Arsenal Women 3-0 Benfica: Russo Hat-Trick, Reuteler Impresses and Signs of Progress

What a difference a few days make: after weeks of frustration, difficult performances, and uncomfortable questions about Renée Slegers, we've now beaten Tottenham in the North London Derby and followed it up with a convincing 3-0 Champions League win over Benfica in the Champions League.

I really enjoyed Wednesday night because this wasn't simply Arsenal finding a way to win a game. We looked like a team that deserved to win 3-0; we played with confidence, were much more secure defensively, and showed real determination.

And of course, Alessia Russo made the evening even more memorable by scoring a hat-trick and becoming the highest-scoring English player in Women's Champions League history, overtaking Fran Kirby's record. Twenty-three goals in the competition now, an amazing achievement, made even more special by the fact that Alessia wore the captain's armband. We'll give her performance the attention it deserves a little later, because there was plenty to admire, although I guess she might have had something to say about my suggestion in the preview that we should give her the night off!

But I have to tell you, Trailblazers, before a ball had even been kicked, I was already feeling pretty pleased with myself, because when that Arsenal teamsheet appeared, I started wondering if Renée Slegers had secretly subscribed to Trailblazers and was listening to my suggestions! Géraldine Reuteler finally getting her first start, Élisa de Almeida coming into the defence, Taylor Hinds keeping her place at left-back, and Kim Little back in the squad after being unwell. It was close to the team I'd called for in my preview, though Renée clearly wasn't convinced by my suggestion to start Anneke Borbe in goal, and thankfully she ignored my advice to rest Alessia Russo too.

And if that wasn't satisfying enough, I also predicted a 3-0 victory, which, unless my memory's playing tricks on me, is the first time I've actually got the score right this season! So I've decided either my football knowledge is finally paying off, or Renée really is one of our subscribers, possibly under a pseudonym. If you’re listening, Renée, you're very welcome, and I've got a few more suggestions for you before Sunday!

But joking aside, what pleased me most about Wednesday was finally seeing some of the changes we've been discussing for weeks, and they made a difference. I've been quite critical of Renée recently, especially her team selections, her use of substitutes, and the opportunities being (or not being) given to some of the players we've recruited, and I stand by those concerns. But I've always said I want Renée to succeed, and if I'm going to question her decisions when I disagree, it's only fair that I give her credit when she gets things right. And against Benfica, there was a lot that she got right.

Now, we can’t get carried away and think two victories mean all our problems have disappeared, because we still have work to do, especially with the bigger European games coming up. But at the same time, I’m not spending any time looking for things to complain about when we've just watched Arsenal deliver their most convincing performance of the season so far.

We had 31 shots, 15 on target, and restricted Benfica to just five attempts, and while there are things we can improve, particularly when it comes to looking after the ball, there was so much to enjoy that we should be pleased with what we saw.

So, plenty to get into today, starting with the team selection and how Arsenal approached the game, because the difference between the formation we saw before kick-off and the positions the players actually took when the game started was quite interesting.

We'll look at why I thought our defence was so much more secure, what Géraldine Reuteler brought to the team on her first start and, of course, Alessia Russo's brilliant performance. I've also been listening carefully to Renée's post-match comments, and there were a few things she said about the players and how she's trying to develop this squad that I want to explore.

We'll finish by looking at what this result tells us about where Arsenal are heading, because we've got Aston Villa coming up on Sunday and an opportunity to build on what we've achieved over the last few days. I'm not going to turn this into a Villa preview because we'll do that separately before the weekend, but I do want to look at if we're beginning to see something we've been missing for most of this season, which is a little bit of consistency.

Right, let's get into it, because I want to start with what happened when I saw that teamsheet, and why my initial excitement turned into a little bit of confusion once the referee blew the whistle.

The Team Selection: The Right Players, But Were They In The Right Positions?

I was delighted when I saw the starting eleven, and when Disney Plus put the formation graphic on screen, I was even happier because it showed Alessia Russo playing as our number 9, Géraldine Reuteler in the number 10 position, and Olivia Smith on the right.

