Renee Slegers: 'Very proud' of Arsenal's north London derby win over Tottenham

Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers says she's very proud of her side's win against Tottenham in the final north London derby of the Women's Super League (WSL) season.

It didn't take long for Arsenal to take the reins after an unfortunate own goal from Clare Hunt opened the scoring in N5. Goals from Alessia Russo, Mariona Caldentey, Frida Maanum and Emily Fox were all enough to secure an iconic victory in front of over 56,000 fans.

"The whole event, playing at the Emirates, with a beautiful pitch and a big crowd, the way the women’s game is growing and how Arsenal is leading in this, I am very proud," Slegers reflected. "Of course, it is about the football we play. At times we play brilliant football today, on the ball and how quickly we counter press and win the ball back and we score different types of goals.

"There are still periods of the game where we could’ve done better. We are on such a high level at times today but the next level is to be that consistently over 95 minutes."

Tottenham looked toothless at Emirates, failing to look threatening across the entire duration of the match. As for Arsenal, the goals looked like they could have appeared from any player wearing red and white.

"That is what we want to build, to be unpredictable and hard to defend and hard to beat and that is what you want to create," said Slegers on having multiple different goal scorers. "If you have only one type of threat, it is going to be easier for the opposition to nullify, but we come with different things and it is going to be really hard for them. That is what we work towards and I am in the very lucky position to have so many quality players in the squad."

Chloe Kelly made her first appearance for the club after being subbed on in the 61st minute. The 27-year-old's entrance made it feel like the Gunners had just scored a goal as roars erupted inside of Emirates Stadium.

The forward shared some close words with Slegers before entering the game, something the head coach reported with a smile.

"There were a couple of tactical messages, we ask her whether she is ok and now how to play and we talked a bit about set pieces," shared Slegers. "But my final message was to enjoy your comeback in an Arsenal shirt on a very special occasion and to enjoy your football.

"She has been smiling a lot in training and working very hard, she is very passionate as a person. She is smiling a lot and is very happy with where she is at and that is important that players are in a good place, feel good and are motivated, because then you will get the best out of yourself and that is hopefully what we can keep building on that with Chloe.

"I was very impressed with the reception she got and the crowd has been so inspiring for us."

As well as Kelly, Slegers was quick to pack on the praise for a few other players. Mariona Caldentey gave the Gunners the 2-0 lead in the 36th minute, and put in a standout shift on the whole.

"She is amazing, she is everything that football is to me," praised Slegers. "The best thing about her is that she works really hard and sets up really good situations, not only for herself but everything she does makes it easier for the other players to play. She creates a little bit of extra time and space for everyone. She reads things, she sees things, she is on such a high level, we are so happy to have her."

Alessia Russo was also back on the scoresheet once more, slotting home Arsenal's fourth with a classy back post finish. The England forward also forced Hunt's own goal in the opening term, as a classic striker's run led to her header being helped on by the Australian.

"She has been very, very sharp and she is finding that edge in her game which makes her even sharper," explained Slegers. "She is a fantastic footballer, so versatile and can play so many different roles and does really well in and out of possession. We are really happy to have Alessia in the team."

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