_A heavily rotated Arsenal side beat Koge 1-0 at Meadow Park on Tuesday night thanks to a stoppage time penalty from Mariona. Renee Slegers spoke to the press post match. The first two questions are from Arseblog News._
**On the psychological importance going forward of getting the late goal…**
It was a mentality, resilience win today and the football didn’t give us the win and I’m not saying that everything was, it’s again in front of the goal. But we get the goal as a squad. I think both players that are involved in creating and finishing, Selina and Mariona, who come on in the second half. So, similar to last weekend, we get a late, late goal, and that’s good for us that we’re building that home intensive perspective and it’s something you want to take into the season.
**On how much the struggle to score tonight was psychological…**
I think that the last part of the first half, I think the second half we get a little bit more tempo in the game and we have a spell of momentum where we create waves of attacks and chances. So yeah, I think we just need that first goal and we need it earlier and then things will be okay.
**On more teams playing a low block against Arsenal…**
I think so. I think that that makes a little sense if you look at how the last couple of games have gone. So they were 442 in the first half and went to a back five in the second half. I think teams want to force us into wide areas, force us back, congest spaces, which they did, which they did well, credit to them, because they came to play against us. So I think for them, they were celebrating at halftime for the nil nil. So I think for them, it’s probably a boost. But yeah, back to us that’s something we will face and where we have to find different keys. But then again, without over informing and overanalysing, also keeping that intuition and freedom and clear minds in front of goal.
**On whether Koge surprised her…**
They have good threats with their 9 and 10. And otherwise, not surprised, we were anticipating a potential back five as well they came out in the four. But otherwise, very much as expected. I think the wide forwards were not maybe the players that we expected. And from the start, but no, they lined up and I think the times when they broke and came out, you could see that they have qualities.
**On what she can do to help the team be more clinical…**
Making things simple and easy to understand and easy to execute. So those are probably the main two. And then also involving the players as much as possible and getting their input, what do you see? What do you feel on the pitch? And what’s your perception in the moment? What’s your analysis afterwards to understand what it’s like for the players? I think the main one is to keep things simple.
**On the tactic of the Koge bench to celebrate every tackle and goalkeeper claim…**
We noticed it, I noticed. I understand that from their perspective, it’s a good tactic and to keep more morale in the team high and maybe intimidate opposition. We were actually prepared for a couple of things that were gonna happen off the pitch. So trying to just stay in the game, but like I said, I really understand from that perspective.
**On playing Chelsea on Sunday who are unlikely to play in a low block…**
Let’s see how those games play out, of course it is nice to have spaces, but then we also, in all the other games, like tonight, when there are moments of space, for example, there was moments on the counter and with counter pressure and moments to do things. We have to take them as well but we look forward to the game on Sunday.
**On why she thinks scoring is such an issue this season…**
Simplicity and basics is, I think, what we’re gonna focus on so we don’t make it too complicated. We don’t get overanalysed. I think in front of goal, it’s important that you’re free and see things clearly and execute those things with the framework of the team in mind. So those will be our focus areas, but of course I want to sit with the team first tomorrow.
**On whether the team began to panic tonight…**
I think so and that’s been the last three games. So that’s something that we’ve gone through as a team, as a squad staff and player group. And which we said after the game, this is we are together in this. We’re going through this together, you know and we’ll come out of it stronger as a collective. And the most positive things that we stayed in it, showed resilience and mentality and got the goal in the end. That’s where our focus is. Like I said, don’t want to overanalyse and overcomplicate things, keeping things simple, move forward.
28.Borbe; 31.Holmberg, 6.Williamson, 7.Catley, 24.Hinds; 32.Cooney-Cross, 10.Little(c) (8.Mariona ‘58), 12.L.Maanum (29.Cerci ‘72); 18.Kelly (11.Smith ‘82), 9.Foord (19.Baum ‘58); 25.Blackstenius (23.Russo HT)
Unused: 2.Fox, 3.Wubben-Moy, 4.Stanway, 14.Reuteler, 16.Misa, 22.O.Batlle, 40.Damm