Where it's all gone wrong for Arsenal Women: A callow coach, terrible finishing, letting tenacious duo leave, predictable substitutions and the Alessia Russo and Steph Catley dilemmas

· DailyMail

On October 4, 2025, Renee Slegers' Arsenal fell to a defeat to Manchester City after a frustrating start to their season. A year later, to the day, the Gunners once again fell to City. Same old story.

On October 4, 2025, Renee Slegers' Arsenal team fell to a 3-2 defeat to eventual champions Manchester City after a frustrating start to their season.

After the game, the Dutch coach told the media: 'We're very disappointed. I think it is two top teams going against each other, so you have to be prepared that momentum will shift. When we have momentum, capitalise, be ruthless and protect yourself really well for when the momentum shifts again.'

Exactly a year later, to the day, Arsenal once again fell to a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City following another painful start to the season. Slegers said: 'We all said it afterwards: we have to be better in the critical moments in the game. And we were there, we had it, and then we didn't have it.'

Same story. Same message. For the Arsenal fans looking to stop the tape on this freaky feedback loop, it seems that a thorough audit is on the agenda for this international break, but the burning question remains: will it solve anything?

Arsenal have continued to look average. Mediocre. Underwhelming. Though even that feels flattering because they can't claim to be mid-table.

Sitting 10th, defeat at Manchester City last weekend has left the 2025 Champions League winners a mere three points off the drop zone. With London City Lionesses putting six past Tottenham at the weekend, it looks as though Michele Kang's big-money spenders may just be in for a three-way title scrap with Chelsea and City.

As for Arsenal, Slegers admitted at the weekend that they're not 'in the conversation' for the title 'at the moment'.

This was a generous way of putting it, one that is most likely intended to ensure the players do not down tools in October rather than reflecting any real belief that a title push could still be salvaged.

It's also one that lacks any precedent, given that no team has ever won the WSL with as few as five points after their opening five games. In fact, only one team has ever won it with fewer than 10: Liverpool in 2014 with six.

You'd think that after signing world-class calibre in the summer, with Georgia Stanway and Ona Batlle trading the continent for north London alongside exciting youngster Lisa Baum and one of Switzerland's brightest midfield talents, Geraldine Reuteler, many of those problems posed last season would have been solved.

Instead, the same story is unfolding again. Despite creating opportunities, Arsenal are continuing to underperform in front of goal, with their shot conversion rate of 4.3 per cent the lowest in the top flight. Reuteler, meanwhile, has only played eight minutes.

Statistics say one thing, the vibe from the stands says another, and the tension emanating from the crowd over their team's passive, ponderous play is no doubt being felt by those on the pitch.

Against Chelsea, boos directed towards their former lieutenant Katie McCabe diminished in gusto as the game trudged towards defeat. Replacing them were frustrated whistles and groans when yet another chance fell by the wayside.

How Arsenal could have done with someone like McCabe, or even Beth Mead, against City at the weekend, or in their painful 0-0 draw against Manchester United. Experienced players willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Both were let go in the summer amid the club's aims of bringing the average age of the squad down.

Whether Slegers feels the right players were kept and moved on will, for now, remain unanswered by the diplomatic and uncontroversial head coach, yet losing McCabe looks like a big mistake.

McCabe was a demanding voice in the dressing room, and it is baffling that, a year after their head coach was complaining about a lack of ruthlessness, the club opted to let one of the most hardened, edgy players in the WSL sign for their biggest rivals for free.

There have been rare positives, including Kyra Cooney-Cross' increased game time and Stanway's commanding return to England. Youngster Baum has also looked promising.

Yet for the most part, and in the areas they arguably need it most, many of the players have looked devoid of confidence. Amid a rare goalscoring drought for Alessia Russo at the start of the season before her first goal against City, only the 19-year-olds Baum and Smilla Holmberg have found the back of the net.

Where historically that load has been more evenly shared among the squad, including from the likes of Chloe Kelly and Caitlin Foord, Russo's struggles in front of goal were inevitably more keenly felt.

Meanwhile, Slegers' predictability with her substitutions has clearly made it easier for opponents to snuff out danger. Like clockwork, Kelly and Foord are brought on at the hour mark. In some instances, as was the case against Manchester United with Baum, the best player on the pitch was taken off.

At other times, it has seemed as though Slegers has been trying too hard to get her best players on the pitch, yet the square pegs have only been finding round holes. She has consistently dropped Russo into the No 10 role, only to move her back to No 9 when Stina Blackstenius is substituted.

Steph Catley, a natural left-back, continues to be played as a centre-back. A natural right-back, Batlle has looked less potent on the left.

At 37, Slegers remains fairly green, with the Arsenal job her first in the WSL. As an Arsenal academy graduate, there is no doubt that the Dutch coach cares deeply about both the job and her players.

Her withdrawal from speaking to the media after her side conceded a late equaliser to Paris FC in the Champions League because she was 'too angry' last week spoke to both.

There's no doubt that the fairytale of Lisbon, which ended Arsenal's 18-year wait for European glory, still gives her a good deal of credit in the bank, and all the signs appear to indicate that Slegers deserves, and will be given, more time to arrest this slide.

Yet she will be aware more than anyone how thin the ice is becoming. The success of this audit could make or break both her and Arsenal's season. If this campaign is to be rescued, this feedback loop must, at last, be broken.

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