City fight back twice to beat Arsenal
Manchester City came from behind on two occasions to defeat Arsenal 4-2 in the Women's Super League at the Etihad Stadium, with Lauren Hemp scoring twice. The victory keeps the champions' perfect record intact and leaves Arsenal with a second defeat of the campaign. The match was a thriller in which Arsenal led twice but could not hold on as City's energy and substitutions turned the game.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Slegers: Arsenal not in title conversation
Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers said after the match that her team are not currently in the conversation for the title race. She explained that everyone knew the game was important, and that the focus was on the mindset and approach rather than explicit talk of the title. Slegers noted that the Paris match had been hard, but the squad came together and showed leadership. She added that Arsenal started the second half well and led twice, but City's energy and changes had an immediate effect and dominated the game.[S1]
Slegers said the scoreline alone would not suggest defeat, but it was a defeat. She pointed out that the last goal came because Arsenal wanted to go forward and took risks, while the other three goals were not ones they were happy to concede. She described that moment as critical and said the team have to be a little bit better in those phases because good teams punish mistakes. Slegers acknowledged that Arsenal do a lot of good things but ultimately do not get the result.[S1]
What's next for Arsenal
Looking ahead, Slegers said the players will go away with their national teams, which she sees as a positive. She said it is a chance to recharge, reset and spend time with other people, changing their environment before returning with new energy that she believes will be really good for them. Her message to the players was that they should not stop believing in themselves as individual players because they are really good football players.[S1]
