Arsenal Women late win exposes familiar attacking struggle

Arsenal Women late win exposes familiar attacking struggle Renée Slegers rotated heavily against HB Køge, yet familiar problems against a compact defensive block were again difficult to shift. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Arsenal defeated HB Køge 1-0 with an injury-time penalty from Mariona Caldentey to begin their Champions League campaign with three valuable points. Renée Slegers made eight changes to the side that could only draw with Manchester United . Rotation is necessary as Arsenal enter a demanding period, with five matches in 15 days that could prove important after a poor start to the league season. Arsenal drew 1-1 with Manchester United on 19 September before beating HB Køge 1-0 on 22 September. Next comes Chelsea away on 27 September, Paris FC away on 30 September and Manchester City away on 4 October. Arsenal did have an early goal by Chloe Kelly ruled out, and it was an excellent team move. There was sharp interplay between Kyra Cooney-Cross and Caitlin Foord , followed by a low cross to Kelly and a first-time finish. It was exactly the kind of attacking play Arsenal need to produce more often in the final third, quick, incisive and full of movement through the opposition defence. It was unfortunate that Stina Blackstenius was in an offside position and clearly interfering with the goalkeeper’s line of sight. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images The VAR check and the usual delay seemed to take some of the momentum out of Arsenal. They had been on a roll and the stoppage deflated them slightly. From there, it was back to trying to break down a well-organised defensive block. It is interesting how disciplined women’s teams can be in holding their shape. That provides an excellent challenge for attacking sides and it is up to them to find ways through. It is also interesting to compare how Arsenal and Chelsea try to solve the same problem. I have watched both twice recently against low blocks. Different philosophies, different personnel, different systems and shapes, but the same objective. So, the struggle remains. The resilience is there, as is the willingness to keep pushing until the end, with two injury-time goals in the past two matches. But something is still missing. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images A little more spontaneity in the final third would help. Slegers mentioned overthinking in her press conference. I also think long-range shooting is an underused weapon at the moment. Arsenal have several players capable of striking the ball powerfully from distance. Diagonal passes were used more against Køge than they had been previously, switching play to the opposite wing and finding players in space. I found it interesting that a lot of Arsenal’s play went through Smilla Holmberg or Kelly because many of the players naturally orientate their bodies towards the right side of the pitch. The disallowed goal came from the left, where the ball had not been going particularly often despite Foord and Taylor Hinds being there. The asymmetrical nature of the attacking structure was unusual, although I am sure the coaching staff had identified a weakness on Køge’s left side. What is clear is that Arsenal are not clicking yet as a team. One reason is the number of new players who arrived in the summer as the squad was rejuvenated. Relationships and partnerships take time to build. However much you want new players to integrate quickly, it takes more than a few pre-season matches for everything to fall into place. It also does not help, in one sense, that there is so much competition for places. That is a very good problem to have, but there is no settled best XI yet. Patterns of play, understanding of team-mates’ movement and knowledge of how each player prefers to receive or release the ball are still developing. That is something Thierry Henry has spoken about before, the importance of knowing your team-mates, what they like and what they do not. Gelling quickly in attack is not easy. It is much easier to organise a team defensively. There is still plenty of work to be done, and very little time in which to do it. Arsenal have to find a balance between rotating players to avoid overload, injury and dips in performance, while also keeping enough of a core together for partnerships to develop as quickly as possible. Arsenal have used 21 players so far this season, two goalkeepers and 19 outfield players. Two outfield players are yet to feature, Elisa de Almeida ( injured ) and Géraldine Reuteler . Both appear to be at the back of the rotation in their respective positions, centre-back and central midfield. Once Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang return, competition will become even fiercer. If everyone is fit, Arsenal could have 27 players available for a 20-player matchday squad. The depth is there. The resilience is there. The next task is making the attacking relationships click quickly enough for that depth to become a strength rather than simply another selection problem. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images