Renée Slegers bemoans lack of cutting edge in Arsenal v Villa Women stalemate

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·28 September 2025

Renée Slegers bemoans lack of cutting edge in Arsenal v Villa Women stalemate

Arsenal Women continued their WSL campaign with a draw against Aston Villa on Saturday, taking their league tally to eight points after four games. A 10th-minute goal by Frida Maanum gave Arsenal the lead in the early kick-off. The team went on to dominate for the rest of the encounter, firing 19 shots and generating an XG north of 2.5. However, Arsenal were eventually left to rue their failure to add to their slender lead when the Villains equalised late in the game. Lucy Parker scored the pivotal goal for Villa Women when she finished from inside the box after a set piece in the 94th minute, condemning the Gunners to their second draw in as many games. Arsenal sit second as of writing, but with every other club around them still yet to play, they could drop to fifth before the end of the gameweek.

Slegers highlights need to be more clinical

It was another wasteful draw for Renée Slegers’ side and the manager bemoaned a lack of clinical edge during the tie. “I think when it is only 1-0 and you do not kill the game with another goal then the opposition is always going to stay in the game and have some form of belief,” she told Arsenal Media. “So every time they were in our half from a counter-attack or creating a set piece which they scored from, they came up with a lot of motivation and belief. And that is what we have to know. So the big learning for us is to kill the game earlier.”

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Gunners must respond to tough schedule

The story was similarly familiar against Manchester United last time out. The Gunners could only muster a single shot on target in that game, coming via Alessia Russo in the 41st minute. It was their fewest in a WSL game in five years, but Slegers dismissed suggestions that goals are a problem, saying: “We have scored 10 goals so it is not a problem. It will be very important that we review this and are very open and honest because we need to learn and learn fast.”

The fixtures do not get easier for Arsenal Women. Up next is a difficult trip to Manchester City on 4 October, followed by a home clash with European giants OL Lyon in the Women’s Champions League opener three days later.

What are your thoughts, Gooners?

Benjamin Kenneth

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