'play Like This Against Barca And Arsenal Will Be Punished'

Four goals scored, 3 points earned, 2nd spot secured, 1 immense crippled near for Arsenal this season.

Renee Slegers' broadside ensured they will spell into their Champions League last against Barcelona connected 24 May connected nan backmost of a victory, pursuing a topsy-turvy 4-3 triumph complete Manchester United connected Saturday lunchtime.

There are reasons to beryllium cheerful for nan Gunners, who produced a show of existent attacking verve astatine times against United, scoring 3 goals successful 16 minutes aft half-time while having 16 shots successful total.

Even against nan formidable reigning European champions Barca, who could seal different Liga F home title this weekend, Arsenal should beryllium capable to airs attacking questions.

Alessia Russo is nan joint-winner of nan Women's Super League (WSL) Golden Boot pinch 12 goals, while Arsenal person won their past 8 location convention matches while scoring 4 aliases much goals each time.

But nan concerns for Arsenal dishonesty successful defence, pinch 12 goals conceded successful their past 3 WSL matches. Five shipped against Aston Villa, 4 successful conclusion by Brighton, past 3 to almost let Manchester United backmost into nan game.

The mode of nan 3 United goals will origin interest too. Ella Toone was unmarked to caput location and make it 1-1 aft 13 minutes.

Then successful nan 2nd half, pinch Arsenal seemingly safe 3 goals to nan good, Katie McCabe's dreadful walk quadrate crossed nan backmost 4 allowed Elisabeth Terland to people earlier nan Irish defender fouled Celin Bizet to concede a penalty, converted by Maya le Tissier.

"Arsenal opened nan doorway for Man Utd and that doorway should've been nailed unopen astatine 4-1," erstwhile England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis told BBC Two. "They cognize that thing remotely for illustration this against Barcelona and they will beryllium punished.

"It's a triumph and ticked a fewer boxes of nan objectives that Slegers wanted, which was to decorativeness 2nd and debar other games adjacent play - but location will beryllium a batch of study earlier nan Barcelona game."

Slegers will person to lick nan problem of a defence which has not kept a cleanable expanse successful each competitions since March, against a Barcelona broadside which has scored 113 goals successful 28 convention games.

In Europe, Barca person been conscionable arsenic deadly pinch a singular 18 goals successful 4 Champions League knockout ties. After netting 10 complete 2 legs versus Wolfsburg, they put 8 past runaway WSL champions Chelsea and could person had more.

Slegers has to find a measurement to trim retired nan protect errors and nonaccomplishment of attraction which allowed United backmost into nan lucifer connected Saturday. She besides has to find a solution to nan goalkeeper situation.

First prime Daphne van Domselaar has not played since nan 2nd limb against Lyon, which she featured successful aft a spell retired pinch an ankle problem.

Her understudy Manuela Zinsberger has not convinced successful nan Dutchwoman's absence, and Slegers will surely dream her first prime is disposable for nan final.

What is definite is that Slegers will effort to tighten up her backmost statement while maintaining nan attacking verve which has go Arsenal's trademark since she replaced Jonas Eidevall arsenic head earlier this season.

As good arsenic Russo uncovering her shooting boots nether Slegers - 12 goals successful 20 appearances - winger Chloe Kelly has a caller lease of life since joining connected indebtedness successful January, while attacking midfielder Mariona Caldentey must rank arsenic 1 of nan signings of nan play arsenic she prepares to look erstwhile nine Barca.

"I felt for illustration Arsenal fto Man Utd backmost successful nan crippled towards nan extremity of nan first half, but nan 2nd half is what we've travel to expect pinch nan precocious property and finishing," erstwhile Gunners subordinate Fara Williams told BBC Two.

"Then nan lapse of attraction is thing they can't spend to do successful nan Champions League last successful a fewer weeks' time.

"Slegers will beryllium happy to person a remainder and past they person 2 weeks to hole for nan biggest crippled successful nan club's history since 2006."

The Arsenal players gave nary denotation of wanting to springiness up connected their attacking outlook for nan final.

"We showed successful nan last 3rd coming we were great," Kelly told nan BBC. "We've sewage a batch of training successful our legs to get done to beryllium fresh for nan final."

Arsenal skipper Kim Little added: "The astir important point is to pass and make judge you're fluid. When we do that well, we're astatine our best.

"That is portion of our crippled - we are 1 of nan teams that are successful nan property nan most. Against Barcelona, they are 1 of nan champion teams successful nan world truthful we'll person to return that into consideration."

Manchester United meantime are preparing for a awesome last of their own, arsenic they take sides nan FA Cup against Chelsea astatine Wembley adjacent weekend.

Marc Skinner's broadside are winless successful four, pinch 2 draws positive defeats by nan Blues and Arsenal - nan 2 sides supra them successful nan WSL - to information retired an uneven convention campaign.

"The WSL is done now. The FA Cup last is simply a different game," Skinner told nan BBC. "We had to pursuit nan game, we had to triumph it if we were going to decorativeness second.

"We'll person a scheme against Chelsea. I conscionable deliberation it'll beryllium a wholly different game."

"We cognize what it takes to play successful nan FA Cup - we've sewage each week to hole ourselves," added Toone. "It's a last truthful thing tin happen."

Both Arsenal and United will commencement arsenic underdogs successful their respective finals. If they tin bring nan aforesaid attacking prowess they showed connected Saturday, they could some origin an upset.

But if they show nan aforesaid protect frailties, they could beryllium successful for a mates of bruising experiences connected nan biggest stages.