Hello, Arsenal Women aficionados!
I purposedly waited before writing about our draw against Chelsea at home, because I feared my writing would be negatively impacted by the way the match ended and the fact that emotions were very high when the final whistle was blown.
The result means that Arsenal Women have likely missed the last opportunity to get back into the title race, which is slightly more infuriating knowing that they matched Chelsea’s quality and intensity in the second half, after looking a bit sloppy in the opening 45 minutes and could have even won the game at the very end.
A late goal from Alessia Russo, who looked marginally offside, rescued a point after the team fell behind very early in the game, and ensured that they remain in touch with the Champions League spots, at least.
In all honesty, Chelsea could have been out of sight at half-time, so the fact that Arsenal Women fought their way back into the contest is encouraging and hopefully will instil self-confidence and belief in the players.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
This is really one of those half-full/half-empty glass situations, with our team looking off the pace and somewhat sloppy in the first half and combative, ambitious and courageous in the second half.
Are we happy because the team reacted so well, got a deserved point and came close to winning, or are we disappointed because we gave away the initial 45 minutes, and could have been beaten rather easily?
Are we happy with the impact made by players who got off the bench, or are we disappointed with the starting XI picked by Renée Slegers?
One thing is sure, we don’t look as cohesive and as focused as we did last season, especially at the back. I understand that missing Leah Williamson is a big factor in our (in)ability to keep clean-sheets and reducing the number of shots on target we concede, but numbers suggest that we have a broader issue when defending.
Based on FBREF data, we rank second-bottom in the WSL for shots blocked and tackles, and bottom for tackles won and clearances – which should be a worry for Renée Slegers and her staff. Numbers do not tell the whole story, obviously, but this team looks to be lacking some urgency when defending – at least from the outside.
What I found hard to understand is how this team went from being virtually unbeatable to looking so soft, at the back; last season we were collecting clean-sheets and making our opponents’ life incredibly hard, while this season we are collecting individual mistakes and allowing strikers to waltz inside our penalty box, virtually unchallenged.
I am obviously exaggerating here, but you get the concept: last season we were defending very aggressively, we were keeping spaces very tight in and around our penalty area, and we were throwing bodies at the ball – and I cannot explain what has changed.
Leah Williamson’s absence is a factor, as mentioned already, and while Lia Wälti has since moved to Juventus, she was not an automatic started anymore, so we are basically playing the same starting XI as of last season – yet performances and results could not be more different.
A little self-complacency after winning the UWCL, maybe? Even unconsciously?
VAR IS NEEDED. IS VAR NEEDED?
There was a lot of talk about VAR, after the game.
Sure, the self-elected best league in the world should have top-notch technology available to reduce refereeing mistakes, but if the WSL was to implement something, they should probably try to innovate.
If VAR was available, they would have probably spent lot of time drawing red and blue lines to determine whether Alessia Russo or Frida Maanum were in an offside position when they scored and sent the referee to the monitor to look again at the handball incident involving Stina Blackstenius, leaving it to the referee’s discretion whether the was a handball or not.
Based on what has happened on the men’s side since VAR was implemented, technology alone is not enough to prevent mistakes as long as humans control the technology: we are still seeing controversial decisions, we are still seeing ridiculous mistakes made (Spurs v Liverpool in 2023, anyone?) and incompetence has been moved from on-field to remote, rather than being removed.
Instead, WSL should implement semi-automated offside first, then look at alternative solutions for VAR, whether it is a fixed numbers of challenges to be used by coaches or managers, or any other option that does not mirror current VAR, since it’s not working.
It would be a pity to use a poor solution, and a missed opportunity to innovate and show that women’s football is superior to men’s, in this aspect. After increasing the number of people watching women’s football on television and starting to fill-up stadiums on regular basis, the next step should be to implement a VAR (of any sort) that does the job it is designed to do, without much fuss and a higher rate of success.
DRIVING FORCE FOORD
Renée Slegers saluted several “great individual performances” after the game, and Caitlin Foord’s was definitely one of those.
The Australian was unplayable, at times, skipping away from her marker and making the left flank her playground.
Her direct approach, paired with her excellent footwork and close control, made it very difficult for Chelsea to contain her, even during the first half – when most of the team looked off the pace.
Despite the fierce competition for places, Caitlin Foord remains a mainstay in Renée Slegers’ setup and one of our biggest threats, from an attacking standpoint. Her use of the upper and lower body was especially impressive against such a physical opponent as Chelsea, with the Australian successfully holding off her marker and using her strength to get away from the full-back.
While mostly known for her ability to carry the ball at speed and popping up at the far post to finish off chances, Caitlin Foord is becoming increasingly important to keep up with a league that is becoming stronger and more physical.
Well done, Caitlin!
NEXT UP
UWCL is back this week, with Arsenal Women travelling to Germany to face Bayern Munich in the third game of the league phase.
The Germans, which we beat on our way to European glory last season, are currently on three points after the first two games and bounced back from a terrible 0-7 defeat to FC Barcelona by beating Juventus very narrowly.
On Arsenal side, they beat Benfica after losing the opening game against OL Lyonnes, and will look to grab the three points all while putting a serious dent on Bayern’s aspirations to reach the top four.
A draw is probably the less useful result for each team, so we might see a rather open contest in Bavaria, on Wednesday night.
After that, Renée Sleger’s team will travel across the street to face Tottenham Hotspur, on Sunday afternoon. The neighbours are in a much better position, compared to last season, and will present a serious test to Arsenal’s resolve to bounce back after the home draw against Chelsea.
We will talk again next week!
Speak to you soon!
Italian living in Switzerland, Gooner since mid-nineties, when the Gunners defeated my hometown team, in Copenhagen. I started my own blog and podcast (www.clockenditalia.com) after after some experiences with Italian websites and football magazines. Covering Arsenal Women with the occasional rant about the boys.
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