_Arsenal defeated Manchester City 1-0 at Emirates Stadium on Sunday thanks to a first half goal from Olivia Smith. Renee Slegers spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News._
**On the different faces Arsenal showed today…**
I’m really happy with the performance and with the result, of course, another clean sheet. I think in the first half, the way we press them causes issues, we do it really well with a lot of intensity. I think our decision making on the ball on when to go fast and when to build a little bit longer was really good. It was managing 50-50 moments and getting the margins on our side. So you know that against the team, like City, you have to work really hard to get the margins on your side and they can make the difference.
I think we weren’t perfect, we still lose balls in midfield that they pick up, but I think overall that said that was a really strong performance from our side and it made a difference and I think the second half. It’s about managing things and they are one nil down and they come out in the in the second half wanting to do things differently. They invest some more numbers in the press. So spaces are elsewhere. The way we manage it and the way we play with the tempo high and low to our favour was really good and and the way we finished the game as well with them stacking numbers trying to get the balls in the box and the players just being so humble and taking so much pride in defending. To get the win over the line together with the fans because they were really loud in those final minutes and they helped us. Now I’m really pleased with how we executed the game from minute one to 90.
**On starting Olivia Smith upfront…**
It started growing in the week when you put a game plan together and look at the strengths that we have in the squad and partnerships in our own team and connections in our own team are very important. We also look at what the opportunities are against the next opponent. We have been very successful with Stina in the nine. I think she’s so good with her physicality and her speed and she wasn’t available so we wanted similar qualities, even though Olivia and Stina are very different players. Liv had two or two and a half trainings in the nine position a lot of meetings with coaches giving her the detail without getting too much information on how so she could still play on intuition because that’s when she’s really good. And she picked up the role brilliantly and like you said, the goal is exactly what we wanted to create.
**On seven points from nine against United, Chelsea and City…**
It was going to be a big challenge. Of course we come away from the Chelsea win very happy very pleased with the clean sheet and winning away and then we have the champions cup where we win so there’s two really positive moments for us as a team. Then the challenge is to stay in the controlled middle. Not too high, not too low, especially not too high after those moments. And then we have a week to prepare to play against the number one in the table, City that has been so good. So a lot of respect for what they’ve performed so far in the season. I think the way we go about it and the way we do it I’m so happy with and we have three clean sheets in the WSL against top opposition. I’m happy with that. So now it’s about staying here when we are, working really hard to stay here, keep developing and keep on pushing for as much as we can the rest of the season.
**On Arsenal’s improvement in recent months…**
There’s a lot of things playing in I think. Players getting a rest, a break, mentally, physically, has done us really, really well, because, of course, there was a big tournament last summer, with high load on players. I think that break was really, really good for a lot of players. The way the players come back with so much new energy. So that reset has been really important. I think there’s a couple of tactical tweaks that we’ve been working on that have clicked really well. And then I think going back to what the players are bringing their investment is so high at the moment and how we work together, how we’re humble in every moment is really good. We analyse how and we reflect. I think there’s a lot of things going in into why we’re doing well at the moment so, and we also said, we wanna write it down, make it specific, make it tangible. Because then we know what it is and we can keep on going. It’s not always that easy, but we work really hard to get there and stay here and then continue to develop anew.
**On the Wubben-Moy Catley partnership…**
They have been performing really well as a team, because we defend together, that’s one of our strengths, so everyone’s playing their role. But of course, the centre backs are a vital part in stopping opposition from getting chances. If you look at it they still have had different partnerships with goalkeepers and players in front of them players next to them so it’s been really good. I’m very very pleased with how they’re performing. Leah’s on her way back she made her first minutes today again, which is really positive. Laia Codina is in there and in midfield also competing and now it’s so many games, short turnarounds, it’s really good to have so many players in good form.
**On how long Blackstenius is likely to be out for…**
We will see, we have a couple of weeks left of the block and we’ll see if she will be able to make her comeback before the international window. She is being assessed every single day with a medical team but it’s there and thereabouts.
**On whether Smith upfront is an option going forwards…**
We have different options in the line on the wide forwards. This was very specific to today, like I said, Olivia hasn’t done it for us before but she performed really well so of course we’re gonna continue to see this as an option going into the next block of games.
**On working with Olivia Smith…**
There is more with Liv as well. She’s still a young player she’s settling in the environment. It’s been a while now but don’t underestimate what it takes for a young player in her situation to settle and adjust to new life. So she’s great to work with- her ability just on the pitch is so good. She’s helping the team with with her certain specific qualities that she brings to the to the team. But also, she’s a pleasure to work with and so I think there’s more to come. She will keep on making small steps, but she’s at a really high level and I think there’s still areas she can grow in.
**On the mood in the dressing room at the moment…**
It’s very positive but we’re also very mindful that we want to stay in the controlled middle and we need to celebrate wins because positivity is contagious. So we want to keep it going and we’re doing a lot of players are doing a lot to keep it going as well. We are really happy with where the team is at of course so we want to continue like this.
**On Beth Mead’s foot injury…**
I think we can communicate more later in the week, so of course she’s just played and there’s medical assessments, but when we know more, we’ll communicate more.
**On the game being far more controlled than Arsenal v City games usually are…**
We’ve spoken about it also in the days leading up to it and in the press conference that how the City games have been previously and it’s been open and a lot of goals and rock and roll in all the games that I’ve been a part of so far. I think we did so well controlling all the different moments in the game and there was less goals today and I’m really happy with the one and I’m really happy with the clean sheet so I think this game played out a little bit differently, but I think the nature of the game was quite similar.
**On harnessing the high of winning the Champions Cup…**
I think we’re playing the number one in the table. So we were, of course, very humble going into this game and I think since the Champions Cup, this is the first game back, but also the games before have been against really high opposition. The team are humble like I just said they take pride in defending and problem solving and we’ve been talking a lot about this and what separates us from the rest and we want to focus on those areas and I think the team has been really invested.
14.van Domselaar; 2.Fox, 3.Wubben-Moy, 7.Catley (6.Williamson ‘83), 11.McCabe (31.Holmberg ‘83); 10.Little(c), 8.Mariona (5.L.Codina ‘88); 9.Mead (12.L.Maanum ‘67), 23.Russo, 15.Smith (18.Kelly ‘83); 19.Foord
Unused: 13.Votikova, 21.Pelova, 40.Williams, 44.Harwood