Renee Slegers may appear composed, but she is certainly feeling the strain that follows Arsenal's uneven start to the Women’s Super League campaign. After just three matches, the Gunners have already slipped off the pace they set last season, and a familiar weakness – the inability to break down well‑organised low blocks – has resurfaced at the Emirates Stadium. The season began on a high note with a convincing win over Brighton, a match that had previously handed Manchester City the title when they dropped points. However, that optimism was quickly tempered by two successive draws: one against newly promoted Crystal Palace and another versus a Manchester United side that had also lost its opening two games.
Those results have amplified the scrutiny on Arsenal as they prepare for a crucial away fixture against Chelsea, a game that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Statistically, Arsenal now sit at the bottom of the league’s expected‑goals (xG) performance chart, meaning they have created fewer quality chances than the numbers would suggest they should have, especially given the depth of attacking talent at Slegers’ disposal.
While analysts and pundits will inevitably offer their own diagnoses, Slegers is convinced that the core issue is more mental than tactical. With that belief in mind, she has made it a personal mission to shield her players from external pressure and assume that burden herself. "It’s frustrating that we’ve dropped four points," she acknowledges, "but we can’t change the past.
The focus now is on the positives and on what we can improve moving forward." Slegers stresses that the responsibility for handling pressure should fall on her shoulders. "If anyone has to carry the weight, it should be me. I want the players to feel free on the pitch, to play with clear heads, clear minds and trust their instincts," she explains.
She also notes that the team had previously found ways to cope with low‑block defenses, but now they need to rediscover those tools while also exploring other avenues, such as set‑piece routines, to generate scoring opportunities. The coach outlines a philosophical choice that every manager faces: delve deeper into minutiae and risk over‑complicating the game plan, or strip everything back to the basics. "In the end, actions speak louder than words," she says. "There has been a lot of talk, but now we need to show results and look ahead." The sense of déjà vu was palpable when Arsenal opened their Champions League campaign at home against Koge on a Tuesday.
An early goal from Chloe Kelly was disallowed after a VAR review, and the Gunners struggled to regain momentum. It took a 93rd‑minute penalty from Mariona Caldentey to finally secure a narrow victory over the Danish minnows, who had lost all six of their previous Champions League outings. Had Kelly’s goal stood, the psychological narrative of "here we go again" might have been softened for the squad. Instead, the narrow escape underscored the importance Slegers places on quick starts to win the mental battle.
"We are hungry for early goals and we need them," she says. "We keep pushing for that in every game and focus on everything we can control." She praised the team’s resilience after the Champions League win, noting that belief in a comeback helped them endure the pressure. "We didn’t know when the goal would come – early or late – but if it had arrived sooner the game would have looked very different," Slegens reflected. She also reiterated that low blocks are notoriously difficult to breach, and only a handful of sides excel at it, but Arsenal must improve in that area.
Looking ahead, the upcoming clash with Chelsea offers a brief respite from the low‑block nightmare. While the Blues are unlikely to park the ball for extended periods at Stamford Bridge, they remain a potent attacking threat.
Nevertheless, the match presents an opportunity for Arsenal’s forward line to finally showcase the quality that has been under‑utilised this season. One player who could benefit from that chance is 19‑year‑old winger Lisa Baum, signed from RB Leipzig over the summer. Baum has started all three of Arsenal’s WSL games to date and has already begun to earn the trust of the coaching staff. "She has earned the right to play," Slegers says.
"Her training attitude, behavior and performances justify it. She is becoming an important part of the squad despite her age." Four matches into any campaign, describing the situation as "must‑win" is perhaps excessive; "must‑not‑lose" might be more realistic, especially in an expanded league format. Yet the prospect of slipping seven points behind the leaders by the end of September would be a nightmare scenario that the club had hoped to avoid during pre‑season planning.
Slegers remains pragmatic about the Chelsea fixture, acknowledging the added intensity of a London derby. "Playing Chelsea away is always a special game – it’s charged, it’s a derby, and we are prepared for that," she states.
"If there is any pressure, I want to be the one taking it." In summary, Slegers is determined to protect her squad from external criticism, to simplify the tactical approach where possible, and to instill a belief that early goals and mental resilience will turn the tide. The next few weeks will be decisive for Arsenal’s WSL ambitions, and the coach’s willingness to shoulder the burden could be the catalyst the team needs to rediscover the attacking fluency that made them a force last season.