Arsenal Women boss backed by hierarchy ahead of Man City test

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Renée Slegers travels to Manchester City this afternoon knowing the Arsenal hierarchy remains firmly behind her, even after a run of one win in five matches in all competitions.

Arsenal Women sit seven points adrift of the WSL leaders having taken just five points from their opening four league games. City, by contrast, have won all four and lead the table with a perfect 12 points.

Kick-off at 4.30pm carries unusual weight for early October. Defeat would stretch the gap to ten points after only five matches, while a win would reshape the look of the table entirely.

Slegers feels the backing from above

According to The Guardian, Slegers has felt the full support of the club's leadership throughout the difficult spell, describing those above her as "really good and positive".

The Dutch coach also pointed to the response inside her own dressing room, praising the "monumental leadership" being shown by her players during the run.

That internal unity will be tested at a ground where Arsenal cannot afford another slow start. Wednesday's Champions League meeting with Paris FC saw the Gunners surrender a two-goal lead to draw 2-2, and last weekend brought a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.

The goals have dried up

The headline concern is at the top end of the pitch. Arsenal have scored just twice in their opening four WSL matches, a return that explains how a side of this quality has collected only five points from a possible 12.

Those attacking problems were already visible in the draw with Manchester United earlier in the campaign, and they have not been resolved since. The Chelsea defeat added another blank to the record.

City offer no respite. Perfect in the league so far and defending champions, they arrive into this fixture as the form side in the division and with the chance to put serious distance between themselves and one of their closest expected rivals before the season reaches its midpoint.

A chance to change the mood

For Slegers, the context makes the afternoon about more than simply ending a poor sequence of results. The backing she has received from the hierarchy buys time, but a performance at the Joie Stadium would do considerably more to settle the noise around her side.

Arsenal have shown in recent seasons that they can produce their best football against the biggest opponents, and the squad Slegers has at her disposal is capable of a result here. The question is whether the finishing that has deserted them in the opening weeks returns against the division's strongest defence.

Kick-off is at 4.30pm, with Arsenal knowing that the next 90 minutes will go a long way to defining how the rest of their WSL campaign is framed.