4 ways Arsenal have turned around slow start to 2024/25 WSL campaign | OneFootball

Arsenal are back to winning ways in the Women's Super League (WSL), suffering just one league defeat since Renee Slegers took control last October.

A turbulent start to the 2024/25 season saw former head coach Jonas Eidevall resign following a WSL defeat to Chelsea at Emirates Stadium. Since the loss to their London rivals, the Gunners have found a new lease on life thanks to replacement head coach Renee Slegers.

Progressing in the Women's Champions League and Adobe Women's FA Cup, Arsenal fans have plenty to look forward to as the season approaches the business end. The Gunners are scoring left, right and centre, recently flying past north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a 5-0 victory at home.

Having faced shell-shocking defeats to both Tottenham and West Ham United last season, Arsenal wouldn't dream of doing such a thing this time around. The Gunners have flown past teams outside of the top four, winning all seven encounters, scoring 25 goals and conceding none.

Fans are enjoying the football again, and it's not just because of a change in the dugout. Forwards are firing, the defence is rock-solid, and the noise around the stadiums is deafening.

90min takes a look at how Arsenal have turned around their 2024/25 season...

Building the team around Alessia Russo

Russo was back on the scoresheet this weekend in the WSL / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

Jonas Eidevall was certain of one thing and that was the fact that he wanted Alessia Russo at Arsenal. The club's bold bid for the English striker in January 2023 initially showcased their intent, making her free transfer to north London that summer an exciting acquisition for fans.

With all the hype that came with her arrival, her transition into the squad didn't match the expectations. Eidevall was unsure of how to deploy her skillset, often switching between Russo and Stina Blackstenius in the starting lineup from one week to another. Russo was forced to make her impact off the bench one minute, and was then thrust into the limelight for the next.

The striker certainly had her moments, slotting home a world class brace to beat Chelsea 4-1 at Emirates Stadium in the closing stages of 2023. Other than a few bright moments here and there, Arsenal fans were still waiting for the arrival of the striker that they were promised.

Enter, Renee Slegers. One thing the Arsenal head coach has made crystal clear is who her first choice number nine is. Russo will start every game, and in the moments that Blackstenius gets the call up into the lineup, it will never be at Russo's expense.

All of the best strikers in the world require two things, trust and consistency. Russo was unable to flourish in Eidevall's system because he was never sure of which striker suited his philosophy best. Consistent playing time and trust from Slegers has completed transformed Russo, and Arsenal are reaping the rewards.

The 26-year-old has recorded eight goals and two assists in the WSL this season, along with four goals in four Champions League matches. She is playing with confidence and freedom, linking up Arsenal's midfield and forward line with her keen hold-up play and visionary ball use.

Executed experiments in defence

Catley has become a centre back under Slegers / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Despite drawing extremely positive performances, Slegers hasn't really made any large tactical tweaks to this Arsenal team. The one adjustment that she did make almost immediately after taking post was the decision to permanently shift Steph Catley into the centre of defence.

The Australian has been at Arsenal since 2020, primarily seen as a left-back in north London. Catley had previously filled in at centre-back when Arsenal are low on numbers, but Slegers has made the move permanent, and it has worked.

The 31-year-old is left-footed, which as simple as it sounds has actually transformed Arsenal's distributional strength. Too many right-footed players was hindering the team's ability to break down an aggressive press, often misplacing passes coming out of the defensive third. Catley's strong passing ability opens up the Gunners left side, meaning the wide players are available for a faster exit when playing the ball forward.

On top of this, Catley's player profile compliments Leah Williamson's strengths and weaknesses at the heart of defence. The partnership have collected 12 clean sheets sincethe switch.

Young stars stepping up

Kyra Cooney-Cross has been in strong form lately / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

When midfield stalwarts Kim Little and Lia Walti were sidelined with injuries, panic set in at Arsenal. But with their ageing pivot partnership nearing its expiration, Slegers found a fresh spark in Australia international Kyra Cooney-Cross.

Having stepped in under Eidevall during Walti’s absence, Cooney-Cross had already proven her midfield capabilities. Under Slegers, her responsibilities have grown, and she has executed them nearly to perfection.

Picking up 11 starts in a row, Cooney-Cross's strong performances was recognised as Arsenal's January Player of the Month. The 23-year-old has been picking out teammates with pinpoint accuracy, providing assists in three of the last four matches.

Her distribution isn't the only thing helping Arsenal turnaround their form, but her dynamic press allows for the side to be aggressive out of possesion. Slegers tends to deploy Cooney-Cross on the side where she can smell blood in the water, allowing the Aussie the space to breakdown the opposition's build up. Cooney-Cross has room to improve in her defensive game, but her ability to cover ground has proved to be a real asset for Arsenal.

As former Arsenal target Keira Walsh starts afresh in the WSL with rivals Chelsea, Cooney-Cross is showing Gunners fans why they simply don't need her. The revamped midfield has injected new life, bringing fresh energy to a previously struggling Arsenal side.

Rebuilding a positive culture inside the dressing room

Renee Slegers celebrates with Beth Mead as Arsenal beat Man City / Visionhaus/GettyImages

The biggest thing that has been said about this new look Arsenal side is the energy in the dressing room. When the team fell to a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea back in October, the players dropped to their knees and solemly circled the pitch to thank the fans inside of Emirates Stadium. Fast forward to today, and it is a completely different picture.

Before she was the head coach, Slegers worked behind the scenes at Arsenal as a player development assistant. This meant that she worked one-on-one with the players in order to provide them individually catered feedback to help them know their role and enhance their development. This ability to connect with the players has transpired into Slegers's dressing room morale being sky-high, having a really positive impact on the side as a whole.

Leah Williamson previously told 90min that she is "enjoying coming into work every morning" and praised the environment that Slegers had created at the club. Players like Beth Mead and Alessia Russo had all echoed the sentiment, telling media that the turn in culture has been the catalyst for Arsenal's success.

An analysis of Arsenal’s culture shift raises the question: Were tactics ever Eidevall’s real challenge, or did the squad simply need a fresh perspective to spark a new era of success?