Great, I thought, that's exactly the attacking combination I've wanted to see, and with the changes Renée made in defence as well, I was really looking forward to seeing how it would all work. But then the referee blew the whistle, and I had to pinch myself and check what I was watching, because what we'd been shown on the screen wasn't quite what Renée had in mind.

Géraldine was operating on the right, Olivia was leading the attack, and Alessia was playing behind her in the Number Ten! And I have to admit, I was a little bit frustrated, because although I was delighted with the personnel, I was worried we weren’t going to get the best out of them in those positions.

Now, before anyone starts shouting at their phone that we won 3-0 and Alessia scored a hat-trick, I know that, and I'm not suggesting the system didn't work! But I do believe there's a difference between finding a system that produces a good result and finding the system that gets the absolute best out of the players available to you. We've got some really talented attacking footballers in this squad, all with slightly different qualities, and I want to see us developing combinations that make life as difficult as possible for the opposition. We'll come back to Géraldine and Alessia individually, because there's loads to discuss about both of them, but let's look at how the team performed as a whole first.

I thought Arsenal were excellent, especially in the second half, because while we started reasonably well and created opportunities throughout the opening forty-five minutes, our movement, confidence, and decision-making improved noticeably as the game progressed. What struck me most was how much more secure we looked, and I don't just mean defensively, although that was a big part of it. We seemed more comfortable with one another, more willing to compete for possession and much less likely to panic when something didn't go according to plan. Against Tottenham, I felt we were fortunate to come away with all three points, whereas against Benfica there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Arsenal deserved the victory, and deserved it by a comfortable margin.

And I want to talk about Ona Batlle, because I thought she was absolutely fantastic, and for me this was comfortably her best performance of the season. I've been critical of Ona recently, not because I don't rate her, quite the opposite, but because we've seen her struggle in positions where she hasn't looked comfortable, making mistakes you simply don't associate with a player of her quality. Well, on Wednesday night, playing at right-back, we finally saw the Ona Batlle I remember, and I thought she was outstanding. Her positioning was so much better; she was strong in the tackle, confident in possession, and constantly looking for opportunities to contribute going forward, and she carried a real assurance in everything she did that I don't think we've seen from her in quite some time.

And that's why I've been so insistent about playing people in their natural positions, because there's a world of difference between a footballer being capable of filling in somewhere and a footballer being allowed to play where they're most effective. Ona's an exceptional player, but that doesn't mean we should expect her to produce her best football anywhere, and Wednesday was a great example of what happens when you give someone a role that suits their strengths. She looked confident, comfortable, and, perhaps most importantly, like she was enjoying herself again.

On the other side, Taylor Hinds continued to impress me, and I don't want to repeat everything we said after the Tottenham game, but the difference she's making to our defence's balance is becoming impossible to ignore. We look much more secure with her at left-back; she gives us a natural left-footed option going forward, and I thought she worked very well with Steph Catley, who once again looked comfortable in central defence. And then there was Élisa de Almeida, making her first Arsenal start alongside Steph, and I thought she settled in beautifully. She looked composed; she was strong when she needed to be, and nothing about her performance suggested she was struggling with the occasion, which is especially encouraging given this was a Champions League game and she hasn't had many opportunities to establish herself in the team.

Now, we have to acknowledge that Benfica didn't offer much going forward, and I'm certainly not suggesting our defence faced ninety minutes of relentless pressure, but that doesn't diminish the improvement we saw. In previous games, we've looked vulnerable even when opponents haven't created much, particularly when we've lost possession and been caught with players out of position, whereas on Wednesday I thought we were much better organised and much more effective at recovering the ball. A real understanding was developing across that back four, and I found that enormously encouraging because it's been one of my biggest concerns about Arsenal this season.

Going forward, the improvement was equally noticeable, and although Benfica's goalkeeper Lena Pauels made some excellent saves, the important thing for me was that we kept creating opportunities rather than allowing those missed chances to affect our confidence. We moved the ball with greater purpose, were much more willing to commit players forward, and showed determination to keep asking questions of the Benfica defence, which is something I've wanted to see for weeks. The second half was especially enjoyable because the combinations were starting to work, players found one another more easily, and we looked capable of creating something almost every time we went forward.

