Can Arsenal Women build on their scrappy win over Brighton?

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·13 October 2025

Can Arsenal Women build on their scrappy win over Brighton?

Arsenal Women were back in WSL action on Sunday and secured a narrow but much-needed 1-0 victory over Brighton at the Emirates Stadium.

Renée Slegers’ side had been winless in their previous four matches in all competitions, adding pressure to get a result on the day. Arsenal took an early lead via a Marisa Olislagers own goal, as the Brighton defender inadvertently put the ball into her own net from an Olivia Smith cross into the box.

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The Gunners had chances to extend their lead but could not find a second goal, and the game ended with the 1-0 scoreline.

Slegers Delighted with Return to Winning Ways

After the game, Renée Slegers reacted to the performance and result, expressing her delight at a return to winning form. She told Arsenal media:

“I think we started well and we spent a lot of time in their half. We got the goal in the first half, I think the most important thing today was the three points.

“Of course, everyone knows that results haven’t come easy to us the last couple of games, so everything that we wanted today was three points and we got three points.

“I think there’s some good moments in the game and there’s some moments we can do better, want to do better, but most importantly, we won today and we got the three points.”

Room for Improvement

While Slegers would have been pleased with the result, the performance was far from convincing. Issues with ball progression persisted, as Arsenal struggled to create chances at will despite dominating possession.

For the second week in a row, the Gunners failed to build on early momentum after firing five shots and taking the lead within the first 20 minutes. The visitors even created higher expected goals at the break.

Central progression continues to be a concern, with Mariona Caldentey often drifting to the left side to find space, leaving Arsenal lopsided in their build-up play.

(Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)

Bright Spots in Midfield

Aside from the win, the performance of the substitutes was a major positive. In particular, the energetic display from Australian Kyra Cooney-Cross stood out, as she continues to make an impression despite limited minutes under Slegers.

It was not a vintage performance, but it was a crucial win heading into the next phase of fixtures.

Any thoughts on Arsenal’s performance against Brighton?

Leave your views in the comments below.

Benjamin Kenneth

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