Arsenal Women turn their attention back to the Women’s Super League this weekend as they head to the South Coast to face Brighton, looking to maintain the strong momentum they’ve built in recent weeks. 

The Gunners have shown a clear improvement since the turn of the year, seeing off both Manchester City and Chelsea without conceding a single goal in the WSL. 

They’ve demonstrated both defensive solidity and attacking fluidity, and head coach Renée Slegers believes mentality has been central to that shift. 

She said: “I think the team have been really brave with the way they go about things and how they deal with moments in adversity. 

“They’ve been putting themselves out there, kept on believing and had the courage to change things and do things. 

“Sometimes in hard times, it’s easier to step back instead of stepping forward, and they’ve stepped forward. So I think the bravery in the team has been amazing from that perspective.” 

The bravery Slegers spoke of has been matched by greater cohesion across the pitch, with Arsenal appearing more settled tactically while still allowing players freedom within their roles. 

Slegers said: “I think we just have good foundations in our game. We know exactly what we want to achieve in different areas on the pitch, whether it’s in or out of possession. 

“There’s a lot of clarity in the way we play, and when the foundations are there, and we’re so comfortable with that, and players start to move, and that’s what we want.

“They need to move, they need to feel free in their decisions, and that’s what they feel right now, and why they’re performing so well. 

“So that’s really good to see, but within that fluidity, it’s nice that it looks like that, there’s still a lot of structure, so I think we have a good balance.” 

Brighton, meanwhile, present an unpredictable challenge. Despite a difficult recent run, they remain a technically capable side with tactical flexibility, something Slegers is wary of heading into the fixture. 

She said: “Yes, they’ve had a challenging run, but I think they’re a good team. Last year, away at Crawley, wasn’t a good performance from us, and we lost that game, so we know what they can do. 

“We know that we have to again, what we’ve done really well since January, but we have to be humble for the task, because it won’t be easy with the circumstances, the conditions, the way Brighton plays, certain threats that they have. 

“We’re going to have to work to nullify that, and then again, believe in the strengths we have, the strengths that we possess to overcome those challenges.” 

Defensive consistency has also been a key part of Arsenal’s recent progress, and with key players like Leah Williamson back fit, it will be as important as ever in the Gunners’ game plans. 

Slegers said: “I think that it’s good to have unpredictability in the way you press and defend, but there’s such a high level of commitment and humility in everything we do at the moment. 

“I think the humility in the team is on another level at the moment, and we’ve got lots of rewards for the way we’ve been playing and defending so many clean sheets lately in different competitions.”