Arsenal Dragon
Renee Slegers Hails Alessia Russo Dutch Clean Hat Trick as Arsenal Boss Introduces New Term After Striker’s 27 Minute Treble in 5-2 North London Derby Win
Renee Slegers introduced Dutch terminology in her post match interview following Saturday’s 5-2 win in the North London derby. It took Alessia Russo just 27 minutes to score a hat trick in the Women’s Super League encounter. The Arsenal head coach explained that in the Netherlands, when all three goals come in the first half, this is referred to as a clean hat trick, which is absolutely fascinating.
Notably, only Kelly Smith and Vivianne Miedema have scored faster WSL hat tricks in Arsenal history. Subsequently, Slegers was delighted with her striker’s ruthless performance against Tottenham at Emirates Stadium.
Fantastic What She Does for Team
Slegers praised Russo’s overall contribution beyond just goalscoring. “We were speaking about it the other day, about hat tricks. I think in the Netherlands we say that you have to score them all in one half to get a clean hat trick, so this was a Dutch clean hat trick. Fantastic,” the Arsenal boss said.
Furthermore, she continued, “I think what she’s been doing and not only the goalscoring contributions, but everything that she does for the team is fantastic,” which demonstrates how highly Slegers rates the England striker.
Ruthless in First Half With Spaces
Meanwhile, Slegers was pleased with Arsenal’s clinical finishing in the opening period. “I think what the team is giving at the moment is unbelievable. This was the fourth London derby that we’re playing in a row, and the demands are very high. In addition, teams are making it really tough for us,” she explained.
The Dutch coach added, “I think we were ruthless in the first half with the spaces we were given and how we created that. That was really good, so we got a fantastic start in the game,” which is frankly the mentality required to win these crucial matches.
Arsenal scored a late fifth goal with substitutes Victoria Pelova and Stina Blackstenius coming on as game changers. This sealed the derby victory.
Chelsea Women host Arsenal Women at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening in the second leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter final. The Blues trail 3-1 from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium and face a daunting task to overturn the deficit against the defending champions, who are riding a nine match winning streak across all competitions.
Sonia Bompastor’s side got back to winning ways in the WSL on Saturday with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Aston Villa after falling behind early. Sam Kerr, Naomi Girma, and Lauren James all found the net before Sjoeke Nusken emerged as the hero with the decisive goal in a breathless encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Kick-off: 20:00 BST, Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
TV: BBC iPlayer and Disney+
Arsenal Cruising After Clinical First Leg Performance
Arsenal were ruthless at the Emirates last week, racing into a two goal halftime lead through Stina Blackstenius and Chloe Kelly before Alessia Russo restored their advantage after Lauren James had briefly given Chelsea hope with a stunning strike. The Gunners have won nine consecutive matches and demolished Tottenham 5-2 in Saturday’s north London derby.
Chelsea will need to produce a monumental performance to reach the semi finals after falling behind in this competition for the first time this season. The Blues finished third in the league phase before dispatching Barcelona and Roma, but now face elimination unless they can overturn a two goal deficit.
First Leg Defeat Increases Pressure on Bompastor
This represents the first meeting between Chelsea and Arsenal in the Champions League, though the sides have faced each other three times already this season. Arsenal won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in January before both teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates in November when Alyssa Thompson scored for Chelsea.
Chelsea’s last victory over the Gunners came in January 2025, when Guro Reiten’s late penalty secured a narrow 1-0 win. Bompastor desperately needs her side to produce their best performance of the season.
Predicted Lineups: Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Bronze, Girma, Bright, Nouwen; Cuthbert, Nusken; James, Kaptein, Thompson; Kerr
Arsenal (4-3-3): van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Caldentey, Maanum; Kelly, Russo, Blackstenius
Arsenal Dragon
Arsenal Captain Signs New One Year Contract Extension as Scotland Midfielder Commits Future to Gunners Until 2027
Kim Little has signed a new one year contract with Arsenal Women, extending her legendary stay at the club where she has won the WSL, League Cup, and Champions League. The Scotland international first joined Arsenal in 2008 before departing for five years away from North London, returning in 2017 to begin her second successful stint with the Gunners.
