The late equaliser from Aston Villa on Saturday in the 1-1 draw has left Arsenal with a mountain to climb after only four games in the league.
Arsenal now sit fifth in the table, trailing Chelsea by four points. It means the Gunners will have to beat Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium and hope the Blues drop points during the season. They will drop points, but it must be remembered that Sonia Bompastor is unbeaten in the league since her arrival and is now on a 26-game run.
The big question is why Arsenal’s attack has struggled in the last two matches. Does it mean that their attacking schemes have been found out? There is no doubt that WSL teams work hard on analysing the opposition and setting up solid defensive structures.
Arsenal seemed very lethargic in the second half, which does not make sense. At the moment the team plays one game a week and had a full pre-season, so the players should not be tired or lacking energy. The sharpness was clearly missing in front of goal. This is surprising because Renée Slegers is also making good use of her attacking substitutions.
She has been very consistent, with eight players starting all four matches (Van Domselaar, Fox, Reid, Catley, McCabe, Little, Caldentey and Russo). Seven players have rotated across the four attacking positions, with Hinds coming on in every game for McCabe. Fatigue in the final third should therefore not be an issue. What we are seeing instead is a lack of creativity and accuracy in the final ball. Some have also pointed out that the team is missing Williamson’s progressive passing.
It has to be said, though, that Katie Reid, deputising in her absence, is delivering outstanding performances at just 19 years old, providing security in her passing as well as strength and pace in defence.
Arsenal now enter a run of four games in 12 days, alternating between the league and Champions League. The fixtures are Manchester City away, Lyon at home, Brighton at home and Benfica away. With the intensity increasing, Arsenal will need to raise their level collectively and individually.
Outfield players who have barely featured, or not played at all, will surely get minutes: Wubben-Moy, Codina, Nighswonger and Cooney-Cross. It is important to note that Champions League squads allow 23 players compared to 20 in the league, which means Nighswonger and Borbé will be included against Lyon and Benfica, along with academy player Harwood.
The big question now is whether Renée Slegers should make changes in her double pivot to allow more creativity. The defence as a unit has performed well, which is why there has been no alteration there.
In central midfield, the Cooney-Cross option is available. She brings a different profile, more attacking and risk-taking than Little or Caldentey, which would alter the balance. Jenna Nighswonger would add a left-footed central midfield option and open up new passing lanes. Another alternative would be to use Codina or Wubben-Moy as a defensive midfielder, a role either could endorse with their more defensive profile.
In attack, Slegers has eight players at her disposal with different attributes, allowing her to adjust combinations depending on the opposition and game plan. The team remains unbeaten, but improvements need to come quickly if Arsenal are to be in the best possible shape when they face Chelsea at the Emirates on 8 November in what could be a season-defining match.