Arsenal Women are currently enduring a poor run of form in all competitions, and it is now their joint longest run without a victory in the WSL era. Renée Slegers’ side put in a spirited display against an excellent OL Lyonnais team on Tuesday night, but they came away empty handed from the encounter. A seventh-minute Alessia Russo goal was cancelled out by a Melchie Dumornay strike 13 minutes later, while the Haitian forward struck again not long after. Her brace ensured a 2-1 win for OL Lyonnais, condemning Arsenal Women to their fourth consecutive game without a win.
Arsenal’s winless run equals unwanted record
As reported by OptaJoe, the Gunners are currently on their joint longest run without a victory in the WSL era, matching similar spells in May 2014 and January 2022. Three of those matches have come in the WSL, with two draws and one defeat against Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City respectively.
In their last two games, Arsenal made strong starts but could not sustain the momentum. Speaking after the recent Women’s Champions League clash, Slegers reflected: “Everyone’s working really hard to find that final action, that final detail and find the margins, because it is about margins but it will always be about margins at the highest level. That’s what we’re looking at and it’s a mixture, a cocktail of things, but we believe that if we get one or two things right, that the rest will rise with it as well.”
Signs of improvement despite defeat
Despite their latest loss, Renée Slegers will take positives from the OL Lyonnais performance. It was a much-improved display compared to the previous three outings, suggesting that a return to form could be near – Captain Kim Little recently said “We need to regroup” and this is still very much true for our Gunneresses. On Sunday, the Gunners will look to get back to winning ways when they host Brighton at the Emirates Stadium. Anything other than a victory will see them go five games without a win, which would be their longest winless run in the WSL era.
What do you think has been the root cause of Arsenal Women’s recent slump? Have your say in the comments below.
Benjamin Kenneth
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here s my take, simplicity itself, like the fan that i am… first we are the best team in Europe (reigning champions) second atm we play like we wanna be be the worst, third we lost the momentum of winning, but it will return if we determine it to, fourth we make too many defensive errors, change those who do so, they negate any attacking success , fifthly our attacks are not clinical enough, wshy did we loan Agyamang to an opponent ? bring her back asap , sixth our midfield is shot, why did we sell Walti ??? bring her back if we can, not just to get demoralised on the bench, seventhly we play Russo and Blackstenius, but they need to be side by side in the box or ready to run past offside traps, into the box, what s the point of having wingers otherwise and keep Meado central, eigthly we need Williamson s long balls back asap, and finally we need Codina and Nighswonger to start …other than the foregoing, everything is just fine and dandy
For me as hard as Russo works and will get you goals through out a season. I think that Arsenal are missing a trick with her here. Get the ball to the wide players quicker, tell her to stay more central and give her better service.
Another thing that puzzles me. is Slegers playing Caldentey so deep. She’s got a habit of losing the ball as was the case for the second Lyon goal. Play her further forward in the ten role, she showed what she can do in advanced positions the other night by making the Lyon keeper make to good saves. And if she gives the ball away further up the pitch, the team have more time to recover the ball.
And finally, a word on the goal keeper. I like her on the whole, but there’s a few more mistakes creeping into her game, this she needs to sort out. As I’m not completely sold on Zinsberger if the truth be told.
yes Derek, Russo and Caldentey should play the no 9 and 10 roles, and be strikers rather than providers, neither seem really on top of their game atm, and we have a third keeper we bought recently, maybe let s try her if Van Domsellar is less reliable than before, Zinsberger has been a good servant of the club, but t see she s the answer
i mean i don t see Zinsberger as the answer
Good evening Potts Evan,
I have to agree with all that you say. 👍
THANKS
Well put @Derek.
Maybe, we need to call Agyemang and Kafagil from their Brighton loans.
YES RECALL THEM PLS . AGYEMANG IN PARTICULAR
THIS COMMENT IS ABOUT BETH MEAD, SHE S AN ARSENAL TREASURE, SHE S FAITHFUL TO THE CLUB, SHE WAS NOT LURED AWAY BY LCL, BUT THERE S A PROBLEM I SAW IT LAST SEASON, AS WITH LIA WALTI SHE SAT ON THE SUBS BENCH FOR FAR TOO LONG, THIS IIS VERY DESTRUCTIVE, RENEE. PLS DON T PUT OUR TOP PLAYERS THROUGH IT, BETH STILL HAS THE MAGIC TO DRIBBLE WITH DETERMINATION NEAR THE PENALTY AREA, SHE HAS PUT IN MIRACLE PASSES RESULTING IN GOALS IN VITAL SITUATIONS, WHEN SHE PLAYS AT ANOTHER LEVEL, SHE CAN STILL SHOW SKILLS IN FGRONT OF GOAL THAT FEW OTHERS CAN MATCH, SHE IS WORTH HER WEIGHT IN GOLD, SHE MAY ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF SEASONS OR SO LEFT TO DO THIS FOR ARSENAL, PLS DON T WASTE THESE YEARS !
TURN.OFF.YOUR.CAPS.LOCK.
Potts Evens and Jo-Gunz,
I’m nit sure if Arsenal can call back Agyemang or Kafaji, before the end of the season. Whether they can in January I couldn’t tell you. But I’d be surprised if Brighton would have agreed to such a deal when getting them on loan.
I do stand to be corrected though. 👍
Potts Evans and Jo-Gunz,
I’ve checked and Agyemang and Kafaji can’t be recalled until this season is over. 👍