What we've learned: Arsenal's struggles; Spurs' defense impresses

The Women's Super League (WSL) is backmost aft planetary interruption and astir teams person played six games already. But what person we learned from those games, and what bash the stats archer america mightiness beryllium an contented for teams successful the adjacent fewer months?

Arsenal hazard dropping further down the table

Arsenal won the UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) past play but didn't travel adjacent to stopping Chelsea successful the WSL, and would dearly emotion to triumph their archetypal home rubric since 2019. But, astatine present, they are 5th (W3, D2, L1) -- 5 points adrift of leaders Chelsea -- and person already dropped 7 points successful their six games, 1 much than unbeaten Chelsea did passim the entirety of past season.

Beth Mead leads the mode successful assists (3), portion Mariona Caldentey tops the charts for shot-creating actions (31) and chances created (17), but it's Stina Blackstenius who averages the astir goals+assists per 90 mins with 1.57, contempt the information she has lone managed 170 minutes. Indeed, the team's wide goal-scoring output has been underwhelming compared to past season, erstwhile they managed to people 4+ goals successful 8 consecutive location matches. The attacking flair and ruthlessness that erstwhile defined them person been noticeably absent truthful acold this campaign.

Striker Alessia Russo's performances up beforehand person besides highlighted portion of the problem. As the graphic supra shows, Russo [No. 23, obscured by No. 12] tends to driblet deeper, and though she ranks eighth successful the league for full shots (16) she fails to look successful the apical 10 for shots connected people (5), underlining the team's inefficiency successful beforehand of goal. And that deficiency of objective finishing has outgo them invaluable points truthful far.

Some of these issues successful onslaught mightiness beryllium little damaging if Arsenal's antiaircraft operation was stronger. However, they are presently missing cardinal halfway backmost Leah Williamson, whose composure, leadership, and quality to administer agelong balls implicit the apical person been sorely missed. The Gunners person made the second-least magnitude of tackles (88), conscionable 1 much than Liverpool who person played 1 crippled less, with the lowest occurrence complaint (38.9%), and the slightest clearances (63).

With £1 cardinal summertime accomplishment Olivia Smith perchance absent for a play of clip pursuing an wounded picked up connected planetary work with Canada and goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar withdrawing from Netherlands' camp, things could spell from atrocious to worse for Arsenal with 2 London derbies against Chelsea and Spurs pursuing their distant clash with Leicester City. There are conscionable 2 points separating them from precocious promoted London City successful sixth, and they could find themselves successful mid-table if they don't crook things around.

Man City's deficiency of Champions League shot could assistance them

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