There are still things I'd like us to improve, particularly in how we look after the ball, because we had a few moments when we surrendered possession unnecessarily and gave Benfica opportunities to move forward when we should have been controlling the game. Against Barcelona or Lyon, those mistakes could be much more expensive, so we need to keep working on them, but I'm not going to spend an entire episode analysing every misplaced pass when we've just produced such a convincing performance. We looked stronger, more organised and much more confident, and after the difficult few weeks we've had, I think that's something worth celebrating.

But there was one player I found myself watching particularly closely throughout the evening, and that was Géraldine Reuteler, because after waiting so long to see her given a proper opportunity, I wanted to understand exactly what she was bringing to the team, not just when she had the ball at her feet but what she was doing when Arsenal had possession elsewhere on the pitch. I saw a player who was constantly thinking, moving, and making herself available, often in spaces that weren't immediately obvious, and I left feeling we'd only scratched the surface of what she could contribute to this Arsenal attack.

So let's talk about Géraldine, because I thought there was a lot to be encouraged by.

Géraldine Reuteler: Finally, A Chance To Show Us What She Can Do!

I can't tell you how pleased I am that we're finally able to discuss Géraldine Reuteler after watching her play a proper game for Arsenal, because after everything I've said over the last few weeks about her lack of opportunities, I was desperate to see what she could do when given a meaningful amount of time on the pitch.

I wasn't disappointed. I thought she was excellent, especially since this was her first start and she was playing alongside teammates with whom she'd had little opportunity to develop a competitive understanding.

Now, I don't want anyone thinking I'm going to tell you she was absolutely perfect, because she wasn't. She made a couple of misplaced passes, and there were a few moments where she might have made a different decision, but I thought she took the first ten or fifteen minutes to find her feet, which is hardly surprising given how little football she's played for Arsenal.

But as she settled into the game, we began to see more and more of the qualities that made me so excited about her signing in the first place, and I found aspects of her performance particularly impressive.

I spent much of the evening watching Géraldine even when she wasn't near the ball, because I've always been fascinated by players who seem to know where they need to be before anyone else has figured it out, and she does that exceptionally well. She constantly moved into small pockets of space, making herself available for a pass and finding positions where she could receive possession even when Benfica had several players around her.

What struck me was how often she was available without her teammates finding her; I saw numerous occasions when she occupied a really promising position, waiting for the ball to arrive, only for Arsenal to take a different option.

I don't say that as a criticism of the other players, because they haven't had the chance to develop those relationships with her yet, but it's worth watching as she gets more minutes. When you've got someone who reads the game as intelligently as Géraldine does, you've got to learn to recognise the spaces she's moving into and trust her to do something useful when you give her the ball.

The more I watched her, the more convinced I became that if Arsenal can start finding her regularly in those positions, we'll create a lot more opportunities.

Because one of the things I absolutely love about her game is what happens when she receives possession under pressure. Some players need a little time to get the ball under control, look up, and decide what to do next, whereas Géraldine often seems to have made that decision before the pass even reaches her. Her first touch is generally excellent, her close control is lovely, and she has a wonderful ability to use one movement to take an opponent out of the game and open up a passing opportunity that wasn't there a moment earlier.

Watching her do that reminded me of some of the qualities we see in Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey, because they can receive the ball in horribly congested areas and somehow make everything look straightforward. I'm not suggesting Géraldine is exactly the same sort of footballer, because she offers different qualities and is particularly effective with her movement beyond defenders, but she has a similar intelligence in how she approaches those situations. She doesn't seem intimidated by having two or three opponents around her, and I love players who can operate in those tight spaces because they can make the difference when an opposition defence sits deep and refuses to give you any room.

And something else that really impressed me was her pace, because I think she's deceptively quick. There was a moment when Arsenal played the ball forward, and Géraldine accelerated past the Benfica defence, and I remember thinking the defender had completely underestimated how quickly she could cover ground. She has this lovely ability to change pace and suddenly find herself beyond an opponent, and that's another dimension to her game that I think we could use much more.

