'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time

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Seven days ago Renee Slegers' side were basking in the glow of a remarkable 4-1 away victory over Lyon that sent them to a first Women's Champions League final in 18 years.

Fast forward to Monday and Arsenal are investigating exactly how they lost 5-2 and 4-2 to Aston Villa and Brighton respectively in back-to-back league games.

While the defeat at Villa Park was unexpected, it was perhaps somewhat understandable.

Slegers made seven changes from the team that beat Lyon, and the result was a shaky and disjointed performance.

Worringly, the side that collapsed against Brighton was similar to the one that conquered one of Europe's great teams.

"We wanted to bounce back and turn that game around, and the same thing has happened to us again," Arsenal's Caitlin Foord told Sky Sports.

"It's not good enough all round and we need to take a look at ourselves individually and as a team. We can't let that happen again this weekend."

While Fran Kirby and Jelena Cankovic both scored stunners for the hosts, Brighton's third and fourth goals came directly from defensive lapses.

Arsenal have shipped nine goals in their past two WSL games after conceding 14 in their previous 19 outings.

While they forced Brighton goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley into 10 saves, they couldn't recover.

"In the last two WSL games we conceded nine goals in and we said as a team we don't think it's acceptable," Slegers added.

"We of course don't want this to happen. There are different reasons. The Villa game was different. We came from something else and the goals we conceded were different.

"We need to learn two very tough lessons coming off a big success. We have to learn. It's part of being a top team. This can't happen to us, so we have to find solutions and move forward."

WSL top four this season

A horizontal bar chart showing the number of times teams in the Premier League have conceded three or more goals in a game since Ten Hag has been appointed. Manchester United have are joint top with Bournemouth having conceded three or more times on 24 ocassions. Manchester City are bottom having lost on 6 times by three or more goals in a game.

Back-to-back league defeats for the first time since May 2023 begs the question: have Arsenal's players been distracted by their Champions League achievement?

"Of course it's intense for the players with where we came from and what's ahead of us," said Slegers.

"We have to be in the moment. That is the million dollar question. We have to analyse and I will be working until late tonight and tomorrow.

"We want to try and get the details right and put our finger on what it is and how we want to move forward."

Foord was more direct when answering the question.

"I don't think so. That's in the back of our mind and that is the game we are playing for this season," she said.

"But we have a job to do before that as well. We could have done that today and we haven't. Now it comes down to Saturday and our last game to prepare for the Champions League."

Victory would have wrapped up second place in the WSL, but now it's up for grabs when Arsenal face third-placed Manchester United on Saturday.

A third straight league defeat for the first time in a decade would see the Gunners slip to third, meaning they would enter next season's Champions League in the second qualifying round rather than the third.

That's unless Arsenal beat Barcelona in this season's final, in which case they would secure a place in next season's new league phase.

"[We need] a good performance, we need to play well, we need to get that confidence back," said Foord.

"We need to take our chances and everyone has to be back into the game, as we were against Lyon, if we want to go on to do well in the Champions League."