Renee Slegers allowed herself a moment to pump her firsts on the touchline. Arsenal left it late but the job was complete. After near-dominance of the game against Juventus, substitute Lina Hurtig’s 89th-minute winner secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with two games to spare. It’s been quite the recovery for a side thrashed 5-2 by Bayern Munich on the opening night of the competition and who looked in disarray under Jonas Eidevall. “It’s surreal,” Slegers said, the interim manager who has turned the season around.
After leading a resurgent Arsenal around the Emirates at the end of this 1-0 win, Leah Williamson remained deep in conversation with Slegers, remonstrating with her hands to suggest her team could have played quicker against the Italian’s packed defence. Clearly, there is more work to do. But Slegers has now overseen all three group wins since taking interim charge, as part of an unbeaten seven-game block following Eidevall’s resignation a month ago. Arsenal will be in the Champions League come March. Slegers, who was part of Eidevall’s coaching staff, described it as the “perfect end” to the seven games she was given.
