_Arsenal were 1-0 winners over Twente in the UWCL at Meadow Park on Tuesday night thanks to a first half goal from Beth Mead. Renee Slegers spoke to the press post match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News._
**On Arsenal leaving a goal or two on the field tonight…**
I agree. I think we had a game plan today with certain positions and threatening as much as possible around their back line and from behind and I think we did that well in the in the first half, we found some good positions, so some details in how we could go from certain areas and threaten them behind more and create overloads. But I think in general, also if you look at the goal and the way we create, that was good in the 1st half. So we get that goal, the learnings from Liverpool were to keep our foot on the gas, whatever the scenario and especially when we score goals.
I think that was harder in the second half because it was hard to create rhythm and so there are always gonna be substitutions and it was some referee calls and and it was more about game management and stacking set pieces than stacking attacks. But also partly because we weren’t as tidy on the ball and we went forward before we were set in certain positions so that we made it hard for ourselves. But we should win today, and we did, and it was important, this block is five games and we go for three points in every single game, and that’s what we’ve done now in the first two.
They defended for their lives. So we had some moments in the box I think we have about 15 shots. I think there’s a lot of blocked shots and saves and they’ve made it hard for a lot of teams in the Champions League so far. We were chasing that second one and it didn’t come and then we had to manage the game and I think we did it well.
**On the plan to press Twente high..**
Of course, the Dutch league is a harder reference point for us, but we saw it in the Champions League games and the Atletico game. It is always important for us that we do well in our pressing game because we know how good we are and what we can do. That something we’ve been working on to create more from those moments because we post turnovers, but we want to then actually get rewarded. I think we have some really good moments in our press today where we want to go.
**On whether it feels like Arsenal have turned a corner…**
I don’t see a difference in how the team is and what we’re doing, but it’s of course very good that the wins come. I think we’ve said it all the time that this season, everything is different, both in the WSL and in Champions League. There\\s much more close results and other teams challenging. But it’s really important that we get the wins, even when things don’t go easy to us. I think that’s where we’re at at the moment. I think we’re getting there and we’re creating more situations that we are good at in games. But then the flow that we had the second half of last season where everything came really easy to us. That’s not what we’re at now, but like I said yesterday, I think it’s about us creating that again and I think we are doing that now that we have more of those moments and we get the wins over the line and that’s what starts to create the moment.
**On Leah Williamson not coming on tonight…**
So we spoke before the game about different scenarios and what’s a good moment for her to come back. So it was mostly thinking about her and what’s right for her. It was all good and a good conversation with her afterwards and we didn’t feel it was right today.
**On the refereeing performance…**
I’m not judging the referee for her decisions today, but it was more about us being able to create momentum. No more comments on what I thought of decisions. And the only thing was that I have to watch it back, but I was surprised that Liv’s (Smith) tackle was a yellow card but I have to watch- I haven’t seen it yet.
**On Olivia Smith being fouled a lot tonight…**
In general the health of the players is very important. Of course, that’s why in preparation, that’s why we give warnings to control the game. Liv is a very brave player and she has a playing style where we want her to go forward and go into one on ones and be brave in in those congested situations and she puts herself and her body on the line. She’s a she’s a winner and that’s both in those attacking moments and defending moments. She can still learn to be even smarter in those moments.
**On Anneke Borbe taking a blow to the face in the second half…**
I think there was something she was hit in her face. But she could continue and we were very happy with that. I’m really happy for her that she got the clean sheet today. I think in a few moments she had to act, she did really well. But she should be all right.
**On Russo only having 15 touches in the first half…**
We were always thinking that her touches should be in the box tonight and we did a little bit different with more players between the lines and keeping her more central, to be able to finish from there and let the others combine between the lines so her touches should be in the box. Our crossing detail and the decisions weren’t 100% today. I think there was a lot of space in the box for low crosses and we didn’t find those places consistently well, we did it sometimes we could have done it more.
**On qualifying for the playoff round at least with the win…**
That was super important so that’s the position we want to be in and we have the Leuven game next week, which is very important to get the 3 points and then get as high in the table as possible. From what I understood, they played 0-0 today again. They’ve been doing well with close results so that’s definitely not going to be easy.
**On Katie McCabe’s leadership…**
She gives it to herself and she gives it to the team, ’cause it inspires the others and it makes you feel the team feel connected. When she finds that sweet spot, when she finds that perfect place to be for herself, then she brings so much to the team from that perspective and she drives things on the pitch. She understands the game really well, whatever the roles we ask from her to play or whatever the tactical messages are, she will reinforce those in the pitch and she will make sure that the team gets set up in a good way and yeah, so she’s really important for us.
**On lacking cutting edge…**
I think the crossing detail, the type, of cross and having that composure in the box, I think we could have gotten more out of the game, and also looking more to go inside for central combinations. But then, Twente did really well, defending their box, they defended with their lives. I think you’ve seen it in the other games they’ve played in Champions League. They do that really, really well. And so they made it really hard for us today.
**On Emily Fox being rested…**
So much quality in the squad and Foxy she’s been playing a lot of minutes. We try to use our game plan how do we start? How do we finish the game? It is always important, starters and finishes, but knowing Twente and how hard they can make it for you and how they then sometimes give you more opportunities and concede more chances and goals from minutes 60 onwards. That was all in our heads. So how did we how did we start the game? to set the standards, and then how do we finish with a lot of quality when the spaces come.
**On Taylor Hinds…**
She fits in so well in everything we do and we saw her play for Liverpool and her qualities, her athleticism, her defending skills, her left foot and it’s always the question, how is that going to fit in with the way we want to play? Because we play different from how Liverpool plays, especially how they played last year. So we asked different things from her and we asked her to be versatile and being able to play inside, playing in pockets, playing wide and doing all those different kinds of things and she does that so well and she fits in really well in the team. She connects really well with players around her really logical in her positioning and decision making. So she’s been great for us.
**On Beth Mead’s out of possession discipline…**
She brings a lot of discipline out of possession, ’cause the role for the wide forward is hard and when our pressure gets broken, we ask them to track all the way back. We also have to help defend the box so she does that really well. She does it with a lot of discipline and then we know how good she is, especially the role we ask from her today playing in between the lines and having good fluidity on the right side with the players around her and then a composure in and around the box. So she’s in a really good place. She’s performing really well for us.
28.Borbe; 24.Hinds (2.Fox ‘83), 3.Wubben-Moy, 7.Catley(c), 11.McCabe; 32.Cooney-Cross; 9.Mead, 21.Pelova (10.Little ‘58), 8.Mariona (12.L.Maanum ‘58), 15.Smith (19.Foord ‘58); 23.Russo (25.Blackstenius 90+2).
Unused: 6.Williamson, 44.Harwood, 53.Liddiard