She nearly got herself a goal too, forcing an excellent save from Lena Pauels, and I would have loved it to go in because, after waiting so long for her first proper opportunity, it would have been a wonderful moment. But I don't want us judging her contribution by whether she scored or registered an assist, because there was so much more to her performance than that, especially how she helped us keep attacks moving and the intelligence she showed when moving into space.

I also thought her defensive contribution was excellent, which perhaps doesn't get mentioned enough when people discuss attacking midfielders. She worked hard to recover possession, tracking back when Benfica moved forward and showing a willingness to contribute when Arsenal didn't have the ball. She's not a player who simply waits around for someone to give her an opportunity to attack, and I think that work rate will be enormously important as she develops her place in this team.

Now, there's one thing I want to come back to: although I was delighted with her performance, I still believe Géraldine has considerably more to offer, partly because of the position Renée asked her to play. We've already discussed why I would prefer to see her operating centrally, so I'm not going to go through the whole argument again, but I kept watching her movements and thinking about how effective she could be if we were able to get her on the ball more frequently in those dangerous areas between the opposition's midfield and defence.

With Georgia Stanway making those powerful runs forward and our attackers looking to exploit the spaces ahead, I think there's potential for some really exciting football.

But that won't happen overnight, and I've been saying that for a while. These players need time together; they need to learn each other's movements, and they need to build the confidence to make passes into spaces where they know a teammate will arrive. You can't manufacture that understanding on the training ground alone, and while training is obviously enormously important, nothing quite builds those relationships like competitive football. That's why I've been so frustrated by Géraldine's lack of opportunities: every game she spends on the bench is another game where those partnerships don't develop.

And I really hope Wednesday changes that, because I think she's done more than enough to justify another start. I'm not suggesting she's suddenly entitled to play every minute of every game, and I certainly don't want Renée selecting her simply because supporters have been asking questions, but we finally have something tangible to judge her on, and what I saw was a very intelligent, technically accomplished footballer who looked increasingly comfortable as the evening progressed and who offered Arsenal qualities we've been missing.

For me, that's exactly the sort of performance you want from someone getting her first opportunity, and the sensible thing now is to allow her to build on it. I'd love to see her start against Aston Villa, ideally in that number 10 position, because I think she's capable of becoming a really important part of this Arsenal team if she's given the chance to establish herself.

And one of the players I'd particularly like to see her developing that understanding with is Alessia Russo, because while Géraldine's first start was one of the most encouraging things about Wednesday evening, Alessia was the player who absolutely stole the show, and I think we need to give her performance the recognition it deserves.

Alessia Russo: Three Goals and The Number 9 Question

Well, I suppose I ought to start this section with an apology to Alessia Russo, because after I suggested in my Benfica preview that Renée should give her the evening off and start Stina Blackstenius, Alessia responded by scoring a hat-trick!

And not just any hat-trick, because she became the highest-scoring English player in Women's Champions League history, overtaking Fran Kirby's record with 23 goals.

What an extraordinary achievement, and to do it while wearing the captain's armband made it even more special. I've been saying for weeks how important Alessia is to this Arsenal team, but I don't think I even expected her to make such a convincing argument against being rested!

What I loved about her goals was the variety of finishes, because they demonstrated why she's such a complete attacking player. That first goal, taking the ball from Caitlin Foord and guiding it beautifully across the goalkeeper, was a lovely piece of centre-forward play; then we had the header from Steph Catley's corner and finally the penalty to complete her hat-trick.

Three very different situations, three excellent finishes, and a player who looked increasingly confident as the evening progressed. And I think that confidence is particularly important given our struggles in front of goal this season, because when you've got someone who can finish chances in so many different ways, you want to make absolutely sure you're giving her as many opportunities as possible to do precisely that.

That brings me to something Renée said after the game: she described Alessia as more of a number nine and a half than strictly a number 9 or a number 10, and I completely understand what she's getting at. Alessia has so much more to her game than simply standing between two centre-backs, waiting for the ball to arrive.

She's intelligent, her link-up play is excellent, she's comfortable dropping deeper to receive possession, and she's perfectly capable of creating opportunities for other players.

But I keep coming back to whether asking her to do all those things from a deeper position is necessarily the best way to use her, because recognising that a player can operate in several roles is different from deciding which role gives your team the greatest advantage.

