Arsenal Women boss Renee Slegers wants her team to find the right balance between emotion and control when they take on Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Arsenal Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Slegers wants to harness the energy and the emotion of a derby while also staying in control and making clear headed decisions. ‘It’s one of our strengths. It’s a big occasion but we know we’re at our very very best when we stay task oriented.
‘That’s one of the big strengths in our team, so we want to stay in control for as much as possible because we know that we can make the best decisions on the pitch. But of course, there’s passion as well and that can give us the couple of extra percentages.’ Slegers says she feels she has a responsibility to remain calm.
‘If you ask me my role. I want to stay as controlled as possible and as composed as possible for us for the full 90 minutes because I think that’s gonna help the team make really good decisions. The passion and the fire will be there anyway because we’ll play a Champions League quarterfinal against Chelsea.’
Chelsea have been in bad form in 2026, second halves have proved tricky for Chelsea in particular in recent months. Slegers says she is aware of that but is still expecting Chelsea to be in their best shape come Tuesday.
‘We’ve watched those games and we pick up on really good detail from our analysts too. They do an amazing job. But every game is different and it’s different challenges different opponents personnel can change.
‘We know from Chelsea’s games they are strong in certain phases of the game and certain periods in a game and we have to be ready for that. There will be momentum shifts, so there will be phases where we are strong, there will be phases where they will be and I think it’s about who manages those moments the best way, but we’re definitely preparing for a very strong Chelsea.’
Both teams will be missing players who competed at the Asian Cup recently and both teams have injuries. With 12 substitutes allowed for the game, Slegers acknowledges that young players will have a big role in both squads.
‘There are injuries and the Asian Cup for both teams having players away players missing. I’ve been doing some studies that the average age is quite high if you look at historically, the Champions League, for example and what the squads look like.
‘I think it’s important to have experience, but it’s also very important to have young players because the game is growing so fast. We’re gonna need those young players who are growing with the game, so they’re gonna play a huge role, I think, in the here and now and in the coming years. So it’s great to see that young players get the opportunities.’