Little has enjoyed remarkable success during her second spell at Arsenal, lifting the Women’s League Cup three times, winning the Women’s Super League once, and captaining the side to Champions League glory in May 2025 with a historic 1-0 victory over Barcelona in Lisbon. The midfielder recently celebrated 400 appearances for Arsenal and was part of the squad that won the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup earlier this season.
Slegers Praises Little’s Invaluable Contribution
Renee Slegers expressed her delight at retaining Little for another campaign, highlighting the midfielder’s leadership qualities both on and off the pitch. The Arsenal boss emphasized how much of Little’s work goes under the radar despite impressive statistical output.
“There’s a lot of work that Kim does that is under the radar, even though her metrics look very good,” Slegers explained. “She does a lot of things you almost can’t measure; how she helps the team, how she keeps the distance short, how she connects, how she covers spaces and covers for others to be able to play their role.”
Captain Remains Rock for Arsenal
Slegers described Little as a rock for the team, praising her consistency and professionalism in everything she does. The Dutch manager revealed she highly values the collaboration with Little and the captain’s group, seeking their input on crucial decisions as Arsenal continue building something special.
Little’s loyalty to Arsenal has spanned nearly two decades across her two spells, establishing her as one of the most important players in the club’s history. Her consistent performances and leadership qualities make her an essential part of Slegers’ plans going forward.
Arsenal Dragon
Lucy Bronze Left Frustrated by Soft Decisions as Arsenal Edge Chelsea 3-1 in Champions League Quarter Final First Leg Thriller at Emirates Stadium
Lucy Bronze was left questioning the officiating after two crucial goals were chalked off in Chelsea‘s 3-1 Champions League quarter final defeat to Arsenal. The England defender feels the Blues were denied by soft decisions that changed the complexion of the match at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
Arsenal took a significant step toward the semi finals with goals from Stina Blackstenius, Chloe Kelly, and Alessia Russo. However, the scoreline didn’t tell the whole story, with Chelsea seeing two efforts ruled out by officials, which Bronze found hard to swallow.
First One Very Soft Says Bronze
The most controversial moment came just before halftime. With Chelsea trailing 2-0, Veerle Buurman thought she had pulled one back with a towering header, only for the referee to blow for a foul on Arsenal’s Laia Codina.
Bronze didn’t hold back on the decision after the final whistle. “The first one, the header, I think it’s very soft. In a game of this magnitude, you want the play to flow. It felt like a harsh call, and at 2-1 going into halftime, it’s a completely different game,” Bronze admitted, which is absolutely fair criticism.
Buchanan Goal Ruled Out Late On
The drama continued in the second half when Kadeisha Buchanan bundled the ball home from a corner. The goal was ruled out for a foul on Arsenal keeper Anneke Borbe. VAR checked the incident before the original decision stood.
Lauren James curled in a stunning solo effort to briefly give Chelsea hope. However, Arsenal’s two goal advantage proved too much for Sonia Bompastor’s side to overcome on the night.
Blues Remain Defiant Ahead of Second Leg
Bronze remains confident despite the two goal deficit. “We hit the post twice and had two goals ruled out. The performance was there, we just didn’t get the rub of the green tonight. We know what we’re capable of at home, and we’ll be ready for the return leg,” she said.
The England defender has seen it all in the Champions League and knows Chelsea have a history of European comebacks. With the second leg at Stamford Bridge just around the corner, the tie is far from over, which is an ominous warning for Arsenal.
The Gunners hold the advantage, but if this first leg is anything to go by, the return fixture promises to be just as explosive. Chelsea is desperate to overturn the deficit on home soil.
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