And I think Olivia Smith's performance is relevant to that discussion, because while she's an enormously talented footballer, I'm still not persuaded that playing her as our central striker gets the best out of her. Olivia's pace, directness, and willingness to take defenders on are wonderful qualities, but I'd much rather see her use them from a wider position, where she can attack defenders with the ball at her feet and create opportunities for whoever's playing through the middle.

There was a delivery from Géraldine in the first half that I thought illustrated the problem quite nicely, because it was a really good ball into the penalty area and Olivia didn't attack it, which was frustrating when you consider the quality of delivery we can produce from players like Géraldine, Georgia Stanway and Taylor Hinds. If we're going to become a more difficult team to defend against, we need to offer different threats, whether that's playing through the middle, getting around the outside or delivering balls into the box, and for that final option to work effectively, we need someone who's prepared to attack those crosses.

Now, before anyone points out that we won 3-0 and Alessia scored all three goals playing in this system, I'm well aware of that, thank you very much! I'm delighted it worked, and Renée deserves credit for getting that performance out of the team.

But I still believe that with Alessia leading the line, Géraldine operating centrally behind her and Olivia providing that direct threat from a wider position, we could become an even more effective attacking side. This isn't a criticism of what happened against Benfica; it's simply about where we might find another level of performance, particularly when we start facing stronger opposition that won't give us quite so many opportunities.

And that brings me to Stina Blackstenius, because although she only had a few minutes towards the end, I still found myself frustrated by the offside situations in those closing stages. I don't want to make an enormous issue of a late cameo in a game we'd already won comfortably, but I'd like to see Stina's timing and positioning improve, because she's another player with qualities that could be enormously valuable when we're trying to stretch defences. We need all our attacking options available and contributing if we're going to compete successfully on several fronts this season.

But let's finish on Alessia, because this was her night, and I don't want a discussion about positions to overshadow what she achieved. Twenty-three Champions League goals, a new record for an English player and a hat-trick that helped Arsenal produce our most convincing victory for some time. She deserves every bit of recognition coming her way, and if she wants to keep proving my team selections wrong by scoring three goals every time I suggest resting her, that's absolutely fine by me!

What interests me now is whether Renée can build on what we've seen over the last two games, because against Benfica we finally had opportunities to use more of the squad, give players meaningful minutes, and start developing different combinations.

I also thought there were some interesting decisions from the bench worth discussing.

Rénee's Substitutions: Better Timing, But A Few Questions Remain

One thing I've been critical of Renée Slegers for this season is her use of substitutes, particularly how often we've seen players introduced so late they've barely had a chance to influence the game. And I have to say, I thought she managed things considerably better against Benfica, because at 2-0 up, with Aston Villa coming up on Sunday, she recognised that this was an opportunity to make changes without disrupting the performance we'd worked so hard to produce.

The first three substitutions came in the 71st minute: Kim Little replaced Kyra Cooney-Cross, Leah Williamson came on for Élisa de Almeida, and Emily Fox replaced Taylor Hinds. And there were some sensible decisions, particularly bringing Kim back for the final twenty minutes or so rather than asking her to start after being unwell. It was great to see her back on the pitch, and I thought this was exactly the sort of situation where you want to reintroduce someone who's been unavailable, because we had a comfortable lead, we were controlling the game, and she could get some competitive minutes without being asked to carry the midfield for ninety minutes.

I was pleased to give Élisa a rest as well, because she'd done everything asked of her on her first start, and there was no need to push her through the entire game when we've got Leah Williamson available. It's also important that Élisa gets more opportunities now, rather than finding herself back on the bench indefinitely, because I thought she demonstrated that she can be trusted at this level. With the number of games we've got coming up, another dependable option in central defence could prove very valuable.

Emily Fox came on for Taylor Hinds, who had another good performance, and Emily showed just why I, and many others, regard her as being one of the best full-backs in world football. Yes she's a brilliant Right Back, but she can do Left Back really well.

Then we had Lisa Baum replacing Géraldine Reuteler in the 79th minute, and I was perfectly happy with that. Géraldine had given us almost eighty minutes on her first start; she'd worked hard throughout, and I thought she'd more than justified her selection, so there was no reason to leave her out there simply to prove a point.

