Renee Slegers reacts to 4-1 victory over London City Lionesses

Arsenal won their opening WSL game of the season with a 4-1 win over London City Lionesses. Arsenal fell behind to a first half penalty from Kosavore Asllani but equalised through a debut golaco from Olivia Smith, Chloe Kelly gave the Gunners the lead on the stroke of half time. Second half goals from substitutes Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum put the seal on an opening day victory. Renee Slegers spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News.

On issues with LCL’s press early on and whether she made a tweak to solve them…
They did what we expected, and I think we just lacked a little bit of connection on the pitch and that’s what we accept as well, because it’s the first game back, the first competitive game back. But I think what I’m really happy with is how we connected quickly and found the rhythm in the game and found solutions as well. In finding the solution, it wasn’t much because we had planned certain things, it was just adjusting a couple of details. And again, I’m really happy with how we did that and how the players on the pitch did that, because I think what it can easily happen is you get a goal against you and you start to do different things and you start to get the emotional, but we didn’t do that, so we found solutions.

On starting Katie Reid at centre-half…
We believe in Katie Reid, we are very proud to have her and she’s been really impressive at Arsenal. So from what we’ve seen, we kept her in now this season, she wasn’t on loan last season, came back second half of season and she’s really impressed us during pre season. She has a lot of qualities that we want in the cent back, but we accept that she’s young and she needs to build experience. So but I think also credit to Katie and the rest of the team that after that penalty, she just kept on playing and came back, she showed strength, I think. But like I said, we have such high quality players on all positions and that’s what we wanted. That’s how we wanted to build a squad.

On LCL being disruptive in the opening 20 minutes…
The way they play, the way they set up, it’s really hard to play against. So it’s a fine line between solving that and the pitch being wide open or losing the ball and they can build their attack. So I think we had to get used to it, like I just said, we had to get into the rhythm, we had to find our connections and the solutions, and when we did that, I think we did it really well and the pitch opened up in a very good way. We found good balance between trying to be clinical in those fast moments in the counter attacks or fast attacks, and also staying on the ball for longer to settle into the game and I think, especially second half, we made really good decisions. But I think London City Lionesses they’re building their connections, they have a lot of new players. There was a couple of players, not in the squad today. So they’re a really good competitors, so I think they’ll cause some problems in the league.

On Olivia Smith’s debut goal…
It’s very special. It was a fantastic individual action, and a lot of players have really good individual actions on the pitch today, which you maybe don’t remember as much because it’s not leading to a goal, but there’s so many good things that the players are doing, problem solving and positioning, doing things proactively, but, of course, people come to the stands to watch goals and watch good goals. But hopefully everyone appreciates all the other things that part of football as well. So the defending and all the throw ins and free kicks and all the other bits as well. But of course, we were very happy to have Olivia with us and I’m also happy that she got this start of her official arsenal season.

On Smith and Kelly switching wings just before the equaliser…
It could have been after a set piece that they ended up and swapped sides, so it wasn’t a decision in that moment. But they had the freedom to do that in the game. But no, it was a fantastic goal, fantastic action.

On managing the occasion today…
I don’t get nervous so often, but this one I felt because it’s also the first game in a long time. It’s an opposition that we don’t know about and before the game we are referring back to the Champions League trophy, there are debuts in the team, the young player starting, Lia Walti’s goodbye at the stadium. So there was a lot of things today which at the end of the day, this is all part of football and that’s what we love about it, but I must admit, I had some nerves in my system.

On whether Chloe Kelly could’ve been sent off for her foul on Parris…
I haven’t seen that challenge so I have to watch it back, I haven’t seen it, but in general, I think with the type of football that they play, there’ a lot of 1V1 battles on the pitch. So you see a couple of players going down, I think there’s some scratches and bruises on the players, so they’ll have to manage that and recover from that. But that’s the way the game goes and that’s also something we want to step up in, being able to manage those moments as well and be physical and I think in a fair way, always within the rules of the game.

On being interviewed by the BBC at half-time…
It was something they did in the Swedish League as well, so I’ve done it before. Of course, I want to have the focus on my team and halftime is crucial for us. So it’s not ideal from, if you say a coaching perspective, but I also see the bigger picture that we have to collaborate with broadcasters and every single piece that we can develop in the women’s game and women’s football, that’s positive for us.

On the impact of the second half substitutes…
I think it was two things. I think if we find the right spaces and the right solutions, then I think the way they play, if you beat that first press that they put on you, then things open up and I think we found that really well and then it becomes physically tough for the opposition because spaces get big and they have to cover a lot of ground and a lot of metres. So I can imagine that was some fatigue for them.

We are also still, it’s early season, so we also had to manage a lot of things. We had to make good decisions with yellow cards and players fitness today and that’s all taken into account. But the way the players start the game, so I think the players that started the game at the problem solved, they had to create a team connection and the rhythm on the pitch, and then how the players finished the game when things are more open and we have the solutions and we can execute, it was brilliant today.

On Olivia Smith going down the tunnel with the physio when she was subbed…
I haven’t spoken to her yet. I think she got stepped on on her hand or something, but she should be okay, but I’ll hear from the medical team later on.

On how Katie Reid has grown and learned in training…
I think with young players that have a growth mindset, their development can go quick, if they’re open to learn and if they’re humble and work really hard and Katie is that type of personality. So I think she’s learned a lot, and of course, she’s had some great role models in the squad with Leah, Steph, Lotte and Laia Codina, so she’s learned a lot. And but also, she brings a lot to herself with the qualities that she has, she’s very composed under pressure, she’s fast, she has physicality, so there’s a lot of things that we like in centre backs that she brings.

14.van Domselaar; 2.Fox, 26.Reid, 7.Catley, 11.McCabe (24.Hinds ‘87); 10.Little(c), 8.Mariona; 15.Smith (19.Foord ‘61), 21.Pelova (12.L.Maanum ‘61), 18.Kelly (9.Mead ‘76); 23.Russo (25.Blackstenius ‘76)

Unused: 1.Zinsberger, 3.Wubben-Moy, 5.L.Codina, 32.Cooney-Cross

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