Arsenal Women’s defense may be their greatest strength – that’s what wins you titles.

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Just Arsenal News

·21 December 2024

Arsenal Women’s defense may be their greatest strength – that’s what wins you titles.

Over the last two months, Arsenal Women have done nothing but rekindle our love for them. They’ve entertained us with their impressive performances. They’re now not just playing well—dominating possession, scoring goals, and winning games—they’re also not conceding goals. It is a nightmare to face our girls; they’re establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with once again.

The other day, we spoke of how Renée Slegers’ decision to move Steph Catley to central defense was a masterstroke. Well, Steph has opened up on how her impressive performances there haven’t just been about her, but about the way every Gunner has approached the game.

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Catley feels the seven clean sheets they’ve kept in the last 10 games, conceding just three goals, is not down to individuals but to them playing as a unit.

She feels that as a team, they have tried to be consistent, staying on the same page, knowing their roles, committing to the press, and wanting to raise their standard by keeping clean sheets. She says that as a defense, they’ve done well, but the other players have also stepped up, making them as defensively great as they are, and they just want to hold on to that.

The Matildas star said, “I mean I think it’s down to consistency, but I think, as a whole, our entire squad appreciates the value of a clean sheet, knows how important it is and it’s something we really drive in our standards, when we’re training, when we go out to every game it’s something we remind ourselves of. “It’s not only just about the players that are on the field at the moment, I think when you see players coming off the bench, Lotte the other day, coming in, making it a five [at the back], everyone knows their role, everyone knows the standards, the specifics to get a result and make sure we get that clean sheet. “I think consistency is one of those things but just knowing your role and knowing how important every aspect of the defending is, even from the front, the way that we press, a clean sheet isn’t just down to the back four or the defenders, it’s from the front, it’s from the strikers that are starting the press so, it’s something that’s going well for us but we’ve got to continue to make that happen.”

Since Renée Slegers took over on an interim basis, she has really done a great job. She’s gotten the group of girls playing as a team. With the Dutch tactician in charge, the girls are playing for each other. Long may that continue. Defenses win you titles, attack wins you games, as PL legend Alex Ferguson said. If our Gunners are to win anything this season, how good their defense is will surely help them do that.

What are your thoughts Gooners?

Michelle M

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