_Arsenal were 2-0 winners in the WSL at Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime thanks to second half goals from Beth Mead and Mariona. Renee SLegers spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News._
**On finding space in central spaces against Chelsea’s midfield two…**
They have been playing different formations, so we had to be on top of ourselves in the game plan and what would mean for us in our press and how we could find spaces. I think in the press and out of possession, the battle in midfield was going to be very important because both Chelsea and us are really strong on second balls in the middle of the pitch. So that was a battle that was happening. When we then controlled it and we had controlled possession there was big spaces for us which we exploited well. I think with bringing one extra player into midfield which we could find several times. And so I’m happy with how that went, how that played out and how the players were intelligent on the pitch to find those spaces.
**On the determination of the team out of possession…**
That’s what I what I love about the performance- how we were willing to suffer from start to finish. We did that and we are two teams that like to come out fast and games, both Chelsea and us. I think we came out really strong today. And then it was about controlling the tempo and managing the game, especially second half with their game changers that they bring on, how they change formation, when the scoreboard changes, then there’s so many things you have to think about on the pitch to make good decisions. And I think the players did that really well.
**On defying the odds by winning with a lot of absences…**
When the moment is there for this team, when it really, really, really has to happen, they do it every single time. And so there’s a lot of strength in this team in those moments. I think what was one of our strengths today was going into the game with a lot of clarity and they kept that going during the game as well. I think they had very clear minds, which had to make good decisions and had them stay in the moment focussed on the task and they did that so well.
**On sharing the moment with a sold out away end at full-time…**
I think we obviously come off the back of three games with a win against Aston Villa, but didn’t manage to win the two games against United where we do a lot of good things. Just the final third we couldn’t score and we have been working on that and we brought that today to ourselves, so we’ve proven it to ourselves. How composed we can be, how we can set up really good chances which wins us the game. So it’s so well deserved to the players because they’ve been so invested, they’ve been so composed, the last couple of days, very constructive, solution based, full of belief. And I’m also very happy for the fans because the fans want good performances and results and I’m so happy that we could give that to them to them.
**On starting Blackstenius upfront with Russo behind…**
I think they both perform really well and and they put in so much work today as well because Chelsea was quite direct in the way they played, so we had to connect back and they had to run a lot of metres and make a lot of decisions. But yeah, I think every time we’ve played them together this season, they’ve been effective and it’s played them to their strengths. You see that they change in a back line with Girma going central to manage Stina. That’s my own analysis which then meant something else, so it was also late change in how we wanted to set up technically and the players did that so well.
**On the half time team talk…**
It’s simple messages most of the time, because the players are in the middle of playing a football game at the very highest level. So we need to keep it simple. So it was about starting well in the second half, applying the details that we spoke about technically and then being ready for anything to change at any point because they have really strong game changers and they can change formation. So they had to be on top of everything and that probably helped them going into the 2nd half to be very, very on it and they were. So I’m really happy with that.
**On Anneke Borbe’s performance after her mistake in midweek…**
Like I said after the United game, we make decisions together, so it’s never an individual. I’ve had good chats with Anneke after that game, but we haven’t even spoken much about that moment. It was more about what she’s doing for us right now, what she’s doing at the moment and what was going to be important leading into the Chelsea game. So we’ve been very much constructive and altogether in every moment. But of course, you can imagine that plays in a player’s head after that’s happened. So the way she’s dealt with it is so good and you have to go and play Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge and she puts in this performance. It’s, it’s really impressive.
**On whether Arsenal wanted it more than Chelsea…**
We wanted it very badly today and it showed on the pitch. I’m very proud of that. I think we always want it against any team. We always want it against Chelsea. We played at Stamford Bridge last year and lost on a penalty late in game. 1-1 at the Emirates with some controversy and we were determined today on what we wanted to do and we had a lot of clarity. But then you still don’t know how the game is going to play out because it’s two really good teams going against each other. But I was very calm and full of confidence going into the game and I know that’s the way I presented myself, which is always hard as well because the game hasn’t played yet, but that’s really how I felt about going into this game with this group of players. So it’s been really good.
**On Emily Fox getting in behind Sandy Baltimore…**
We always look at how we can play our players to their strengths and what opportunities we can exploit against opposition. So I think you’ve seen it right, that Emily Fox was often high and wide against their back line, which created spaces. So she was really good in the game.
**On Arsenal winning at Chelsea for the first time in seven years…**
Since the 2nd of January, since the players have come in, but also after the United game, the way the team responded and how constructive they were and how invested they were and everything, that gave me so much confidence going into this game. Plus this is my third game against Chelsea and I made a commitment to myself on how I want to go into these types of games. So all those things together make me go into this game with a lot of respect, of course, and humility, but also with a lot of belief what we could achieve today.
**On the areas where she felt Arsenal could exploit Chelsea today…**
I think especially what we did with the ball, how we could exploit spaces against them and manipulate things. On the other side, they were direct and every time they were direct and were getting in behind us, or just on the outside of us it was a big threat. So defensively, it’s hard to play against Chelsea. You have to manage that really really well. Because they are quick to go in behind you and then there’s a lot of crosses coming in. But I think the way we, in an ideal world, we would have minimised those crosses even more. In our opinion, there were still many crosses coming in still and and it was leading to corners. I think we had 8 or 9 corners against us which is always hard against Chelsea, but the players were comfortable with being uncomfortable and they were suffering through those moments and doing absolutely everything and throwing bodies on the line to stop the shot or cross, the investment was amazing.
**On Beth Mead epitomising Arsenal’s performance…**
Of course and it did for the whole team because I think we all know, and the team knows that we’ve been playing well, we’ve been doing a lot of things really well. The last three games it’s just about the end product and when that goal comes, then of course there’s a reaction of the player group and because it’s so well-deserved. I think we got into areas in and around their box in the first half as well and we couldn’t get that clinical finish off. At half-time we just spoke about even more composure in and around the box, be balanced, be strong in your finish and I think both Beth and Mariona showed that in their finishes.
**On Frida Maanum’s absence from the squad…**
We’re assessing it. She trained yesterday and she got a ball on her head. She got some reaction to that so we’ll see. We didn’t think it was appropriate to put her in the squad today. So we’ll see how she is assessed today, tomorrow and the next couple of days.
28.Borbe; 2.Fox (5.L.Codina ‘87), 3.Wubben-Moy, 7.Catley, 11.McCabe (24.Hinds ‘87); 10.Little(c), 8.Mariona (31.Holmberg ‘79); 9.Mead (21.Pelova ‘68), 23.Russo, 19.Foord; 25.Blackstenius
Unused: 14.van Domselaar, 40.Williams, 44.Harwood