Slegers explains just how big Arsenal's CL semi-final win is

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Arsenal Women boss Renee Slegers reflects on their semi-final win over Lyon in the Women’s Champions League, calling it “a very special moment”.

On Sunday, Arsenal beat the most successful team in the history of the Champions League to qualify for their first final of the competition since 2007, when they became the first and only English team to win it.

Arsenal came back from a one-goal deficit to beat Lyon 5-3 on aggregate, which Slegers says was a huge moment for the club.

“The way it was executed was very high-level. I’m very happy and very proud,” she told Sky Sports News.

“[2007] is 18 years ago. The club has invested for so long in women’s football and everybody is so happy with all the work that has been done across those years that we’re at this point again.

“It’s very big for a lot of people, and of course for the players and staff that are doing the work. It was a very special moment because so much preparation, so much work has gone into these two games.”

But Slegers said she woke up on the day entirely focused on the game at hand, rather than how big the occasion was.

“There are very few moments that I’m thinking about what it means because I need to be good in my role and focusing on the here and now to be able to reach that point.

“But of course, there [was] an understanding of how big it is, so that’s also there. If you don’t have the perspective of what you’re doing, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

‘We had to go out and be brave’

In Sunday’s semi-final second leg – played in front of 20,000 people – Lyon conceded more goals than they had in the whole competition.

Arsenal not only had more possession, shots and goals, but they also took advantage of Lyon’s crumbling defence, looking prepared at all times to deal with their blunders.

Lyon have won the Champions League eight times in the last 15 years, the last coming in 2022 under current Chelsea Women head coach Sonia Bompastor.

“We had to go out and be brave and execute what we wanted to with 100 per cent commitment and determination and that’s what the players did,” Slegers said of facing Europe’s most successful women’s team.

But what makes her happiest is that the team is performing to the level she knows they can perform at.

“We’re developing, we’re getting the max out of people and we’re together and working towards something. We’re on the highest level and high-performing,” she added.

“I’m very proud that as a team, in this moment, with so much pressure – one of the biggest games the players have played – could perform like this. It’s outstanding.”

And, modestly, Slegers credits the performance to the medical department, saying: “For getting so many players ready to perform on such a high level with such intensity. That’s a big part of it.

“Then across the technical staff, we have so much competence working within different fields of our game. It’s together with the players, because there’s a lot of player involvement.”

Players who, by all accounts, have had a tumultuous season after being knocked out of both domestic cup competitions and dealing with the departure of Jonas Eidevall in October.

Slegers, who schedules office-hours style time in her diary so that players can speak to her about anything they want to, believes being happy in your environment is crucial to the success of the team.

“[If] you know your role and you feel engaged, committed and connected to what we’re doing, I think you get the best out of yourself,” she said. “If you get the best out of yourself you can get the best out of people around you so that’s what we’ve tried to create.

“We need to enjoy what we’re doing – even in an environment like ours, working on the highest level, I think that’s still a very important ingredient to be able to perform.”

‘I’m so happy Little can play in a Champions League final’

And while Slegers stresses that the team is a group of people who all dreamt of making a Champions League final, it is extra special for captain Kim Little, who began playing for Arsenal 17 years ago – a season after they won the-then UEFA Women’s Cup.

“I get goosebumps,” Slegers said. “If you zoom in on Kim who’s been at the club for so long, has played her football on such a high level over such a long time, she has never played a [European] final.

“Everyone sees what she puts in, how hard she commits and how hard she works. It’s on an unbelievable level. I’m so happy for her that she gets to go and play a final.”

After Sunday’s game, Arsenal team-mate Leah Williamson called Little an ‘unbelievable footballer that goes under the radar’.

Little’s experience will be imperative in Lisbon on May 24 when Arsenal face Barcelona in the final, who beat Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate and have won three of the past four Champions League titles.

“We spoke about belief ahead of [Sunday’s] game and you can believe and be convinced about something without proof, but I think what we’ve created now is evidence and proof that we can do it against top teams,” Slegers reflected.

“It puts more pressure on ourselves, but we also know that looking forward to the final, Barcelona is a completely different team so it will be a different challenge.”

Watch Brighton Women vs Arsenal Women live on Sky Sports Football from 3.30pm on Monday; kick-off 4pm. Watch in-game clips and free match highlights across Sky Sports’ digital platforms.