Tactical maturity at Arsenal may prove decisive | OneFootball

Arsenal close the gap at the top, but it’s the shifting roles in midfield and a quiet tactical reshuffle that could define their season.

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Arsenal defeated Leicester City 5–1 to reduce what was once a 10-point gap to just three points behind Chelsea. The league leaders, however, still have a game in hand and remain unlikely to collapse in their final four fixtures.

They are unbeaten in the Women’s Super League this season, though they did lose away to Manchester City in the Champions League. A draw or two is certainly within the realm of possibility.

For Arsenal, it was another mature, composed display, reminiscent of their performances at home against Liverpool, away at Crystal Palace, and at home in the Champions League against Real Madrid.

The team’s ability to seize control of a match and retain it for long stretches is a marked contrast to earlier performances this season under Jonas Eidevall.

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The side now appears structurally sound and tactically stable, even with rotation. Against Leicester, Arsenal lined up with: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Caldentey; Mead, Maanum, Foord; Blackstenius. Yet when players like Russo, Kelly, or Wälti start, the team’s balance and quality remain unaffected.

Chloe Kelly’s arrival has quietly reshaped Arsenal’s attacking configuration, and, unexpectedly, their midfield. Coupled with Victoria Pelova’s return from an ACL injury, Renee Slegers now has far greater scope to rotate and deploy diverse player profiles.

The wide positions are regularly rotated between Kelly, Foord, and Mead, with Russo occasionally operating from the flank when paired with Blackstenius. Caldentey, now less frequently used out wide, has transitioned into the double pivot. She was previously trialled as a number 10, as was Russo, who remains a viable option in that role.

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Since returning from injury, Pelova has been frequently deployed as a substitute in the number 10 role by Slegers, a shift from the deeper position she occupied under Eidevall in the double pivot.

That deeper role now appears to belong to Caldentey, as confirmed following the away match against Real Madrid. She is typically paired with either Little or Wälti, pushing Kyra Cooney-Cross down the pecking order and onto the bench.

Slegers offered a clear rationale for her decision to favour Caldentey over Cooney-Cross: “It’s just a learning thing, we’ve been using Mariona in midfield as well, so we have five midfielders at the moment available. So it’s been high competition. We try to use everybody to their strengths in moments and games we think we need and she’s been working hard in training.”

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There have been moments in possession when Cooney-Cross has surrendered the ball, triggering counter-attacks that placed the team under pressure. Misunderstandings in positioning with her midfield partner also created imbalances during transitions. In response, Slegers opted to bench her in favour of the more experienced Little or Wälti, with Caldentey excelling in the central role.

Looking ahead to Lyon, whose pacey front line, Chawinga, Dumornay, and Diani, poses a significant threat, Arsenal must strike the right balance to avoid being exposed defensively while still generating chances in what promises to be a highly transitional and open encounter.