Arsenal boss Renée Slegers is expecting a ‘nice battle with two really good teams’ as her side prepare to host league leaders Manchester City.
Fresh off being crowned FIFA Women’s Champions Cup winners last Sunday, the Gunners now turn their attention to Manchester City in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
Manchester City currently are the leaders of the WSL, with second-placed Manchester United trailing the Cityzens by a whopping eleven points. Arsenal sit in fourth place, two points behind the Red Devils, but with a game in hand.
Arguably, if Andrée Jeglertz’s City win this weekend’s game against the Gunners, the title race is definitely done and dusted. What’s left for Arsenal is the race for second or third place, the two positions besides first place granting UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) qualification for next season.
Slegers praises Man City’s ‘amazing’ run of form
Slegers confirmed that her side will go all in on Sunday. “What it is about for us at this moment in time is this game and what we can do in this game that’s most important. And then we’ll see at the end what it means for the table.
“All we know is that this game, we want to get the three points and the league is really tight this year again, of course, City have done really well with only one loss so far, so they’ve been amazing in what they’ve been achieving every single week. But, yeah, we go for the win.”
Looking forward to the match, Slegers says, “They have a lot of players that can do something for them. We put a good plan in place defensively for ourselves, but what’s important for us as well is knowing how good we are on the ball and what we can create.
“It will be a nice battle with two really good teams and a lot of good football players on the pitch.”
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Vivianne Miedema ‘performing really well for City’
Former Gunner Vivianne Miedema plays in the number ten position for Manchester City and is doing quite well. She has scored six and assisted five goals for the Sky Blues. Arsenal manager Slegers used to play with Miedema for the Dutch national team.
“I think she’s always been great. When I played with her, she was a false nine, nine, ten. She would always play in the 9. I actually played behind her in the 10. She’s such an intelligent player, the way she sees things and spaces. It was a pleasure for me to play with her. I learned a lot from her. Even though she was younger than me when we played together in the national team.
“I think that says something about Viv. She does really well in the 10 role, I think she picks up spaces really well. She has so much quality on the ball to be able to set other players up. So I think she’s performing really well for City.”
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Williamson and van Domselaar both available for Arsenal
The Gunners signed Czech Republic international goalkeeper Barbora Votiková on loan from Slavia Prague. Earlier in the window, they also signed teenage right-back Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby.
Fans and pundits called for the addition of more outfield players, especially in midfield and attack. Important thing to note here is that the Gunners will lose their Australian contingent of three players (Kyra Cooney-Cross, Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord) for the Asia Cup starting on March 1.
Asked about when the Australian players leave exactly, Slegers confirms: “At the moment we have our last game of the block against Bristol and after that they will travel.”
Anneke Borbe was taken off the pitch on a stretcher after a hefty collision with team mate Lotte Wubben Moy last Sunday, during the Gunners’ Champions Cup final against Corinthians. Slegers confirms that Borbe will not be available for the match this weekend, but Daphne van Domselaar is ready to start after a period out with injury.
Leah Williamson will be available for a small block of minutes. Meanwhile, Taylor Hinds is progressing well, but Slegers can’t give a time frame for her return.
The fixture kicks off at 12:00 BST and will be shown live on Sky Sports.