Arsenal Dragon
Arsenal Women Player Ratings vs. Real Madrid: Russo’s Brace Rescues Gunners From Champions League Crisis
Arsenal Women fought back from a goal down to beat Real Madrid 2-1 at Meadow Park on Wednesday evening, ending their three-match winless run and keeping their Champions League title defense alive.
Alessia Russo scored twice with powerful headers as the holders secured their first victory since November 2, moving them closer to knockout qualification.
The Standout Performers:
Alessia Russo – 9/10 Delivered when Arsenal desperately needed heroics, scoring both goals with dominant headers that showcased her aerial prowess. Her first arrived in the 52nd minute, attacking Chloe Kelly’s cross with conviction to level Caroline Weir’s opener.
Her second came 14 minutes later from Beth Mead’s corner, powering home at the near post. Nearly completed her hat-trick late on but fired narrowly wide after combining with Frida Maanum. The 26-year-old’s movement throughout troubled Real Madrid’s defense, constantly finding pockets of space between their lines.
Chloe Kelly – 8/10 Created Russo’s equalizer with a teasing cross from the right flank that the striker attacked perfectly. Her energy and directness down the wing caused constant problems for Real Madrid’s backline, stretching their defensive shape and creating space for teammates. Won several duels and delivered dangerous service throughout her time on the pitch.
Beth Mead – 7.5/10 Came off the bench and immediately impacted proceedings, delivering the corner that Russo converted for Arsenal’s winner. Her quality from set pieces has become invaluable for Arsenal this season, providing ammunition for their aerial threats. Demonstrated why Renee Slegers trusted her despite injury concerns from the Tottenham derby.
Lotte Wubben-Moy – 7/10 Made crucial interventions throughout, including a vital block on Caroline Weir’s shot in the first half that prevented Real Madrid extending their lead.
Her positioning and awareness kept Arsenal in the match during periods when Real Madrid threatened to take control. Won her aerial duels consistently and distributed accurately when building from defense.
Other Notable Performances:
Daphne van Domselaar – 6.5/10 Couldn’t prevent Weir’s stunning volley before halftime—a strike that gave even the best goalkeepers no chance. Made an important save to deny Weir again after the interval, showing sharp reflexes to preserve Arsenal’s chances of comeback. Commanded her area confidently when dealing with crosses.
Emily Fox – 6.5/10 Defended sturdily against Athenea del Castillo’s pace and trickery down Real Madrid’s left flank. The USWNT defender stood up well to one of La Liga’s most dangerous wingers, using her positioning intelligently to limit crossing opportunities. Contributed when Arsenal built attacks from the right.
Steph Catley – 6/10 Solid if unspectacular at centre-back, making several well-timed interventions to thwart Real Madrid attacks. Occasionally careless on the ball under pressure but recovered to prevent dangerous situations developing. Her partnership with Wubben-Moy provided enough stability for Arsenal to mount their comeback.
Katie McCabe – 6/10 Worked tirelessly down the left flank without producing her best creative output. Defended solidly when Real Madrid attacked but her final ball lacked precision when Arsenal needed quality delivery. Standard captain’s performance without standout moments.
Frida Maanum – 6/10 Headed narrowly wide from close range early in the match when Arsenal should have taken the lead. Combined well with Russo late on, creating the chance that nearly brought a hat-trick. Her movement between lines troubled Real Madrid but lacked the cutting edge to produce assists or goals herself.
Kyra Cooney-Cross – 5.5/10 Had the first sight of goal when Real Madrid gave away possession dangerously, but her shot from the edge of the box was blocked. Worked hard in midfield without controlling proceedings as Arsenal needed. Struggled to impose rhythm during Real Madrid’s better periods.
Mariona Caldentey – 5.5/10 Busy without being brilliant in midfield, receiving possession frequently but unable to unlock Real Madrid’s organized defense with penetrative passes. Her technical quality showed in flashes but lacked consistency throughout the 90 minutes.
Caitlin Foord – 5.5/10 Contributed defensively and worked tirelessly but couldn’t produce the attacking spark Arsenal needed from wide positions. Real Madrid’s defensive structure limited her opportunities to exploit space in behind.
Stina Blackstenius – 5/10 Struggled to make an impact as Arsenal’s target woman, failing to hold up play effectively or threaten Real Madrid’s defense. Her physical presence should have been more useful given Russo’s aerial dominance, but the partnership never clicked. Substituted as Slegers sought different attacking options.
Substitutes:
Beth Mead – 7.5/10 (already rated above as standout performer after coming off bench)
Olivia Smith, Victoria Pelova – 6/10 Both entered late to help see out the victory, providing fresh legs as Arsenal protected their slender advantage. Insufficient time to make meaningful attacking contributions beyond game management.
Read More: Forget Gabriel Magalhaes, Arteta Should Start This €50 Million Monster Against Tottenham
Arsenal Women look to strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes when they host FC Twente at Meadow Park on Tuesday night.
The defending champions sit tenth in the league phase standings with six points from four matches and need victory to maintain realistic hopes of finishing in the automatic top-four qualification spots.
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT, Tuesday, December 10, 2025
Venue: Meadow Park (Mangata Developments Stadium)
TV: Disney+ (UK)
Form Guide
Arsenal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, with Stina Blackstenius netting an 87th-minute winner after Olivia Smith’s opener was cancelled out by Beata Olsson. The result extended their unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions and marked their fifth WSL win of the season.
In Champions League action, the Gunners beat Real Madrid 2-1 on November 20 after coming from behind through Alessia Russo’s second-half brace. However, they lost their opening two home European games at Meadow Park against Lyon (0-1) and claimed a 2-0 away victory at Benfica between those fixtures.
