Arsenal left Liverpool with three important points, but the performance also showed why Renée Slegers still has plenty to sort out before a demanding run of fixtures.
Arsenal managed to take three points from their trip to Liverpool. It was a battling performance, with a back-to-the-wall final 15 minutes as they held on for a 2-1 win.
They climb to sixth in the League, six points behind London City Lionesses, their next league opponents on Sunday.
They are 12 points behind league leaders Manchester City and 10 behind second-placed Chelsea.
For the trip to Liverpool, Renée Slegers made three changes to her starting XI, with Kim Little, Emily Fox and Lisa Baum replacing Kyra Cooney-Cross, Ona Batlle, who was injured, and Geraldine Reuteler.
Taylor Hinds kept her place for a fourth consecutive game and it was slightly worrying to see her go off injured, particularly with Batlle, the other left-back, already absent.
The back four that finished the game looked very different from the one that started it.
Arsenal began with Fox, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley and Hinds, while they finished with Elisa de Almeida, Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Fox.
One of the positives of having such a deep squad this season is that, despite the number of injuries across the back line, Arsenal were still able to finish with a back four made up entirely of full internationals, while Smilla Holmberg was also on the pitch on the right wing.
As things stand, Arsenal have eight injured players, with a few potentially available for Thursday’s trip to Barcelona: Batlle, Hinds, Mariona Caldentey, Stina Blackstenius, Chloe Kelly, Selina Cerci, Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang.
In previous seasons, the squad would have been down to the bare bones with that many injuries. This time, having 27 players means Slegers still has options to rotate and use different combinations.
As we saw earlier in the season, strangely enough, having too many options appeared to be more of a hindrance than a help.
We also saw another goal conceded with the defence exposed, Williamson left one-on-one with Olsson, who was played onside by Catley.
If you watch Arsenal’s back four, Catley sometimes drifts behind the other three defenders rather than staying level with them. I have seen De Almeida do it as well, which suggests it may be a coaching instruction.
Arsenal "can't hold a defensive line"? well have you considered that our back 4 operates in a non-Euclidean geometry?? didn't think so.
— Sophie E. Hill (@sophieehill.bsky.social) 8 November 2026 at 14:20
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At the same time, playing a high line without the midfield blocking the through ball is a dangerous game.
At the other end, Alessia Russo is in excellent form. Six of Arsenal’s past seven goals have been scored by her.
That level of dependence is not ideal, but it does reflect the fact Arsenal’s game is currently geared towards Russo playing that No 9-and-a-half role.
Caitlin Foord is also in very good form and had a huge impact on the left side of the pitch. Fox has been equally strong going forward in recent matches, while the competition at right-back looks very healthy.
The overall fluidity and attacking structure, however, still feels like a work in progress.
Funnily enough, what we saw against Liverpool was almost the opposite of those home games against low blocks. There were too many transitional moments and much more direct football.
That meant less control than usual and more speed when attacking the opposition defence, but also greater pressure on Arsenal’s own back line.
Clearly, finding the right balance is not straightforward.
At least the Barcelona game will come with fairly simple parameters: much more defending than usual, far less possession and more counter-attacking.
It could be the same sort of all-action defensive performance we saw in Lisbon.
That will also mean a considerable amount of energy spent, while London City Lionesses have a full week to prepare for Sunday’s game.
Slegers now has to find the right balance between getting results against Barcelona and OL Lyonnes in the Champions League, while going all out in the league against London City Lionesses.
A win on Sunday would cut the gap to three points and make third place a genuine target.
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