Renee Slegers believes that small details were crucial in Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League loss to Lyon. Despite taking an early lead through Alessia Russo, Arsenal fell 2-1 at home.
Melchie Dumornay scored twice for Lyon, securing their victory by the 23rd minute. This defeat marks the third time in four seasons that the reigning champions have lost their opening match of the subsequent Champions League campaign.
Arsenal’s recent form has been concerning, with a winless streak extending to four games across all competitions. This includes a 3-2 loss to Manchester City. Slegers is optimistic about turning things around, with upcoming matches against Brighton and Benfica offering opportunities to regain momentum. She emphasises the importance of addressing minor issues to improve performance.
The Gunners’ recent struggles are highlighted by their inability to secure victories in their last four matches, matching their longest winless run in the WSL era. The team has not lost more than two home Champions League games against any other club, making this defeat particularly significant.
Alessia Russo has been a standout performer for Arsenal, scoring eight goals in 12 Champions League appearances. Only eight English players have scored more in the competition. Russo agrees with Slegers’ view on the importance of fine margins and is determined to help the team build momentum.
“We want to build some momentum now, because we don’t like losing and we have really high standards as a team,” said Russo. “We’ve had tough moments, and we’ve risen bigger than ever. I have full belief in the squad and the staff that we’ll do that.”
Slegers noted that while Arsenal matched Lyon’s physicality and tempo at times, they struggled to maintain it throughout the match. She believes that focusing on key areas will help elevate overall performance.
The French giants have consistently outperformed Arsenal in recent meetings, winning all five of their away matches against them in this competition. This trend underscores the challenge Arsenal faces as they aim to improve their form.
Slegers remains confident that addressing these fine margins will lead to better results for her team. She stated, “Everyone’s working really hard to find that final action, that final detail and find the margins, because it is about margins.”