Frida Maanum believes that Arsenal have a “new energy and a positive environment” as they seek a third win from three games under their interim head coach, Renée Slegers, against an unbeaten Manchester United on Sunday.
The midfielder said the recent international break came as a timely relief for the squad after a challenging October in which Jonas Eidevall resigned. Slegers will remain in interim charge for all five of Arsenal’s November fixtures, having already overseen a 4-1 Champions League victory over the Norwegian club Vålerenga and a 2-0 Women’s Super League win at West Ham.
“I think [the break] came at the right time for us,” Maanum said. “It was an intense few weeks going into that international break and getting into a different environment is something that’s really positive sometimes. This time it was a good time for us as a group, us as individuals, and we’re getting back with a new energy and it’s a positive environment to come back to.”
It is understood that Arsenal were keen to provide clarity to Slegers and the players for November’s matches, while allowing for a comprehensive recruitment process to be conducted for a long-term head coach.
Slegers said: “We’ve seen a lot of positive things, the two games before the international window, individual performances during the international block, very strong training. We are very positive about what is ahead of us.”
Marc Skinner’s United can go top of the WSL table – even if only for a couple of hours – if they beat Arsenal, a team that Skinner expects will provide a perfect yardstick to assess his own side’s progression. Arsenal were 3-1 winners the last time these teams met in February.
A victory for United would mark the first time they have won their opening three home games in a WSL season, after they defeated both West Ham and Tottenham 3-0. United are third in the table with 10 points from four games, while Arsenal are fifth with eight from five.
Skinner praised Slegers’s spell as interim head coach so far, saying of the 35-year-old Dutchwoman: “Renée has done a fantastic job. She knows that squad inside out. They’re in good hands until they find the manager they want, they’re in fantastic hands with the coaching staff they’ve got.
“Hopefully it’s a good game. We’re looking to test ourselves, see where we’re at. They’re playing well, they’ve got some fantastic players, so it’s a challenge we’ve got to rise to. It’ll be a good measuring stick for where we’re at.
“We’ve started the season fantastically well but we’re going to face a team that could either be wounded and really want to show that, or a team that we could hopefully try and take advantage of, but they’re going to be very difficult to play against.”
Skinner’s side have conceded only one goal in the WSL this season, which is by far the best defensive record in the division. The match will be Skinner’s 100th game in charge of United.
“I feel there’s been a lot of growth in that time,” he said. “I’m really proud to represent Manchester United. I want to be successful here for another 100 games and to do that we’ve got to win games, so although it’s a fantastic milestone for me personally, I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been.”
