Feb 17, 2026, 07:41 PM
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Renee Slegers brushed aside suggestions Arsenal could be lulled into complacency as they head into the second leg of their Champions League playoff boasting a considerable advantage over visiting Oud-Heverlee Leuven.
Slegers' defending champions enter Wednesday's Meadow Park encounter having already taken a significant step towards a quarterfinal clash with last season's Women's Super League winners Chelsea by winning the first leg 4-0 in Belgium.
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The Gunners are back in action after a disrupted WSL weekend, which saw their meeting at Brighton postponed due to bad weather and a waterlogged pitch.
"The most important thing is that we keep our standards really high, regardless of competition, scenario, and that's important," said Slegers.
Renee Slegers has told Arsenal to stay humble for the second leg of their Women's Champions League playoff. Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
"If we do all those humble actions on the pitch, we know that sets the standard for us and gives us a good opportunity to be successful long term.
"If we do this consistently and we are humble about the details, then we think all the time we develop as a team, so it will be no different tomorrow."
Slegers will welcome back goalkeeper Anneke Borbe, who was taken off the pitch on a stretcher late in their Women's Champions Cup final win over Corinthians, while Taylor Hinds has recovered from an ankle issue that ruled her out of that game and will be available "for some minutes."
Kyra Cooney-Cross was ill on Tuesday and faces a late fitness test.
Arsenal midfielder Frida Maanum, who was part of Slegers' Champions League-winning side in Lisbon last May, added: "We spoke quite a lot [about the title] in the beginning of the season and then there's obviously a new season, new goals and we want to win that trophy again."
Real Madrid will also be in control of their own destiny when they host Paris FC in Wednesday's other Champions League game, having beaten the French side 3-2 first time out.