Alessia Russo Shines as Arsenal Beat Valerenga 4-1

Alessia Russo sealed Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over Valerenga in the Women’s Champions League, marking a positive start for interim coach Renee Slegers after Jonas Eidevall’s resignation. Eidevall had stepped down following a poor run of form with pressure mounting after a defeat to Chelsea. Slegers acknowledging the emotional few days, praised the team’s response on the pitch.

Arsenal began brightly with Emily Fox scoring within two minutes. Caitlin Foord doubled the lead but defensive lapses allowed Valerenga’s Olaug Tvedten to score before halftime. Despite these issues, Arsenal controlled the match and Mariona Caldentey’s 85th-minute strike restored their two-goal cushion. Alessia Russo, who had been a constant threat, capped the win with a stoppage-time goal.

Slegers credited the team’s determination and self-reflection for the turnaround, noting the importance of maintaining this momentum. Despite the victory, defensive concerns remain as Arsenal came close to conceding another goal after halftime. However, Russo’s standout performance including an assist for Caldentey’s goal and her own late strike, highlighted the quality Arsenal possess.

With the win, Arsenal moved to second in Group C trailing Bayern Munich, who continued their perfect start with a 2-0 win over Juventus. Arsenal will now turn their attention to the Women’s Super League where they face West Ham hoping to build on this result. This match showed promise for Arsenal under Slegers but lingering defensive frailties suggest there’s still work to be done as they aim to compete with Europe’s elite.