let your foot off the gas with. I want to score more in every single game and every single season. It’s about pushing myself and working really hard.”
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