Another Arsenal draw leaves Slegers facing serious questions
Renée Slegers is facing mounting pressure after Arsenal’s latest home frustration left their title ambitions effectively over and qualification for next season’s Champions League looking an increasingly uphill task.
A draw with London City Lionesses did little to change the direction of a disappointing domestic campaign. Frida Maanum’s early opener promised relief, but Izzy Goodwin equalised just 98 seconds later before Mary Earps denied Arsenal the victory they desperately needed with an impressive performance.
Still without a home league win this season, Arsenal remain six points behind third-placed London City. For a club seeking a first league title since 2019, the concern is no longer simply another missed championship opportunity, but whether they can secure a place among Europe’s elite.
Slegers delivered the Champions League trophy in her first season in charge, yet that achievement now sits in sharp contrast to Arsenal’s league struggles. An impressive midweek 1-1 draw at Barcelona offered encouragement, but another draw here underlined how little of that European assurance has translated into domestic results.
Arsenal’s summer overhaul has required patience as a reshaped squad beds in. London City, however, have integrated their own high-profile arrivals while establishing themselves as serious contenders for Champions League qualification. This was another demonstration that their ambitions extend well beyond merely holding their own against established rivals.
A crowd of 32,588, Arsenal’s biggest of the season, included tennis legend Andy Murray and a sold-out away allocation of around 900. Yet the home support became subdued after the equaliser, with the atmosphere reflecting the tension surrounding a team struggling to turn promising spells into wins.
There had been no shortage of quality in Arsenal’s tenth-minute breakthrough. Alessia Russo drove into the penalty area and, rather than forcing a shot, cut the ball back towards Maanum. The midfielder finished neatly into the bottom corner, providing the sort of decisive touch Arsenal have too often lacked.
The advantage disappeared almost immediately. London City moved forward straight from the restart, Goodwin escaping Leah Williamson before powering her finish high into the net. The speed and simplicity of the response exposed Arsenal’s vulnerability just when they appeared to have given themselves a platform.
With England manager Sarina Wiegman watching from the stands, Goodwin’s pace and emphatic finish offered a striking answer to Russo’s creative contribution at the other end. For Arsenal, the immediate concession meant their encouraging start counted for little against opponents who refused to be unsettled.
London City grew into the contest and enjoyed spells of control, although Arsenal threatened sufficiently to make Earps central to the outcome. A livelier second-half spell brought renewed pressure from the hosts, but their attempts to find a winner repeatedly met the former England goalkeeper’s resistance.
Her outstanding intervention came with five minutes remaining, tipping Maanum’s effort on to the crossbar to preserve London City’s point. Arsenal were left with another near miss rather than the breakthrough their season demanded.
