Four Things We Learnt From Arsenal’s Draw in Paris
Arsenal Women at the Stade Jean Bouin versus Paris FC (Photo by Daniel Derajinski/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Arsenal went to Paris hoping to right their errors from their weekend defeat to Chelsea and show everyone just how formidable the Gunners were in the European competition in their first away fixture of the Women’s Champions League against Paris FC at the Stade Jean Bouin.
Despite Arsenal’s clear intention to attack from the very first moment, they were very hesitant when coming up to the Paris FC goal. The Gunners did not lack in chances to create a goal, just were hesitant in getting the ball to find the back of the net.
Alessia Russo celebrating her goal with Emily Fox versus Paris FC (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Alessia Russo celebrating her goal with Emily Fox versus Paris FC (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s first came from Alessia Russo, who found herself with a chance at the edge of the box at 40 minutes on the clock and, after a quick pass to Georgia Stanway which she received back, Russo got the ball through the Paris FC defence and into the back of the net to open her account for the season.
Stanway scored Arsenal’s second of the game, the cross coming in from Emily Fox on the right hand side before the English midfielder controlled it with her chest. Stanway then ensured that the ball ended up in the back of the net and took the Gunners 2-0 up and surely sealed all three points for the North London side.
Paris FC worked their way back into the game after defensive errors from Arsenal led to both goals, especially the equaliser from the French side after a handball incident by Leah Williamson led to the Parisian side earning a penalty and scoring.
The Gunners were left with no choice but to walk away from the game frustrated in dropping their two-nil lead and admittedly taking their foot off the gas. So what can we learn from this?
Hesitancy in front of the net
Arsenal are by no means a team that should be struggling to find the back of the net. On paper, they have an abundance of talent and goalscorers including Russo, Stina Blackstenius, Olivia Smith, Lisa Baum and Selina Cerci, so why is it so hard for the Gunners to find the back of the net?
Since the start of the season where Arsenal faced Brighton and Hove Albion, the Gunners have scored five goals. Two of those goals had been from 19-year-olds, Baum against Brighton and Hove Albion and Smilla Holmberg against Manchester United.
Four Things We Learnt From Arsenal’s Draw in Paris
Mariona Caldentey celebrating her penalty versus HB Køge on September 22, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Mariona Caldentey scored from a penalty in the dire minutes of Arsenal’s opening game in the Champions League campaign against HB Køge to earn their three points, but without that penalty, Arsenal would have been walking away with a draw.
Their problems to find the back of the net carried on in the game against Paris FC, where Arsenal struggled to find any means towards the back of the net. They wandered around the penalty area and passed the ball around but everyone who touched the ball seemed very hesitant to shoot.
Is it a lack of confidence? If so, why are the Arsenal coaches not trying to find a way to improve their players' confidence? What exactly are the strikers doing in training? Why do they all keep passing the ball instead of shooting? Many questions are to be asked about why there are so minimal chances towards the net and why everyone seems to pass.
Not only do Arsenal pass the ball around when they get into positions to shoot, there is always an extra touch which then delays their shot and allows the opposition’s defence to swoop in and ultimately block everything.
Renée Slegers’ side did not have any problems scoring when she was first appointed, nor did they last season, so what changed between the end of the last season in May to now, where Arsenal simply hesitate?
Miscommunications in Defence
The goals that the Gunners have conceded all season have been from defensive mistakes which should not happen from a team of Arsenal’s calibre.
Arsenal’s choice of centre-backs in Wednesday’s game against Paris FC were Williamson and Lotte Wubben-Moy, the latter who stepped in for injured Steph Catley.
The Gunners first conceded a goal to the Parisian side saw Évelyn Viens enter Arsenal’s half and get closed down by both centre-backs, leaving acres of open space for goal scorer Clara Mateo to run towards Misa Rodriguez. Miscommunication between Williamson and Wubben-Moy meant that there was no centre-back to close down Mateo and gave her free reign to the first goal for Paris FC.
