Arsenal boss Slegers on using Roger Federer for inspiration during bad run, van Domselaar form and dropping McCabe | OneFootball

Arsenal boss Renee Slegers says she has drawn inspiration from tennis icon Roger Federer during her side’s recent poor run of form.

The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Lyon in the Champions League on Tuesday and are winless in the last four games in all competitions.

“We’re very open and honest with the players,” Slegers said ahead of her side’s game against Brighton on Sunday. “Staff and players, we all want the same thing.

“We have a shared purpose and we want to go in the same direction. When things are hard for us at the moment, there’s not a single person in the group who doesn’t want to solve this and contribute to it. We all want the same thing.

“Of course, no one wants to turn the ball over in the field. There are certain actions that become costly for us. We have looked at it all together. It’s not only the football. It’s a piece of it, the psychology as well. How we stay in games, how we react to certain moments.

“I looked at a really inspirational video of Roger Federer. What he did as a tennis player to go from point to point. That’s all we’re looking at and we do that together as a group.

“This week, everything has been very honest and transparent. We spent a lot of time together. What I see and what I take from it is that everyone wants the same thing, everyone wants Arsenal to succeed.

“He talks about the percentage of games he’s won in his career and the percentage of points he’s won in his career. That’s really interesting.

“He talks about his mindset. The point he’s playing for at the moment is the most important point. But then that’s done. When that point is over, he goes on to the next one.

“I think he won, as he says himself, 54% of his points. He’s one of the best two of all time at tennis. That says something about how he comes back after points and how he was really good at being good in the most important moments, the points that count. That was good inspiration.”

Slegers also backed goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, who has struggled for form of late.

“She’s such a good goalkeeper in all aspects,” Slegers said. “We have a really strong goalkeeper union with Manu and Anneke.

“We’re happy with the goalkeepers. They’re driving and pushing each other every single day. All of them are strong and they make each other better. Who will play on Sunday, you’ll see. But I’m really happy with both of them.”

And the Arsenal boss also says midfielder Katie McCabe has reacted well to not starting in the defeat to Lyon.

“Of course, players want to play and that’s their drive and they should have that drive,” Slegers said. “I think we’ve managed early with the players as a group that we have such a good squad and we have so many different qualities.

“Sometimes you start, sometimes you finish a game and sometimes you don’t play. That’s the reality of this squad. I think that’s been clear to everyone early. That’s how we’ve managed it. Of course, there are individual conversations taking place.”