Over the last two games against Twente and Everton, Arsenal have moved Beth Mead inside from the right flank a little to create dual 10s behind Alessia Russo. After the Twente game, Renee Slegers said the idea of having dual 10s was specifically about keeping Russo in the penalty area.
Arsenal repeated that tactic on Saturday at Goodison and Russo managed a season high eight shots. Arseblog News asked Slegers how far the tactic related to reducing Russo’s workload outside the box and how far it related to other factors.
‘We have a big squad with a lot of different qualities. It’s always a puzzle for us to put it together the best way possible with the players that we have and the qualities that they bring. How do they connect with each other? What does opposition look like? What does the schedule look like?
‘There’s a lot of things going into it. I think with these three games that we’ve played so far, the challenge was quite similar with mid-to-low blocks to be broken down. Then we look at how do we set up and what qualities do we need in what areas of the pitch. I think we’ve done that well.
‘The players have done that well so far this block. Of course, everything is about getting the ball into the box. Then most of the time, when Alessia plays, she will be there. When we do that well, the set-up and progressing and getting into the box, then of course we create more opportunities for our forwards. I think the team has done that really well so far in the block.’
At Goodison, with Frida Maanum injured, Mariona played in the number 10 position. Max Radwan from The Cutback asked Slegers about the Spaniard’s role in a higher position against Everton.
‘If you look at Mariona and the reports we get back after every game, regardless of the position she plays in, she’s so important for us with her progressive passing and setting up opportunities for the team. So whatever the role she plays for the team, she’s able to do that for us.
‘She plays mostly on the left for Spain, plays into midfield sometimes as well for Spain nowadays, came to Arsenal, and played a lot on the left. Then we had a situation last year when we had a couple of injuries on the sixes and then she did really well.
‘We created a lot from having her in lower spaces to be able to progress the ball and then join later. She’s really good in the 10 as well. So she’s played three different roles for us.
‘But at the end of the day, wherever she is, she contributes to the team from an attacking perspective, and I think that’s really impressive that wherever she is, she’s going to play that role for the team.’