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Arsenal coach aims pitch dig at Real Madrid after stunning Champions League comeback
Alessia Russo helped Arsenal overturn a 2-0 deficit and beat Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semi finals (Credits: Ashley Western/Colorsport/Shutte) Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers joked ‘football is meant to be played on grass’ after masterminding last night’s astonishing Champions League comeback against Real Madrid. Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, the Gunners, roared on by a record European crowd at the Emirates Stadium, booked their place in the semi-finals against Lyon following a three-goal second half salvo. Alessia Russo was at the heart of the turnaround with the England forward’s two goals helping Slegers’ side fight back from last week’s setback and claim a 3-2 aggregate victory. Manchester City loanee Chloe Kelly continued her stunning return to the capital with two assists, one of which was for former Barcelona midfielder Mariona Caldentey’s header that levelled the tie. Gunners boss Slegers, who took over in October as interim before being named permanent coach in January, will now lead her team against Lyon in the semi-finals next month. ‘We’ve done really good things before and had good performances against good teams but this is definitely one of them,’ Slegers said when asked if the win was the best night of her tenure. ‘This is maybe the clearest one where you play an opponent away, the game looks like it does and then you come back a week after and put a performance and result forward. So I think this is probably the clearest one.’ Arsenal’s players and coaching staff celebrated together after the final whistle after knocking out Real Madrid (Picture: Getty) A record Champions League quarter final crowd of 22,517 watched Arsenal beat Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium (Credits: Phil Hutchinson/UK Sports Pics Ltd) Arsenal scored three times in 14 minutes after half-time to turn the tie around. Russo’s first came after Caitlin Foord surged infield and fed Kelly to cross for her England team-mate to apply the simple finish. After Caldentey’s header, Russo’s clinical finish in the area following a Katie McCabe free-kick took her tally in Europe for the campaign to seven. Victory felt like vindication for an Arsenal team that felt aggrieved last week after they were forced to play on a sub-standard pitch which club legend Ian Wright branded a ‘disgrace’. There were no such issues last night as Arsenal, playing on the lush Emirates carpet, swept their opposition aside with a blistering attacking performance. Ian Wright on Real Madrid's pitch Speaking after the first leg, Wright said: ‘Watching the Champions League quarter-final Real Madrid pitch, this is worse than Derby’s pitch the other day,’ Wright said on social media, referencing the Pride Park pitch which came under scrutinty following Saturday’s Women’s League Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City. ‘This is a f****** disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on.’ Alessia Russo got the ball rolling with the first goal in Arsenal’s comeback win over Real Madrid (Picture: Getty) ‘Football is to be played on grass and we obviously played on grass in Madrid,’ Slegers said with a knowing smile. ‘But I think any team will play better football on good pitches. The pitch at the Emirates is amazing. ‘We want to be a team that finds a way to win so whatever circumstances, whatever the surface we want to be able to beat our opponents. We were critical of ourselves in the away game against Madrid but we are very happy with the performance today.’ Arsenal, meanwhile, already know they will face Lyon and their former coach Joe Montemurro in the semi finals and skipper Leah Williamson knows her side cannot afford to leave themselves with a mountain to climblike they did against Real following a first leg defeat. ‘Joe [Montemurro] as well, obviously, used to be the manager here,’ Williamson said. ‘So it’ll be a tough game, we know that. ‘But I think when we’re playing like we are tonight, then getting into the next round, that’s the job done. And now it’s about being ready. ‘Because we don’t want to put ourselves in the same position. Great that we came back, but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position in the first place.’
Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers joked ‘football is meant to be played on grass’ after masterminding last night’s astonishing Champions League comeback against Real Madrid.
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, the Gunners, roared on by a record European crowd at the Emirates Stadium, booked their place in the semi-finals against Lyon following a three-goal second half salvo.
Alessia Russo was at the heart of the turnaround with the England forward’s two goals helping Slegers’ side fight back from last week’s setback and claim a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Manchester City loanee Chloe Kelly continued her stunning return to the capital with two assists, one of which was for former Barcelona midfielder Mariona Caldentey’s header that levelled the tie.
Gunners boss Slegers, who took over in October as interim before being named permanent coach in January, will now lead her team against Lyon in the semi-finals next month.
‘We’ve done really good things before and had good performances against good teams but this is definitely one of them,’ Slegers said when asked if the win was the best night of her tenure.
‘This is maybe the clearest one where you play an opponent away, the game looks like it does and then you come back a week after and put a performance and result forward. So I think this is probably the clearest one.’
Arsenal scored three times in 14 minutes after half-time to turn the tie around.
Russo’s first came after Caitlin Foord surged infield and fed Kelly to cross for her England team-mate to apply the simple finish.
After Caldentey’s header, Russo’s clinical finish in the area following a Katie McCabe free-kick took her tally in Europe for the campaign to seven.
Victory felt like vindication for an Arsenal team that felt aggrieved last week after they were forced to play on a sub-standard pitch which club legend Ian Wright branded a ‘disgrace’.
There were no such issues last night as Arsenal, playing on the lush Emirates carpet, swept their opposition aside with a blistering attacking performance.
Ian Wright on Real Madrid's pitch
Speaking after the first leg, Wright said: ‘Watching the Champions League quarter-final Real Madrid pitch, this is worse than Derby’s pitch the other day,’ Wright said on social media, referencing the Pride Park pitch which came under scrutinty following Saturday’s Women’s League Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
‘This is a f****** disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on.’
‘Football is to be played on grass and we obviously played on grass in Madrid,’ Slegers said with a knowing smile.
‘But I think any team will play better football on good pitches. The pitch at the Emirates is amazing.
‘We want to be a team that finds a way to win so whatever circumstances, whatever the surface we want to be able to beat our opponents. We were critical of ourselves in the away game against Madrid but we are very happy with the performance today.’
Arsenal, meanwhile, already know they will face Lyon and their former coach Joe Montemurro in the semi finals and skipper Leah Williamson knows her side cannot afford to leave themselves with a mountain to climblike they did against Real following a first leg defeat.
‘Joe [Montemurro] as well, obviously, used to be the manager here,’ Williamson said. ‘So it’ll be a tough game, we know that.
‘But I think when we’re playing like we are tonight, then getting into the next round, that’s the job done. And now it’s about being ready.
‘Because we don’t want to put ourselves in the same position. Great that we came back, but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position in the first place.’
