Slegers on her belief in Arsenal and ‘special’ Kim Little after Champions League win

Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers underlined her unwavering faith in her squad after a resounding 4-0 away victory over OH Leuven in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, a result that caps a dramatic turnaround from the club’s stuttering start to the campaign.

The north Londoners opened the season with only two wins from their first seven matches in all competitions and lost two of their first three Champions League group-stage fixtures, prompting questions about their ability to compete on multiple fronts. Yet a sequence of statement results—including league triumphs over Chelsea and Manchester City—has shifted momentum emphatically ahead of the knockout phase.

Speaking after the win in Belgium, Slegers said the collective buy-in across her squad has become the bedrock of the resurgence.

“I believe in this squad,” she stated. “I believe in the players and I think what we’re doing at the moment is that high buy-in, there’s a shared purpose that we have. We’re going after the same thing. Everyone has their individual purpose. You’re playing your role for the team and that’s really strong at the moment.”

The Dutch coach highlighted the clarity of Arsenal’s tactical approach, noting that personnel changes have not diluted the team’s identity.

“Even if we make changes, for me, if you look at tonight, I don’t think you notice it as much. Of course, you have different players with different qualities, but the structure and the foundation is always there. So we’re in a really good place from a technical perspective as well as a team.”

Central to the evening’s narrative was club captain Kim Little, who marked her 400th appearance for the Gunners with another commanding midfield display. Slegers praised the Scot’s influence both on and off the pitch.

“It’s a pleasure working with her,” she said. “Kim is special. She’s the type of leader that role models all the right behaviour and sets the standards, takes care of herself so well, prepares so well. Everything she does is 100% and she’s so humble, and that’s a big part of who we are right now.”

The manager linked Little’s humility to the team’s defensive diligence against Leuven, adding, “That humility you could see in our performance today and how we defended and how we stop transitions. Kim’s a big part of it because that’s a big part of her personality.”

With the return leg at Meadow Park looming and domestic fixtures intensifying, Slegers believes the unity forged during the recent testing period positions Arsenal for a sustained push on two fronts.