Arsenal manager Renee Slegers has bemoaned Katie McCabe’s hair pull incident overshadowing their two leg Women’s Champions League victory over domestic champions Chelsea.

Ireland’s captain was lucky to avoid being sent off at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday having tugged the hair of Alyssa Thompson as the American sped away towards goal.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor was livid at the lack of action taken by referee Alina Pesu or the failure of VAR to intervene. She was eventually sent off, citing the moment as the turning point of the tie they were chasing a two goal deficit in from the first leg.

McCabe Apologetic After Discussion With Slegers

McCabe’s incident has dominated the aftermath of the tie and while Slegers claimed there was no intent by the Dubliner, she admitted a discussion with the 30 year old was arranged the following day. “Yeah, I’ve seen it and have spoken to Katie today as well,” the Dutch coach explained. “She’s very apologetic about the situation and it’s unfortunate that it’s happened.”

Slegers is absolutely right to be frustrated that the incident took attention away from what was an excellent Champions League quarter final between two top WSL sides. Arsenal progressed 3-2 on aggregate and will now face Lyon in the semi finals.

McCabe Reports for Ireland Duty After Brighton Clash

McCabe responded to the controversy by providing her input on social media. “I just want to clarify that I was genuinely reaching for the shirt. I wouldn’t ever want to pull someone’s hair. Full respect to Thompson.”

The Ireland captain is due to report for international duty on Monday following Sunday’s FA Cup quarter final against Brighton. Ireland have a World Cup qualification double header against Poland, firstly in Gdansk on Tuesday week followed by the rematch at Lansdowne Road on April 18.

Also read: UEFA Backs Champions League Officials After Sonia Bompastor Slams VAR Following Chelsea Exit to Arsenal as Katie McCabe Hair Pull Goes Unpunished

Arsenal Women will be without both Steph Catley and Leah Williamson for their WSL clash against Brighton on Friday after Renee Slegers confirmed the defensive duo are sidelined through injury.

Williamson has missed Arsenal’s last three matches with a hamstring issue while Catley was forced off with a calf injury during the second leg of the Champions League quarter final against Chelsea in midweek.

Lionesses captain Williamson was called up to the latest England squad despite her injury concerns, but Slegers insists the centre back is still not ready to return to action for Arsenal. “Both Leah and Steph won’t be available,” Slegers explained. “We were hopeful for Leah, but it’s too soon and Steph of course left the pitch with a calf injury, so she won’t be available tomorrow.”

McCabe Still Apologetic Over Hair Pull Incident

Slegers was also asked about the Katie McCabe hair-pulling incident that overshadowed Arsenal’s 3-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea. The Irish international grabbed Alyssa Thompson’s hair during the closing stages at Stamford Bridge, sparking fury from Blues boss Sonia Bompastor.

“I’ve spoken to Katie today as well and she’s still very apologetic about the situation and it’s unfortunate that it’s happened,” Slegers revealed. “I think it took quite some attention from the game, because if you look at the game and the quality of football and all the big and small battles on the pitch across these two games, it was, in my opinion, a great product of women’s football.”

Slegers Right to Defend Product

The Arsenal boss is absolutely right that the incident took attention away from what was an excellent two-legged tie between two top WSL sides.

Arsenal progressed to the Champions League semi-finals and will be desperate to defend their European crown.

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Arsenal Women goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar has insisted the Gunners want to defend their Champions League title after advancing to the semi-finals on Wednesday night. Arsenal lost 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge but still progressed after a 3-2 aggregate victory over their London rivals.

“We want to defend our title,” van Domselaar explained after the match. “That’s what we started the season with. It’s an important part of the legacy, and I feel like we have a lot to bring as well. We’re looking forward to the next game where we’ll do everything we can to defend our title.”

Dutch Goalkeeper Makes Crucial Saves

The Dutch shot stopper made several important saves to help her team across the line in the second leg, with her teammates pushing her towards the away fans at full-time to show their appreciation for her performance. Van Domselaar reflected on the special moment with typical humility.

“I don’t like to be in the centre of attention, but it’s nice of them,” she said. “I feel like we did it as a team and that little special moment for me was special for them to do that. It’s been a bit of an up and down season for me personally but over the last few weeks I feel better.”

Defensive Display Gets Team Over Line

On the defensive display as a whole, van Domselaar added praise for her teammates. “Sometimes you need to be a bit lucky. I feel like today we had the luck on our side. We can be proud of what we’ve done defensively, for sure. Everyone just literally put their body on the line.”

Arsenal will discover their semi-final opponents after the Lyon vs Wolfsburg second leg concludes on Thursday evening.

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