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

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

Arsenal face their toughest test of the season as they travel to Villa Park, where Aston Villa have been nearly impenetrable. The Gunners hold a six-point advantage over third-placed Villa, but their defensive injury crisis threatens to derail their title momentum.

Kick-off: 12:30 GMT, Saturday, December 6, 2025
Venue: Villa Park
Referee: Michael Oliver
TV: TNT Sports 1

Form Guide

Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners in this exact fixture last season, with goals from Trossard and Thomas Partey settling matters at Villa Park. However, Villa dealt a seismic blow to Arsenal’s title bid with a 2-0 away victory in mid-April 2024, helping Manchester City to win the league. A 2-2 draw at the Emirates last January again stunted Arsenal’s championship pursuit.

Villa have been in exceptional form, winning seven of their last eight games across all competitions. They showed character in midweek to claim a 4-3 win over Brighton, despite trailing 2-0 after half an hour. Ollie Watkins enjoyed a welcome return to form, netting twice in the first half. At home, Villa have won five of their seven fixtures this season and are unbeaten in their last 25 Premier League home games.

Arsenal maintained their five-point lead at the top with a 2-0 win over Brentford in midweek. Goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches across all competitions. However, the match came at a cost with injuries to Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera.

Team News

Arsenal’s defensive crisis has reached alarming levels. Gabriel Magalhaes suffered a thigh problem while representing Brazil during the November international break and could be missing for up to two months. William Saliba has missed the last two matches after suffering a knock in training, though Arteta confirmed it should be “a matter of days” before his return.

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Cristhian Mosquera was forced off before half-time against Brentford with an ankle injury and is set to miss 6 to 8 weeks of football. Declan Rice also limped off late on with a calf issue, though the midfielder told Sky Sports he is “fine” and expects to be available. Leandro Trossard could return from a muscle injury, with Arteta confirming he should be back within “a matter of days.” Kai Havertz remains weeks away from returning after knee surgery complications.

For Villa, Emiliano Martinez is a major doubt with a back injury that kept him out against Brighton. The Argentine was forced to withdraw from the lineup after experiencing pain during the warm-up. Ross Barkley is ruled out for 8-12 weeks with a knee injury suffered against Wolves. Tyrone Mings remains sidelined with a thigh injury and won’t be available until late December at the earliest.

Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Buendia, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Timber, Hincapié, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze

Read More: Arsenal Player Ratings vs Brentford: Gunners Restore Five-Point Lead With 2-0 Win