‘We’re so very excited’ – Arsenal looking forward to Emirates final says Slegers | OneFootball

Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers says that contesting the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final on home soil at the Emirates Stadium is an exciting opportunity for the club.

The Gunners face Brazilian side Corinthians in the final in North London on Sunday evening.

When speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Arsenal boss Slegers said that the rare opportunity to play a cup final at home is really exciting.

“[It’s] very special of course, in this competition, competing against the champions of other continents,” Slegers said. “We had to earn the right to get into the final and I think the team did that brilliantly the other night. We’re very excited about the final, we look forward to it and it’s a special moment for us.”

Arsenal thumped Moroccan side AS FAR 6-0 in the semi-finals in midweek. The Gunners knew little about their opponents and there is also some unfamiliarity around a match-up with Corinthians. Slegers believes that her side are well-equipped to take on their latest challenge.

She said “The players showed that they were comfortable with the unknown. We dealt with it really well, we have to focus ourselves. Of course, there are experiences that the players have from national team football, playing against Brazil or other South American teams. There are experiences in the team and the players are sharing that amongst each other.

“We are preparing for it tactically, we see who they are, what they can do. I think they had a great performance against Gotham, they defended so well with a lot of discipline and they have qualities to score, which they did in the game. We’re planning and trying to plan for all aspects, but also focusing on ourselves.”

Going on to discuss Corinthians, Slegers said that she expects the Brazilians to bring pace and power to the tie.

She said “Their physicality, their hold up play, combination play, their dribblers and speed; there are a lot of things that they can do with their players to go forward.

“I think their big weapon is that they are all together and disciplined in their defence. What we want to bring is our game, the Arsenal way, and measure the Arsenal way against Corinthians from South America. We look forward to it.”

Arsenal’s FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final tie against Corinthians kicks-off at 6pm on Sunday evening.