Fresh off an international break during which our squad racked up goals, assists and wins, Renee Slegers looks to capitalize on this momentum in the next block of games.

Speaking at the press conference before Manchester United, our interim head coach spoke highly of our team’s work with the national teams.

“If you look at the whole team and what they did in the international block, we had a lot of players making assists, scoring goals and putting in great performances, so overall it was a very good international window for Arsenal.

“Going back to when I was a player, I always loved going to the national team because you love representing both your country and your club. A change of environment, new faces, new people can give positive results.” So I think it’s a very positive international window for our players.

Renee was also asked about Leah Williamson, whose goal was her first for England against South Africa since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2023.

“It was a fair shot for him! I spoke to him this morning. There were a lot of emotions after that goal too, so I’m very happy for him.”

“It was 13 weeks of pre-season in block one, so it was a very long time together. I think for everyone, including me, it’s always nice to change the pace, the environment, get new knowledge and meet new people. It’s always inspiring and new things.” You’re learning, so I think it’s good for everyone.

“We need to be in the moment, everyone needs to own what we do together. The togetherness of everyone, all the staff and players, can influence our successes. These are the three main things we talk about. We try to bring as much energy and togetherness as we can, whether on the field, off the field, in meetings or in the cafeteria, and celebrate the small successes and build momentum from that.” We’re trying to win.”

Our opponents thought this transition period was the perfect opportunity to attack, but Renee was quick to dismiss that notion.

“I can imagine how you can look from the outside. We know what’s going on inside and we’ve seen a lot of positive things. The two matches in the international window and the individual performances during the international block were very strong.

“Today’s training was one of our best so we’re pretty positive about what’s ahead but we know it’s going to need a lot of hard work and ownership.”