Chelsea vs Arsenal: Gunners enchancment below Renee Slegers poses vital risk to Sonia Bompastor’s WSL title chase | Soccer Information

Chelsea vs Arsenal is essentially the most performed fixture within the historical past of Ladies’s Tremendous League. It is a part of what makes it so attention-grabbing.

However this specific assembly has one other layer of intrigue, as Sonia Bompastor and Renee Slegers face off for the very first time – two energy ladies on the prime of the sport.

The poignance of this fixture can be helped by latest context. The final time these two sides met at Emirates Stadium in October, Jonas Eidevall was in cost at Arsenal with Slegers his No 2. Emma Hayes watched on from the administrators’ field for the primary time since leaving Chelsea, as her former aspect dismantled the Gunners piece by piece.

A 2-1 win barely did the demolition justice. Chelsea have been head and shoulders above, preying on a mess of vulnerabilities that had crept into Arsenal’s sport after a torrid begin to the season. Opta put Arsenal’s probabilities of successful the WSL title following that loss at 1.4 per cent.

Maybe unsurprisingly, then, 48 hours later Eidevall resigned, with Slegers flung into the highlight to fill the void – a place she’s held ever since.

Thus far, the succession plan has labored completely. Arsenal are unbeaten in 13 video games in all competitions, a file stretching again to that depressing day in October, whereas the type and fortitude of performances have helped regain supporter belief. Slegers has banked some critical credit score along with her command of such a dramatic turnaround.

Subsequent comes the true acid take a look at. Arsenal’s latest run has been spectacular however not altogether surprising given Slegers has probably the most gifted and well-rounded squads in Europe. They weren’t inherently unhealthy in the direction of the top of Eidevall’s reign, simply misguided, and outcomes since show that.

However Arsenal haven’t gained at Chelsea within the league since 2018 when Joe Montemurro was in cost, barely any group has. Chelsea have gained 40 of their final 42 residence video games, a run that began with a 3-0 victory towards Arsenal again in February 2021.

Slegers has proved she will be able to devise a sport plan crafty sufficient to beat Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Aston Villa within the league and he or she’s been tactically good in Europe too, overseeing an announcement win at Bayern Munich earlier than the winter break to avenge a 5-2 loss within the reverse fixture.

This weekend’s proposition is completely different, although.

The Slegers challenge might be formed by video games towards her greatest rivals, and resolve examined to the max at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Arsenal try to do what no opposition group has ever accomplished in that enviornment: win.

The idea that final result is feasible is the primary hurdle and one of many causes many have tried and failed towards Chelsea – psychologically they at all times appear to have the higher hand. Hayes used monster mentality as Chelsea’s superpower all through her wildly profitable 12-year tenure, at all times shouldering the stress, and Bompastor operates equally.

Below Slegers, Arsenal have edge too. They’ve gone from no-hopers to Chelsea’s foremost risk by tightening up at each ends of the pitch and re-establishing their self-importance. No group chases titles feeling sorry for themselves.

“I just feel like Renee sees me,” Leah Williamson stated in a latest interview. “It is probably a Dutch thing, but she doesn’t say things for the sake of it. She says what she means, and she looks at things from a slightly different perspective than I have known from a coach.”

The defender, who scored her first WSL aim for almost two years in final week’s 5-0 thrashing of Palace, says Slegers’ best power has been her capability to create an surroundings that “empowers people”. Her type – assured and direct – has reshaped the dressing room and the way they view what’s potential this season.

Arsenal have scored 21 WSL objectives below Slegers at a mean of three per sport, and gained their final 5 with out conceding, boasting extra cleans sheets (8) than every other aspect.

Chelsea’s rampant assault will after all stress take a look at simply how steady the Gunners’ much-improved backline is in actuality, however any end in Arsenal’s favour to shut the hole on the prime to 4 factors would breathe new life into this yr’s title race – absolutely a welcome reinvigoration for all the league.