_Arsenal were 3-0 winners at home to Bristol City in the FA Cup 5th round at Meadow Park on Sunday. A first half goal from Kim Little, as well as a Victoria Pelova strike and an own goal meant the Gunners are in the quarter-finals. Renee Slegers spoke to the press post-match. The first four questions are from Arseblog News._
**On Olivia Smith’s injury…**
She went to the hospital to get checked. We’re very hopeful that she will be okay, but we need to do the check.
**On how much the conditions figured in the preparation…**
A lot, because you have to adjust to the circumstances and I think what we’re growing in as a team is that we have a certain way we want to play, but if we need to adjust, then we can do that. We have the quality in the team and we have the willingness and the humility to do it and I think you saw that today, as well, because it wasn’t easy. It was very hard to play one touch so I think the ball was in the air a little bit more and we had to take an extra touch, which means that the game wasn’t as fast as we wanted to be. But we find ways so, I’m really happy.
**On greater use of the squad in recent weeks…**
I think if you go back to the first games we played this season there was quite some changes from game to game as well. I think it’s been more extreme this block. Start of season, there’s longer time between games and now there’s shorter turnarounds, but also a factor is that we have so many players in good form and we believe in them, we trust them, and everyone deserves to play. I think the collusion and the togetherness and us together, getting results, has been so good for the team. But then, also, there’s different qualities. We can use players in different ways. I can go on endlessly on why it is like this but there’s so many reasons, but the main thing is, the team is performing really well at the moment together and individually, and they understand that.
**On Mariona coming off at half time…**
I always have a plan but then you have to wait and see how the game goes. I had her down to not fulfil the 90 today, yeah. So that was a big part of it. And also, she was on a yellow card, so a couple of things all coming together. So there was a right decision to take her off. And Vic Pelova comes on and she does that role really well. She was going to play today.
**On an intense block of 10 games across five competitions…**
Especially if you look at how the block starts, not how we wanted it to start, but I think, because we wanted to score the goal against United at home, especially when they went down to 10. They’re a very good defending team in the WSL and that other game against United. But apart from that, it’s been fantastic and I think the mentality of the players to stay consistent and believe in our foundation, to activate little details and be so invested. That’s been the key fact of our success, as well.
**On the tactical plan today…**
I want to get clean sheets and it’s three goals. But it was just hard to play really fast football today in these conditions. So I think that’s a couple of moments where we passed the ball really well. I think especially second half, we have more movements. In the second half we move the opposition a little bit better, a bit more off the ball movement. So then our game becomes more fluid and it’s easier to find spaces and there’s more margins for us on the ball. Because at times, we had to take an extra touch. So, no, I’m happy with that, but I also think, like, we play the game as it presents itself to us and the circumstances, you will also have the abilities to be a little bit more direct. Bristol was certainly direct. They went long from every dead moment in the game and we had to manage that. So, no, I’m really happy with the performance.
**On the importance of the FA Cup to Arsenal…**
We are so happy for ourselves, but also for fans, such a big fan base that are supporting us and that are with us and we’re really happy for ourselves, that we go through to the quarterfinals, of course, for the club and the players, but also, especially for the fans.
28.Borbe; 2.Fox, 6.Williamson, 7.Catley (5.Codina 90+1), 11.McCabe (24.Hinds ‘71); 10.Little(c), 8.Mariona (21.Pelova HT); 18.Kelly (31.Holmberg ‘71), 23.Russo (25.Blackstenius ‘81), 19.Foord; 15.Smith (12.L.Maanum ‘59)
Subs: 3.Wubben-Moy, 14.van Domselaar, 40.Williams