The sport plan was ready, the video evaluation had been lower and the techniques board was set out, able to go. The substitutes, together with the 2 gamers who would, had acquired their roles for the week earlier than the remaining: they’d fake to play like Barcelona, to deploy their form in coaching and replicate their attacking actions, rotations and overloads in opposition to ’s beginning line-up.
Arsenal felt prepared as they arrived on the Jose Alvalade Stadium. On the day of the membership’s largest recreation in a technology, in opposition to one of the best group on the earth, there was a way of calm. They have been relaxed and knew the work had been carried out.
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However having a plan is one factor, executing it’s one other. In Lisbon, Arsenal pulled off each to absolute perfection as Renee Slegers and her teaching employees masterminded the 1-0 victory over Barcelona, shutting out a facet that had scored 112 targets in 30 league video games this season.
Slegers celebrates with Arsenal left-back Katie McCabe in Lisbon (Arsenal FC by way of Getty Photographs)
“We had the sport of our lives,” stated , who was immense alongside Steph Catley within the coronary heart of defence. “We wished to defend for our lives,” stated Caitlin Foord, the flying winger who at one stage celebrated a blocked cross as if scoring a aim. “Nothing was getting via us.”
Slegers had visualed all the pieces but when there was one factor she had underestimated it was how dedicated to the sport plan her gamers may very well be. “You may have all these concepts in your head however when the second is there, it’s a must to play an opponent who has been so good for thus lengthy and also you execute it, and that claims a lot in regards to the gamers,” Slegers stated. “The gamers should make selections each single step of the best way. The best way we managed the sport, it was unbelievable and above all expectation. We have been spot on.”
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It was a triumph for Slegers, the right finish to a season that started as assistant coach to Jonas Eidevall. The 36-year-old was initially hesitant about placing her title ahead to succeed Eidevall completely, and needed to be satisfied to take action after making a powerful begin to her interim spell. There have been different candidates for Arsenal to think about, with extra expertise, however Slegers saved displaying causes to belief her till she was the apparent selection.
Slegers’ success this season was in lifting Arsenal up following their poor begin to the marketing campaign and creating an setting the place her gamers might be at liberty on the pitch. However the run within the Champions League was harder, requiring extra resilience, as Arsenal got here from behind within the group phases after which within the quarter-final and semi-final comebacks in opposition to Actual Madrid and Lyon.
Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius and Beth Mead, who didn’t begin, had pretended to be Barcelona in coaching this week (Getty Photographs)
The ultimate introduced a special degree of dedication and the necessity for fixed focus. After finding out Barcelona, Arsenal discovered a means the place they might be taught their patterns. “The gamers that knew they weren’t beginning earlier within the week have been Barcelona all through coaching,” stated , who got here on to arrange Stina Blackstenius’ winner. “We made it tremendous exhausting.”
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Between them, Arsenal’s analysts and substitutes developed a mannequin of Barcelona that the beginning group had to determine. “We spoke lots about their limitations and the way greatest to take care of them,” Kim Little stated. “We tried some various things through the week that didn’t work properly and tried to play in opposition to that with our gamers. And we modified it to a means that we felt like we might settle for numerous their runs and motion, but in addition permit them to play largely in entrance of us.”
It was a irritating day for Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (Getty Photographs)
It left no surprises through the remaining, Arsenal have been capable of learn Barcelona all through. “I feel the sport deliberate out precisely how we anticipated it to,” Foord stated. “They wished to overload us within the midfield and that is why me and Chloe [Kelly] needed to work so exhausting to get down and to assist the midfield out and maintain them to at least one facet.” Little agreed. “It was the right execution of a recreation plan, which as a footballer is without doubt one of the greatest issues.”
There can be, in fact, numerous struggling. “You may see it in direction of the tip, we’re defending for our lives,” stated Catley. “However we stated we must do this to get this win. We have been all up for it.”
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“That they had numerous possession, however once more, I feel how we endure and the way we take care of totally different phases within the recreation,” Slegers stated. “The gamers then come on for us and make a distinction.”
And ultimately it was Barcelona who felt the ache. “Completely devastated, I do not imagine it,” stated Aitana Bonmati. “I simply need to begin the sport once more and do it in another way.”