Paris FC’s equalising goal came from another miscommunication with Williamson – who handled the ball after Misa kicked it to her for a goal-kick and referee Iuliana Demetrescu deemed it enough for a spot kick.
Misa Rodriguez with referee during Paris FC versus Arsenal (Photo by Daniel Derajinski/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Misa Rodriguez with referee during Paris FC versus Arsenal (Photo by Daniel Derajinski/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Confusion quelled for the Gunners as Williamson had been taking goal-kicks for Arsenal all game and no others had been pointed to the spot, but the penalty was given after Misa had kicked the ball to the England captain inside her own six yard box, deeming the goal-kick taken. Questionable penalty? Sure, but neither Williamson nor Misa will be coming close to doing that again anytime soon.
Though these two goals are not the only defensive errors that Arsenal have made that led to the opposition's goal; their weekend game against Chelsea saw a failed clearance from Catley end up at Alyssa Thompson’s feet to score the only goal of the game.
Arsenal, who once had a formidable back line, look to now have miscommunications between everyone who works on the defensive end of the pitch and conceding goals which the Gunners previously would not have. Not only is the top end of the pitch a problem with their lack of goals but their defence is becoming a more apparent issue too.
Intensity drop
Arsenal went two-nil up in Paris after 50 minutes had gone and that seemed enough for Slegers’ side to let their intensity drop off. The Gunners stopped attacking with such intensity they had in the first half, hungry for a goal, and instead moved the ball with the notion in mind that they had secured all three points.
Georgia Stanway versus Paris FC (Photo by Lilou Cassin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Georgia Stanway versus Paris FC (Photo by Lilou Cassin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
The Gunners turned their focus off, something which definitely dropped when Stanway went off the pitch and let themselves be defensively vulnerable – something that worked in Paris FC’s favour which allowed for their comeback.
It is not the first time that Arsenal have dropped their intensity this season, having started strongly against Chelsea in the first 30 minutes before just sitting back and offering nothing up, and it is a recurring problem that Slegers needs to figure out the answer to; and fast.
Arsenal have yet to complete an entire game where their intensity is on all game, even with the substitutes coming on or the changes to the starting 11, and it shows in the way games have gone for the Gunners all season.
Complacency in the team
Arsenal are a team with an insane amount of talent, but that talent can see players in the starting 11 whether or not they are deserving of it.
The players can perform to a ‘mid’ standard and still get the playing time while players who are hungry for minutes and want to show their worth get to sit on the bench and watch players who lack the fire get to start over them.
Two examples are Cerci and Géraldine Reuteler. Both joined Arsenal from the German Frauen-Bundesliga and are exceptional players. Cerci, the second highest goal-scorer in the German league last season, and Reuteler is a versatile player who can play in multiple positions, which leaves the question to Slegers of why are they not getting the sufficient playing time?
Why are Russo and Blackstenius being picked over Cerci – though Russo gets some grace after scoring versus Paris FC. Neither have had particularly good starts to the season and Cerci won the penalty against HB Køge, which shows the desire to want to win.
Géraldine Reuteler versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on September 27, 2026. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Géraldine Reuteler versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on September 27, 2026. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Reuteler, who can play pretty much anywhere in the midfield, has to sit back and watch players like Frida Maanum get subbed on before her when the Norwegian international has also proved nothing all season. Or playing Mariona on the wing, when Reuteler can also play there and can have the Spanish international play centrally where she is much better.
Complacency within the squad is so high that it is clear performances do not matter nor do they get you dropped. If that was the case, then half of Arsenal’s current starting 11 would not be the starting 11.
Arsenal should be a standard for change, should be leading the way in the Women’s Super League (where they sit seventh with just one league win) and in Europe, but instead settle for mediocrity in the same positions and do not dare upgrade when players are past their due date at the club.
The Gunners will need to fix their issues and fix them fast, with their only game before the international break being against the Women’s Super League champions and current league leaders Manchester City – the only team yet to lose a game in the league.