What matters now is what happens next, because I'd much rather see Géraldine play seventy or eighty minutes regularly than play ninety minutes against Benfica and then spend another month watching from the substitutes' bench. And Lisa came on with a bit of energy, which was exactly what we needed at that stage, with the result effectively settled.

The final change was Stina Blackstenius replacing Olivia Smith in the 86th minute, and that's probably the one where I'd have liked Renée to act a little earlier. Not because Olivia was having a terrible evening, but because I thought we could give Stina a proper twenty minutes or so, especially with the amount of attacking possession we were enjoying. She needs confidence and opportunities as much as anyone else, and four or five minutes at the end of a game doesn't give her much to work with.

At 3-0, with Benfica tiring and Arsenal creating chances, it might have been the ideal opportunity for her to score and take something positive into the weekend.

But overall, I thought Renée got considerably more right than wrong, and I'm pleased about that. We used all five substitutions, brought back an important player in Kim Little, and gave some of our regular starters a chance to rest ahead of Sunday. Those are encouraging signs, particularly after some of the decisions we've questioned in previous games.

And there's something else I want to acknowledge here, because I've spent a fair bit of time recently questioning whether Renée trusts the depth of her squad, and against Benfica she gave us some evidence that she's prepared to do things differently. Géraldine and Élisa both started, Kim returned from the bench, and we saw a team that looked perfectly comfortable with those changes. Now, I'm not suggesting one Champions League victory answers every concern I've raised about her management, but it's a positive development, and I want to recognise it.

What interests me now is whether these decisions represent a genuine shift in Renée's thinking or whether we'll see her return to the same familiar selections against Aston Villa. We've finally got a little momentum, we've seen some players show what they can contribute, and we've got an opportunity to build on that rather than start the whole process again.

That brings me to Renée's comments after the game, because she had some interesting things to say about the attacking structure, Géraldine's role, and what she felt Arsenal did differently against Benfica. I agreed with some of it, but I'd like to examine one or two things a little more closely.

Rénee's Post-Game Comments: Are We Finally Seeing Her Plan Come Together?

I've been looking through Renée Slegers' comments after the Benfica game, and I found several things interesting, especially because she was asked some specific questions about her team selection and how Arsenal have been playing. And I have to say, I found her explanations more encouraging than some of what we've heard over the last few weeks, although I'm still not entirely convinced about a couple of things.

The first concerned Géraldine Reuteler and why she'd been selected on the right rather than centrally, which I'd been questioning from the moment the game started. Renée explained that she wanted Olivia Smith threatening Benfica's defensive line, with Géraldine operating in that right-sided pocket of space where she's comfortable receiving the ball and combining with the players around her. She also pointed out that Géraldine has played in similar positions for Switzerland and Frankfurt, and that her developing partnership with Ona Batlle had been particularly encouraging.

And that's a perfectly reasonable explanation. In fact, having watched the game, I understand exactly what Renée was trying to achieve, because Géraldine and Ona linked up beautifully at times and created some really promising attacking situations. It also explains why Renée was so keen to keep Ona on the right when Taylor Hinds came off, bringing Emily Fox on at left-back rather than disrupting a partnership that was beginning to work. I found that insight interesting, and it suggests she's paying close attention to how these combinations are developing.

But the part of Renée's press conference that interested me most was what she said about having so many different options within the squad, because she acknowledged that bringing in eight new players had made some of her early decisions more complicated. She could try different combinations and ways of setting the team up, and, according to Renée, several approaches could potentially work. She also explained that Arsenal had reached a point where the players understood their roles more clearly, so she could make changes without losing the team's underlying structure.

I found that quite revealing, because it helps explain why we've seen Renée favour a relatively settled group of players, even when results haven't been particularly encouraging. She's clearly been trying to establish consistency, and I understand the thinking behind that, especially with so many new faces and everyone still learning to play together.

But I would question whether we needed to spend quite so long getting to this point, because there's always going to be an element of uncertainty when you introduce new players. You can't eliminate that uncertainty by leaving them on the bench. At some stage, you have to put them on the pitch, accept that things won't always work perfectly, and let those relationships develop through competitive football. And last night gave us a good example of what can happen when you do that.

