Renee Slegers says Arsenal must be "dynamic" as they travel to Villa Park for a rearranged WSL match against Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime.
The fixture was moved after UEFA insisted Champions League semi-finals be held at the weekend. Arsenal arrive having drawn 1-1 with Brighton on Wednesday, a result that followed Manchester City clinching the WSL title and ended Arsenal's recent run of form.
For Arsenal the game carries immediate consequences: they need seven points from their remaining three matches to guarantee second place and avoid the Champions League qualifying rounds next season. Arsenal sit third in the WSL, two points clear of Manchester United and four behind Chelsea, with two games in hand on both.
Slegers cautioned that the squad has been affected by recent scheduling and rotation. "We all felt that we weren’t at our best (at Lyon). So we had to manage that and deal with that," she said, acknowledging the impact of the midweek exertions. She added that the team must focus inward. "We will have to be dynamic, but we’ve been talking about focusing on our own game anyway because we’re so good when we’re at our best, so we want to bring our own best game, regardless of their tactical plan. So that means doing our basics really well tomorrow."
Injuries and absences complicate those instructions. Steph Catley is not available after a calf injury, although she has returned to training. Leah Williamson will miss the game because of a niggle and will not travel. Manu Zinsberger, Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang remain out with ACL injuries, while Kyra Cooney-Cross is on compassionate leave in Australia.
Villa arrive on patchy form. They drew 1-1 with Arsenal at the Emirates in September when Lucy Parker scored a stoppage-time equaliser, but have since lost six of their last eight WSL matches and are ninth in the table. Villa lost 2-0 to West Ham on Bank Holiday Monday and could finish the season at their lowest position in five campaigns if results do not improve; they play their final home game of the campaign against Arsenal.
Slegers expected a determined home side. "I think there’s similarities, but also differences between our last two seasons. I think the similarities are Lyon in the semifinal, so it is the same schedule and games, right between and after. So that was Brighton and Villa as well. Villa start their last home game for the season. I think they want to finish it well at home in front of their own fans," she said.
There is a clear tension between Arsenal’s rotation and the stakes. The runners-up in the WSL enter the Champions League group stage directly; third place forces a two-legged play-off in August. With only three league matches remaining — Villa at home, Everton at home and an away trip to Liverpool — Arsenal cannot afford complacency even if they have games in hand. Slegers underlined that there is more at play than immediate results. "We also have to be very aware that we have to be in the here and now and enjoy what we’re doing together, because there will be players and staff leaving at the end of the season. So we really want to cherish these moments that we have together and make the absolute most of it."
Saturday’s rearranged match is the next test. Villa’s recent run suggests vulnerability, but their ability to steal a point at the Emirates in September — via Lucy Parker’s late goal — means Arsenal cannot treat the encounter as routine. With key defenders and goalkeepers unavailable and rotation dictated by European obligations, Arsenal will likely need to summon their best performances across the final three fixtures to secure the seven points that guarantee second place.
