Renee Slegers is maintaining a level of composure that may seem surprising given Arsenal’s shaky start to the Women's Super League season. The Gunners have already fallen behind the competition after just three matches, and a familiar weakness is resurfacing at the Emirates Stadium. The campaign began brightly with a win over Brighton – a side that had denied Manchester City the title in the previous season by dropping points – but was quickly followed by two consecutive draws.
The first came against newly promoted Crystal Palace, and the second against a Manchester United side that had also lost its opening two fixtures. Those results have intensified the scrutiny ahead of this weekend’s clash with Chelsea, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Arsenal’s recent encounters with low‑block defensive setups – the kind they appeared to have mastered last season – have left them with the poorest expected‑goals (xG) performance in the league at this early stage, despite the abundance of attacking talent that Slegers has at her disposal.
While other pundits may offer different explanations, the head coach believes the core of the problem is psychological rather than tactical. With that perspective in mind, she is determined to shift any mounting pressure away from her squad and onto herself, hoping to give the players the mental space they need to rediscover form. In her own words, she wants to be the calmest voice in the club.
"It’s frustrating that we’ve dropped four points," Slegers acknowledges, before adding, "We can’t change that now. The focus has to be on the positives and on what we can improve moving forward." She continues, "I’m happy to take the pressure off the players wherever it’s needed. If someone 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 to trust their instincts." Reflecting on the previous season, she notes, "We had moved beyond the difficulty of facing low blocks; we had found the tools and solutions.
But there are other avenues we can explore, such as set‑piece opportunities." Slegers also stresses the importance of simplifying the game plan when necessary. "As a coach you can go down two paths – you can add more and more detail and make things more complicated, or you can strip everything back to the basics," she explains.
"In the end, actions speak louder than words. There’s been a lot of talk; now we need to show what we can do on the field." The sense of déjà vu returned when Arsenal opened their Champions League campaign at home against Koge on Tuesday.
An early goal from Chloe Kelly was disallowed after a VAR review, and the Gunners struggled to regain momentum. It took a dramatic 93rd‑minute penalty from Mariona Caldentey to secure a narrow win over the Danish minnows, who had previously lost all six of their Champions League matches in their sole prior appearance. Had Kelly’s strike stood, it might have eased the subconscious feeling of "here we go again" that seemed to linger among the squad.
Instead, the team had to endure a tense finish that underscored the importance of quick starts – a point Slegers repeatedly emphasizes to her players. "We are hungry for fast starts, and we need them," she says. "We keep driving for that in every game and focus on everything we can control." She adds, "Tuesday showed mental resilience – the belief that we could win persisted. Before the match we didn’t know when the goal would come, whether early or late, and an early goal would have changed the whole dynamic." Low‑block defenses remain a stubborn obstacle for any side, and Slegers admits only a handful of teams excel at breaking them down.
"We know it’s an area we must improve," she concedes. Looking ahead, Arsenal will find a brief respite from the low‑block grind when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Unless the Blues decide on a surprise tactical shift, they are unlikely to sit deep for extended periods, offering Arsenal more opportunities to unleash their attacking prowess.
Chelsea will, of course, pose their own threats, but the encounter should provide a platform for Arsenal’s forward line to demonstrate the quality that has been missing so far this season. One player who could benefit from this opening 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 Slegers believes she has earned her place. "She’s earned the right to play," Slegers says.
"I trust her because of her training, attitude, and performances. She’s becoming an important part of the squad. She’s young, but she’s already showing great promise." Four matches into any campaign, the notion of a "must‑win" game feels excessive; perhaps a "must‑not‑lose" label is more realistic, especially in an expanded league.
However, the prospect of slipping seven points behind the leaders by the end of September would be a nightmare scenario that the coaching staff hoped to avoid during pre‑season planning. "Playing Chelsea away is always a special occasion," Slegers notes. "It’s a London derby, it’s always charged, and we’re prepared for it. As with everything else, if there’s any pressure, I want to be the one taking it." Fans can tune in to watch Chelsea versus Arsenal on Sky Sports Premier League, with the match kicking off at 4.30 pm on Sunday.
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