Any talk of the Women’s Champions League final has been quickly silenced at Arsenal – Renee Slegers’ side are still on a title mission.
Chelsea can become Women’s Super League champions on Wednesday when they play against Manchester United, should they better Arsenal’s result at Aston Villa.
The two title rivals had contrasting semi-finals in Europe as Chelsea crashed out with an 8-2 defeat to Barcelona, while Arsenal shocked Lyon with a 5-3 aggregate win. Could those results swing the momentum in the run-in?
“The only thing that we can do is win all the games we still have,” Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar told Sky Sports ahead of facing her former club. “Of course, you have an eye on them and you keep looking at what they’re doing, but we just need to focus on ourselves. That’s the only thing we influence.
“It’s just up to us to win every game, to make it as hard as possible.”
Arsenal goalkeepers Manuela Zinsberger, left, and Van Domselaar
After winning 4-1 on Sunday night at Lyon with one of the greatest performances from an English side in Europe, focus soon switched to facing Villa.
“It’s been unreal that we managed to win that game and how we won it as well,” said Van Domselaar.
“But straight after, we knew that we had a game on Wednesday. We switched quickly.
“We still want to go and push forward for the league and keep the pressure on.”
Arsenal blew Lyon away on their own turf with a statement victory against one of Europe’s top sides. Just how did they produce such an astonishing result?
“We were really composed. We had a clear plan. We knew what we wanted to do,” added Van Domselaar.
“That [result] was not something you would expect in the first place. But I think if you saw the game, it was something that was just going to happen eventually.
“We have such a great streak going on, especially in the WSL. If you take that game from Sunday, that probably gives us even more confidence that we are such a good team and that we can do that.”
Chloe Kelly and coach Renee Slegers hug each other at the end of Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League semi-final against Lyon
When Jonas Eidevall resigned in October, Arsenal’s season was at risk, but Slegers has done more than just steady the ship.
Her calming influence and popularity within the squad has helped take them to the next level. Van Domselaar is full of praise for her boss.
“A lot of changes and things happened this year but at the same time, when we had Renee stepping up, that gave us a lot of clarity,” she said.
“And actually, from that moment, she gave us the confidence from day one. So, I feel like not a lot of changes actually. It was quite clear. Everyone was on the same page.
“Renee’s really composed, really calm, and gives a lot of clarity. She’s a really good person to work with, quite one of us, if you would say it like that. But all the staff members are like that. She’s really a manager. She can manage people, can manage players.
“But she has really good staff members around her that help her and that help us as well. Overall, it’s just the right fit for everyone. I would say from my experience, I’m really happy with how Renee does it and she gives that confidence to people, which is really nice.”
While the likes of Alessia Russo and Kim Little have driven Arsenal on under Slegers, Van Domselaar has more than played her part too.
Since joining from Aston Villa last season, the Dutch goalkeeper has kept 10 clean sheets in the WSL, the second-highest in the division.
“My season so far has been really good. It’s really nice to play alongside all these good players,” said Van Domselaar, who has made 32 appearances for Netherlands. “The coaches and Rene have given me a lot of confidence from the beginning of the season, from being injured, stepping up and playing my first game against Leicester and working my way up to the starting XI.
“I get that confidence from everyone. Our goalkeeping union is such a close little group and I feel like we push each other and we also support each other really well. It’s the best environment to play in and I guess that’s been shown on the pitch.
Van Domselaar takes a catch while playing for Netherlands
“I feel really confident and we both feel really good. I’m just happy to be back out on the pitch on Sunday and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead of us.
“It was a big step for me, especially when I came to the club, I was still injured. I had to work myself into the team and get to know the team, get to know the playing style without really playing any friendly games before the season started.
“So, that just shows how close this club is, how supportive they are to just slowly build me into the team and give me the confidence that I can actually do it on the pitch with them. It’s a big difference, but it’s been the best choice for me, best decision so far.”
As the title race intensifies, Arsenal remain focused on their goals. Chelsea may be the clear favourites, but Arsenal’s confidence after their impressive win in Lyon proves they are still very much in the fight.
Watch Aston Villa vs Arsenal from 5.30pm live on Sky Sports on Wednesday, kick-off 6pm, followed by Man Utd vs Chelsea at 8.15pm
