The Arsenal Women boss explains why Alessia Russo has hit top form lately

Just Arsenal News

·10 December 2024

The Arsenal Women boss explains why Alessia Russo has hit top form lately

Sunday was special for our Arsenal women; they beat Aston Villa 4-0. They now have picked up 5 wins in a row and remain 8 games unbeaten on the road. It was also special for Alessia Russo; she scored a brace. The England Lionesses star is now on a five-goal run in her last four WSL games.

We can now confidently trust that Alessia Russo is the right person to spearhead our attack.

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Finally, we can bask in the glory of her acquisition. How did Man United let her go without a transfer fee? What a pick up for the Gunners. Like Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw and Chelsea’s Ramirez, she’s fast, skilful, and strong. She’s going to be one of those powerful strikers who dominate the league.

Alessia Russo of Arsenal celebrates scoring her team’s fourth goal during the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

After Alessia Russo’s heroics against Villa, reporters asked interim manager Renee Slegers how the ex-Manchester United striker’s goalscoring form changed. She admitted it is all about teamwork and making extra efforts on the training pitch. The boss said: “I think we defend as a team; that’s what we’re good at, and I think we attack as a team, so, obviously, it’s our forwards most of the time getting on the end of attacks,

“But credit to the whole team and how we create at the moment. But, for example, in training, we’ve been working specifically with the forwards, so Kelly Smith is with us, and we spend a little bit more time with the forwards, working on their finishing specifically.

“So that’s in their roles, and that hopefully is a part of why we are so clinical and ruthless at the moment. I think Kelly puts in great detail so. But again, it’s all in the players, how much effort and investment that comes from them, and I think we’re in a good place at the moment, and we need to maintain that.”

Having scored that brace, Russo acknowledged, “I always say, I’m a forward, so I’ve got to try and create and score as much as I can. But we’re feeling good. We’re combining well as a front line and as a team in general, so yeah, we’re really enjoying playing together.”

Hopefully she sustains her form and fires this Arsenal team to glory, whether in the league or Champions League.

Last season she found her form after the winter break; this time around she’s found it earlier, which is scary, but not for us!

Michelle M

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