Arsenal manager Renee Slegers says maintaining focus and freshness for Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final at home to Brighton is ‘the biggest challenge’ of this block of games and has urged her team to stay focused after eliminating Chelsea from the Champions League quarter-finals during the week.
The Gunners played a draining yet euphoric two legged tie against Chelsea over the last 10 days to qualify for the UWCL semi-final against Lyon. Arsenal now face Brighton at home in the FA Cup quarter-final and Slegers recognises that being fresh and focused for the tie is the next challenge for her squad.
‘We know we’ve done some big things so far this block, which we’re very proud of. I think I said it post-match after the Chelsea game that this was probably the biggest challenge so far in the season from a scenario perspective, but we did it.
‘Now we go and prepare for Brighton off the back of all this, that is, for us, the big challenge of the block, that we have to finish the job and keep on going and never stop. So doing everything to recover mentally and physically from the Chelsea game and being ready for Sunday.’
The Arsenal boss is also cognisant of the fact that the club, who have won a record 14 Women’s FA Cups, have not won the trophy for a decade. ‘The further you get into tournaments, the more you have to master all the sides of the game. I think that’s what we’re looking at.
‘We have the willingness and the humility to do all those things, but also in combination with that, the belief that we can do all those things. It’s been a journey with a lot of learnings, but I think looking ahead at that game, all that will be required.
‘But back to Brighton on Sunday, all of these things will be required against Brighton as well on Sunday because I think they’ll try to go for it. And the same for us because the FA Cup is very important for us.’