Twente remain winless in the Champions League with just two points from four matches, sitting 14th and two points outside the playoff places. They drew 1-1 with Chelsea and Benfica but suffered defeats to OH Leuven (1-2) and Atletico Madrid (0-4). Despite their European struggles, Twente top the Vrouwen Eredivisie unbeaten with seven wins and one draw from eight matches.
Team News
Arsenal will be without Daphne van Domselaar (quad), Chloe Kelly (knee), Manuela Zinsberger (ACL) and Katie Reid (ACL). Anneke Borbe made her Arsenal debut against Liverpool and will earn her first Champions League start for the club on Tuesday.
Leah Williamson is available for limited minutes as she continues her comeback from the knee injury sustained at Euro 2025. Kim Little requires careful management after recent calf problems, with Renée Slegers describing it as “a loading issue.”
Twente have former Arsenal midfielder Jill Roord in their squad after she surprisingly joined from Manchester City during the summer, citing a desire to rekindle her love for football by returning home.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Borbe; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe; Cooney-Cross, Little; Foord, Maanum, Blackstenius; Russo
Twente (4-3-3): Lemey; Stroot, Oudejans, Pijpers, Oude Elberink; Groenewegen, Andradóttir, Pelova; Proost, Van de Velde, Roord
Also read: News of Unrest Engulfs Arsenal Women Camp – Manager Renee Slegers Clarifies
Renee Slegers has strongly denied reports of splits and player power issues within the Arsenal Women camp, insisting the reigning Champions League winners remain united despite sitting eight points behind WSL leaders Manchester City.
The Athletic published a damaging report during the international break, alleging divisions in the Gunners’ dressing room and dissent over player influence.
Slegers addressed the claims head-on during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with bottom-placed Liverpool.
“There Will Be Noise” – Renee Slegers Hits Back at Dressing Room Unrest Reports as Arsenal Face Liverpool
“We won the Champions League, historically Arsenal has been the most successful team in England,” Slegers fired back. “There will be noise, there is noise. That’s all on the outside. We know what we’re doing on the inside.”
High-Performance Environment Creates Challenges
The Arsenal boss acknowledged the demands of elite football while defending her squad’s mentality. “It’s a high-performance environment so it’s a very challenging environment, we demand a lot of things from each other and it should be like that,” she explained.
“Every group of people will have things that they have to manage and get through. I am very positive about where we are at. We’re in a process, I believe in the process and we’re going in a really good direction.”
Slegers expressed frustration at the timing and nature of the report. “It’s unfortunate that is what’s written about us when we’re doing so many good things.”
Williamson Returns as Injury Crisis Continues
Arsenal will be without goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and England winger Chloe Kelly for Saturday’s noon kick-off, meaning summer signing Anneke Borbe will make her debut between the posts.
However, there’s positive news with the return of England captain Leah Williamson, who makes her first appearance this season after being sidelined with a knee injury since the European Championship. Midfielder Kim Little is also available again.
“Leah has a presence, which sometimes even without speaking it sets standards and creates a certain environment,” Slegers said. “It will be really, really good to have her back. It’s such a win for the team.”
Liverpool held Chelsea to a draw last month despite sitting bottom of the table, suggesting Saturday’s fixture at the Emirates Stadium won’t be straightforward for an Arsenal side desperately needing to close the gap on City.
Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
Arsenal Dragon
Renee Slegers Confirms The Position Arsenal Women Are Looking To Sign a Player From in January Transfer Window
Renee Slegers has confirmed Arsenal will sign a goalkeeper in January after revealing Daphne van Domselaar will miss the remainder of 2025 with a quad tendon issue, leaving the club relying on debutant Anneke Borbe and teenager Amy Liddiard.
The Arsenal boss made the admission during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Liverpool, where summer signing Borbe will make her full debut with 17-year-old Liddiard providing backup from the bench.
Van Domselaar requires an injection for her quad tendon problem and won’t return until the new year, compounding Arsenal’s goalkeeper crisis. Manuela Zinsberger is already out for the season after rupturing her ACL in October, one of 17 players across the WSL to suffer knee injuries during that month alone.
“We Need Three Goalkeepers Available”
Asked directly if Arsenal want to sign a goalkeeper in January, Slegers didn’t hesitate. “Yes, definitely, because Manu is out and Daphne has been managing issues, so we’re definitely looking,” she said.
“We’re definitely looking at that position because we think we need a really strong goalkeeper union with three goalkeepers available and we’re not in that situation at the moment so we’ll have to solve that for the second half of the season.”
Arsenal have also been linked with Swedish right-back Smilla Holmberg as they look to strengthen multiple positions during the winter window.
Chloe Kelly Adds to Injury Woes
The goalkeeper situation isn’t Arsenal’s only injury concern for Saturday’s noon kick-off. Chloe Kelly suffered a knee injury on England duty against Ghana on Tuesday and will miss the Liverpool match. Like van Domselaar, Kelly could be unavailable until the new year.
Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang (on loan at Brighton) have also suffered season-ending ACL injuries this campaign, highlighting the brutal injury toll Arsenal have endured.
Slegers Dismisses Dressing Room “Unrest” Reports
Slegers was also asked about The Athletic’s report claiming the dressing room has been “splintered for many years” with some players “wielding significant influence” and underlying tension between squad members.
The Arsenal boss firmly rejected the narrative. “We won the Champions League, historically we are the most successful club in England, there is noise on the outside, there will always be noise, but on the inside we know what we are doing,” she responded.
“I didn’t agree with it and I think it is unfortunate that this is what is written about us while we are doing so many good things and a lot of people invested in the process.”
Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
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