'we Need To Take A Look At Ourselves' - Arsenal Stalling At Wrong Time

Arsenal cognize amended than astir what a quality a week tin make.

Seven days agone Renee Slegers' broadside were basking successful nan glow of a singular 4-1 distant triumph complete Lyon that sent them to a first Women's Champions League last successful 18 years.

Fast guardant to Monday and Arsenal are investigating precisely really they mislaid 5-2 and 4-2 to Aston Villa and Brighton respectively successful back-to-back convention games.

While nan conclusion astatine Villa Park was unexpected, it was possibly somewhat understandable.

Slegers made 7 changes from nan squad that hit Lyon, and nan consequence was a shaky and disjointed performance.

Worringly, nan broadside that collapsed against Brighton was akin to nan 1 that conquered 1 of Europe's awesome teams.

"We wanted to bounce backmost and move that crippled around, and nan aforesaid point has happened to america again," Arsenal's Caitlin Foord told Sky Sports.

"It's not bully capable each information and we request to return a look astatine ourselves individually and arsenic a team. We can't fto that hap again this weekend."

While Fran Kirby and Jelena Cankovic some scored stunners for nan hosts, Brighton's 3rd and 4th goals came straight from protect lapses.

Arsenal person shipped 9 goals successful their past 2 WSL games aft conceding 14 successful their erstwhile 19 outings.

While they forced Brighton goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley into 10 saves, they couldn't recover.

"In nan past 2 WSL games we conceded 9 goals successful and we said arsenic a squad we don't deliberation it's acceptable," Slegers added.

"We of people don't want this to happen. There are different reasons. The Villa crippled was different. We came from thing other and nan goals we conceded were different.

"We request to study 2 very reliable lessons coming disconnected a large success. We person to learn. It's portion of being a apical team. This can't hap to us, truthful we person to find solutions and move forward."

Back-to-back convention defeats for nan first clip since May 2023 begs nan question: person Arsenal's players been distracted by their Champions League achievement?

"Of people it's aggravated for nan players pinch wherever we came from and what's up of us," said Slegers.

"We person to beryllium successful nan moment. That is nan cardinal dollar question. We person to analyse and I will beryllium moving until precocious coming and tomorrow.

"We want to effort and get nan specifications correct and put our digit connected what it is and really we want to move forward."

Foord was much nonstop erstwhile answering nan question.

"I don't deliberation so. That's successful nan backmost of our mind and that is nan crippled we are playing for this season," she said.

"But we person a occupation to do earlier that arsenic well. We could person done that coming and we haven't. Now it comes down to Saturday and our past crippled to hole for nan Champions League."

Victory would person wrapped up 2nd spot successful nan WSL, but now it's up for grabs erstwhile Arsenal look third-placed Manchester United connected Saturday.

A 3rd consecutive convention conclusion for nan first clip successful a decade would spot nan Gunners gaffe to third, meaning they would participate adjacent season's Champions League successful nan 2nd qualifying information alternatively than nan third.

That's unless Arsenal hit Barcelona successful this season's final, successful which lawsuit they would unafraid a spot successful adjacent season's caller convention phase.

"[We need] a bully performance, we request to play well, we request to get that assurance back," said Foord.

"We request to return our chances and everyone has to beryllium backmost into nan game, arsenic we were against Lyon, if we want to spell connected to do good successful nan Champions League."