Renée Slegers (Arsenal) backs the club after rough run ahead of City test

Renée Slegers, Arsenal’s head coach, says she’s felt the full support of the club’s board despite the recent slump: one win in five matches, and the Gunners sit seven points behind WSL leaders Manchester City ahead of Sunday’s pivotal trip.

The pressure has built after Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead to draw at Paris FC in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday. In the WSL, they have managed just two goals in four league games, slipping further behind the defending champions.

Backing from the top

Slegers spoke on Friday and stressed how connected the club leadership has been during a difficult spell. Asked whether the board has backed her, she told The Guardian: “Yes, that’s what I felt.” She added that Clare Wheatley, Rich Garlick, James King and Jodie Taylor have been “really good and positive” for her in “this moment”.

She also praised her senior players after Wednesday, pointing to the captains’ influence and calling it “monumental leadership”. “They’re very calm, composed, solution-orientated and laser-focused,” she said.

The biggest challenge now

Slegers began her remarks with an apology to the media after her no-show following the Paris FC game, when Arsenal conceded a bizarre penalty after Leah Williamson was penalised for handling the ball while she believed she was taking a goal-kick.