What I particularly liked was Renée's acknowledgement that the first half wasn't quite as fluid as the second, because that's exactly how I saw it. She talked about players occasionally getting caught in possession in their own half as the new partnerships settled, and then how much better things became after the break. That's an important point, because we sometimes expect new combinations to work immediately, whereas in reality there's going to be a period of adjustment. The encouraging thing was that Arsenal improved as the game progressed, rather than becoming increasingly frustrated when things weren't quite coming together.

Renée also spoke about the emotional effect of beating Tottenham, and I thought this was one of her more revealing observations. She acknowledged how difficult the recent performances and results had been for the players, and described the sense of relief after Saturday's victory as though a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Watching Arsenal against Benfica, I could see exactly what she meant, because the team had a freedom and confidence we haven't seen nearly enough of this season. Players looked happier; they expressed themselves, and they showed a willingness to take responsibility that I found really encouraging.

And that brings me to something I've been wrestling with over the last few weeks, because I've been increasingly critical of Renée's management, and I still believe some of those criticisms have been justified. But to judge her fairly, we also have to recognise that she's now delivered two victories and, more importantly, two performances that suggest some of her decisions are starting to pay off. Against Tottenham we saw improvements in the team's organisation, and against Benfica we saw much greater attacking confidence and some promising new partnerships.

I don't want to get carried away and claim that every problem is solved, because we know how quickly things can change in football. But equally, I don't want to spend every episode questioning Renée's judgement when she's giving us evidence that she's learning and adapting. That's what I've wanted to see from her all along.

And I was pleased she didn't treat the Benfica victory as some enormous achievement that meant we could suddenly forget the difficult start to our season. She spoke about the importance of backing up the Tottenham result, and immediately turned her attention to doing the same thing against Aston Villa.

That's exactly the attitude I want to hear.

Because the next challenge isn't finding another tactical adjustment or trying another formation. It's about showing that the improvements we've seen are becoming part of how Arsenal play, no matter who we face.

And with Aston Villa coming to Meadow Park on Sunday, we've got an opportunity to find out.

Final Thoughts: Encouraged, Relieved, and Cautiously Optimistic

Well, I don't know about you, but I feel considerably better about Arsenal than I did this time last week, and it's nice to say that without having to qualify absolutely everything! We've beaten Tottenham, followed it up with a convincing 3-0 win over Benfica, and for the first time in several weeks, I'm starting to see signs that this team might be finding its feet again.

And I think what pleases me most is that we've seen improvements in different areas across those two games. Against Tottenham, we saw some encouraging changes to the defensive structure, while against Benfica we looked more confident, more adventurous, and much more capable of creating opportunities. The players looked to be enjoying themselves last night, and after watching them struggle through some very difficult performances recently, it was lovely to see.

I also have to acknowledge Renée Slegers, because I've been pretty vocal about my concerns about her management, and I haven't changed my mind about some of the decisions she's made this season. But she deserves credit for what happened against Benfica. She selected players who'd been waiting for opportunities; we saw some excellent individual performances, and the team earned a well-deserved result. That's exactly the sort of response I've wanted to see.

Personally, seeing Géraldine Reuteler finally get her opportunity was particularly satisfying. I don't want to spend another ten minutes discussing her because we've covered her performance properly, but I sincerely hope this is the beginning of something rather than a one-off appearance. She gave us plenty of reasons to be excited about what she can contribute, and I'm looking forward to seeing how her relationships with the other players develop.

But I also want to be careful not to get carried away, because two victories don't suddenly erase everything that's happened earlier in the season. We're still playing catch-up in the WSL, we've got some enormous European games ahead of us, and we still need to improve some aspects of our football. What I can say is that I've seen enough over the last few days to feel more optimistic than I have in quite some time, and I desperately hope we're moving in the right direction now.

As for Aston Villa on Sunday, we'll have a proper preview on Friday or Saturday, once we've had the latest team news and a chance to see how everyone's recovered from Wednesday.

But it'll be interesting to see whether Renée builds on what worked against Benfica, particularly with some of those players who've finally demonstrated what they can offer.