By Cameron Sheath

After an international break that came a fortnight too late as far as Renee Slegers will have been concerned, Arsenal Women host Birmingham City Women at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday. After a frankly shocking start to the season, Arsenal find themselves 10th in the WSL, with one win from five games and a minus-two goal difference.

On the bright side, the team’s two most difficult fixtures are in the rearview mirror, with Arsenal having lost away at Chelsea and Manchester City by a combined five goals to two. Also, the Gunners’ slow start comes despite having a higher XG than their opponents in every game so far, suggesting that not too much is wrong beyond their obvious lack of cutting edge in front of goal.

Team News

The most notable news to come out of the international break is that Mariona Caldentey will miss around two months with a hamstring injury. The injury occurred at the end of the first half of Arsenal’s loss at Man City, and prevented the midfielder linking up with the Spain squad.

German international Selina Cerci will also be out for the foreseeable future after undergoing a clean-up procedure on a knee injury that had hampered her since the summer.

In more positive news, Slegers had encouraging words regarding Olivia Smith this week, suggesting that the Canadian winger has been playing through some discomfort, but that she is now ready to kick on.

Pre-Game Focus

Caldentey’s absence poses an interesting puzzle for Slegers. On one hand, the obvious solution would be to use it as an opportunity to get summer signing Geraldine Reuteler more involved, with Georgia Stanway potentially pushing further forward. Stanway has been in fine goalscoring form for England recently, and Slegers will gratefully accept more goals from wherever she can get them at the moment.

Alternatively, Birmingham’s high press may lend itself to playing Stina Blacktenius up front. I’m not a fan of the constant mid-game dropping of Alessia Russo into the No. 10 role, but starting a run of games with both strikers on the pitch is at least worth some thought.

I’d like to see Lisa Baum start on the right, particularly if Slegers opts for another midfielder to replace Caldentey. Russo is a phenomenal runner and a very gifted player, but the team can’t rely on her to be both a workhorse and a Bunny Shaw-esque goal scorer. Allowing Baum, Smith, and Chloe Kelly to move inside onto their stronger foot would surely help them chip in with more goals from out wide.

Speaking of wingers: I made a point in my Monday blog that Caitlin Foord has long since been a reliable provider of goals for Arsenal. The Aussie found the net for her country during the international break, and Arsenal have already waved goodbye to several of the old guard this calendar year, but Foord’s time at Arsenal is clearly coming to an end.

Having opened the season as they have, Arsenal may as well rip the plaster off sooner rather than later, which brings me to Birmingham City’s key threat Saturday lunchtime.

The home side should dominate this game, but if they allow it to get nervy, there are two players who could help the visitors to an unlikely point or three. Oceane Hurtre, Birmingham’s young French winger, is a gifted technician with a wicked left foot. The former PSG winger is responsible for five of Birmingham’s seven WSL goals this season, with some outstanding finishes among them.

Hurtre is also the leader of Birmingham’s press, and has caused havoc for opposing right backs and goalkeepers, including in the team’s away opener against Man City. The 22-year-old is likely to be playing in a new kit next season (potentially even in February), and I’d be very happy for that kit to have a cannon on the chest.

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s invigorated forwards face a stern test in Birmingham goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley. The 29-year-old stands just shy of 5’6″, and has struggled with balls threatening her crossbar this season, but has displayed brilliant reflexes that could frustrate Russo and Co.

All in all, though, the bigger picture is that Arsenal click into gear, and it’s important they do that as soon as possible. With a WSL title already out of sight, the Gunners could also find themselves out of the Champions League conversation for next season if they don’t hit the ground running in the next few games. With a North London Derby on the cards next weekend, a statement win has rarely been needed more.

That’s it for this one, but I’ll be back with a review later in the weekend. Paul will be covering the men’s team’s trip to Nottingham Forest, and there’ll be another Monday Musings article to start next week. For more content on the women ahead of today’s game, we published a piece yesterday by Richard Turner on the team’s goal-scoring woes to start the season. To keep up with all out content, you can subscribe, for free, at the top of the page.