Hello, Arsenal Women aficionados!
And then there was one. The Arsenal Women team went crashing out of the Women’s FA Cup after an unexpected home defeat to Brighton, halting their streak of eleven consecutive wins in all competitions, in the process.
Renée Slegers rotated her starting XI following the intense away game at Chelsea, in midweek, but the visitors were still the fresher team and got a deserved win.
There won’t be a 15th FA Cup for Leah Williamson and company, then, and the only piece of silverware left is by far the most difficult to grab: the UWCL.
As title holders, Arsenal Women are naturally among the favourites in the biggest European competition, but OL Lyonnes and Barcelona remain the strongest teams left on the road to glory, so it would require a string of sensational performances (and some luck) to retain the trophy.
The home defeat to Brighton comes as a blow, but at least the players are now going away on international duty and will have the opportunity to reset and start fresh, hopefully without any knocks, niggles or worse.
ONE GAME TOO MANY?
Renée Slegers referred to the recent handful of games as “an intense block”, and it’s hard to argue that the players had a lot on their plates recently, with five games squeezed between March 21st and April 5th, including two massive UWCL games against Chelsea and a North London Derby.
Perhaps, the home game against Brighton being the easiest (on paper) and the last before the international break, the players’ heads were already away, drained after the return leg at Stamford Bridge and looking forward to the upcoming break.
One can’t really blame them, if it was the case. I am pretty sure the players didn’t underestimate Brighton, or didn’t take them for granted, but simply couldn’t summon the required energies to overcome yet another hurdle. It is a shame because there was a cup semi-final at stake, and potentially a big game to be played at Wembley, but Brighton were sharper on the day and deserved their qualification.
Renee
Photo courtesy of Arsenal.com
With at least seven games remaining, it will be pivotal for Renée Slegers and her staff to make sure that the players are rested, mentally and physically, before the run-in and although the title is all but gone, there is still a second place to chase and an equally daunting/exciting two-legged UWCL semifinals against OL Lyonnes to play, with a big final looming in distance. Hopefully Steph Catley and Leah Williamson will be fully fit after the break, and Renée Slegers will be allowed to pick her strongest XI more frequently then not, between now and the end of the season.
If this loss is the price to pay to see the team at its best in the remaining fixtures, so be it.
RENEE THE MIXOLOGIST
Renée Slegers decided to reinvent both flanks for the game against Brighton and give Smilla Holmberg, Taylor Hinds, Beth Mead and Chloe Kelly a start against the Seagulls. The Sweden full-back was paired with Beth Mead on the right, while the former Liverpool defender linked-up with fellow England international Chloe Kelly on the opposite side.
Despite the results, there were encouraging signs from the interactions and build-up on each side, with the duo Holmberg-Mead very active down the right-hand side: the young fullback had the biggest chance of the afternoon but couldn’t convert from very close range after being picked up by Chloe Kelly from the opposite flank, then made another run in behind in the second half but chose to shoot, instead of passing to either Alessia Russo or Frida Maanum in the box.
Unfortunately, things were not as smooth defensively, with Brighton enjoying a lot of space and time when playing down the flanks, and both Arsenal Women fullbacks losing track of their opponents in the final third. The opening goal came down Taylor Hinds’ side, with the defender getting caught in the middle of a quick one-two between Haley and Kirby, while on the opposite side Smilla Holmberg showed that, for all her attacking qualities, she is still quite raw defensively.
Still, it is vital for the Arsenal Women team to work on multiple combinations on each flank as they try to increase their unpredictability and become less easy to defend against. In Beth Mead, Olivia Smith, Chloe Kelly and Caitlin Foord they have four wonderful wide forwards, while at the back they can count on Katie McCabe, Emily Fox, Taylor Hinds and Smilla Holmberg.
Renée Slegers must find the right mix to balance the flair and unpredictability with balance and solidness. With so much quality and versatility at her disposal, it should be easy for the head coach to find the perfect blend.
BIG GAME, SMALL VENUE?
Looking ahead at the return of football after the international break, the Arsenal Women team are set to play the first leg of the UWCL semifinals at home on April 25th or 26th, when they will host serial-winners and old foe OL Lyonnes.
The game is scheduled to be played at the Emirates Stadium, or perhaps I should say “it was” because it now conflicts with the men’s home game against Newcastle, on April 25th.
There is still a chance that the Arsenal Women’s game is moved to Sunday, 26th of April, but it’s unlikely that the pitch will be used in consecutive days by the men and women teams, mostly to protect it for the all-important Premier League run-in, during which Mikel Arteta and his players will host Fulham (May 2nd) and Burnley (May 17th) between now and the end of their campaign.
As things stand, the club is very likely looking at a huge backlash once they inevitably announce that the UWCL semifinals are being moved to Meadow Park. Perhaps they were confident that the men’s team would overcome Southampton in the FA Cup, which would have seen their Premier League home game against Newcastle moved to a later date, hence freed the Emirates Stadium for the UWCL semifinals.
It’s ironic how the men’s team fail to deliver, but it’s the women’s team that is made to pay the price – once again.
NEXT UP
It’s International Break now, and I guess it’s a welcome one after the shock defeat to Brighton Hove & Albion in the FA Cup. The players will be back in two weeks, hopefully fully charged and ready to bounce back in the UWCL semifinals against OL Lyonnes.
We still don’t know where, but we know when and we know why. One thing is sure: the Arsenal Women supporters will pack the stadium to its maximum capacity – whether it is the Emirates Stadium or Meadow Park.
Speak to you soon!