Soccer

Arsenal had some extra fire after last season’s derby defeat – Renee Slegers

The Gunners eased to a 3-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Interim head coach Renee Slegers maintained her impressive run
Interim head coach Renee Slegers maintained her impressive run (Aaron Chown/PA)
By Reuben Rosso-Powell, PA

Renee Slegers said Arsenal “had some extra fire” to beat local rivals Tottenham following last season’s 1-0 defeat in the north London derby.

The Gunners opened the scoring through Alessio Russo after just 63 seconds – the Gunners’ second fastest goal in the Women’s Super League.

That set the tone for a one-sided clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Frida Maanum doubling the tally after 22 minutes.

Alessia Russo (left) celebrates scoring the opening goal
Alessia Russo (left) celebrates scoring the opening goal (Aaron Chown/PA)

Stina Blackstenius made it three to seal victory in the 66th minute, with Spurs’ only noteworthy chance coming from skipper Bethany England, who stung the palms of goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer with a long-range effort.

When asked if Arsenal’s players were motivated by last season’s loss, Slegers said: “It was for them, the players have been talking about it, we want to stay in the moment, the players had some extra fire.

“Alessia scoring early helped us big time, we’re very happy with the start of the game.

“It’s very positive and it means a lot for staff and fans. People are smiling and I’m happy with what’s happening at the moment.”

Mariona Caldentey registered two assists, including a first-time pass which set up Arsenal’s third.

The Spanish midfielder, who joined from Barcelona in the summer, also slipped through Russo for the opener.

Mariona Caldentey (left) was praised by her manager
Mariona Caldentey (left) was praised by her manager (Aaron Chown/PA)

“She’s fantastic in training and games, she’s super intelligent,” Slegers added. “She works really hard. She’s a great player and I think the pass was fantastic.”

Another defeat for Tottenham leaves them with just one win from their last seven WSL matches.

Manager Robert Vilahamn accepted his tactics had played a part in the defeat and that Spurs need to find a way to compete with the league’s best.

“When you receive an early goal it can affect you mentally,” he said.

“We didn’t deal with it well enough. In the first half we used a five but they scored and we didn’t get close to them.

“It was a mixture of tactics and Arsenal being good.

“The players showed bravery and we tried to press. We still have it in us, we need to find ways to play against the top three because right now we can’t.”