By Isabelle Campbell (26/9/25)
Above: Renée Slegers. Photo: Arsenal FC.
Following being named women’s club of the year at the Ballon d’Or awards earlier this week, Arsenal face a must-win clash with Aston Villa.
Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium this weekend aiming to maintain their defensive solidity after conceding just two goals in the first three WSL games this season. They will face Aston Villa, who inflicted a 5-2 defeat on the Gunners at Villa Park last April.
Villa come into this match following a 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s League Cup on Wednesday, which they eventually lost 7-6 on penalties.
What should fans expect?
Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers emphasised the need for consistency and adaptability.
“We want to be consistently consistent. We need to bring that in every single game, so that’s no different. But we know that we’ll have to bring that on Saturday. We respect Aston Villa.”
Reflecting on last season’s loss, she notes:
“I think teams found ways against us last season. In preparation for that game, you go through different scenarios. We expected them to do something and maybe they didn’t fully do that thing that we expected them to do. Still, it’s on us to find the solutions, but that’s what we always need to keep in the back of our heads. We need to be versatile, flexible. We need to be able to change things because we can expect teams to change things against us.”
Slegers expects Villa to be aggressive and disciplined.
“They have certain strengths in the team. Again, they have a strong belief in how they play. If they will do what we expect them to do, they will be very aggressive against us. We will have to find the solutions.”
“It will be a tough task. It will ask a lot from us, from a presence perspective. Are we technically present? Are we psychologically present in the game? Because we expect to be under pressure and we expect to have to find solutions against Villa on Saturday.”
Team news
Leah Williamson remains unavailable as she continues her recovery from injury, however updates on her progress are expected soon, which could be a boost for Arsenal’s back line.
Slegers was also asked about Jenna Nighswonger. The defender has yet to make an appearance this season. Signed in January 2025, Nighswonger had a strong pre-season, leaving fans and pundits puzzled by her absence: against West Ham, Slegers opted for two goalkeepers in the squad rather than include her. This has drawn criticism – particularly from pundits. Slegers commented that against the Hammers, the decision was tactical:
“All players are performing really well and working really hard in training. Jenna is one of them. We felt like we wanted an extra goalkeeper in that game because of other reasons.”
Pressed further on decisions over team selections, Slegers asserted that she needs to make these decisions, but does not find the process easy.
“When the whole squad is fit, we have so many options. I will only be able to start 11 players and I will only be able to change a maximum of five players.
“That’s the rules within the game that I have to work with, even though it hurts me as well. That’s the rules of the game and at the end of the day it’s my job, so I’ll have to carry that. I’m not saying that I don’t find that hard, but that’s part of it.”
Difference makers
Katie Reid has impressed this season, stepping up confidently in the centre-back position alongside the experienced Steph Catley. Reid’s composure under pressure and ability to read play will be key against Villa’s aggressive attack.
Reid will likely be coming up against Villa forward Ebony Salmon, who has netted Villa’s sole goal so far this season and will be one to watch.
Slegers underlined the importance of flexibility in defence.
“We need to be versatile, flexible. We need to be able to change things because we can expect teams to change things against us.”
“They are aggressive, they are front-footed, they have a lot of physical qualities with speeds up top for example and they look very disciplined as a team.”
Arsenal face Aston Villa at 12pm UK time on Saturday. The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Go.
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