Slegers to rotate Arsenal against HB Koge with Chelsea trip in mind

Three games in eight days. That's the schedule facing Arsenal, and it explains almost everything that's set to happen this Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium when they host HB Koge in their Women's Champions League opener. Renee Slegers has already given fair warning: there will be changes.

The 1-1 draw against Manchester United at home on Saturday left the Gunners without a win for a second straight week in the Women's Super League. As if that weren't enough, next Sunday brings a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. With that schedule looming, tweaking the lineup for the European opener against the Danish side isn't just an option, it's practically a necessity.

Slegers was clear about why she has room to rotate the team without weakening it. The manager explained that the squad is built precisely for moments like this, with full internationals doubled up in every position.

The reason we have the squad size we have, with only full national team players, so much quality, doubled up in every position, is so we can use the whole squad, especially when the turnaround between games is tight. It's been just a couple of days since we played United, and then obviously we play Chelsea at the weekend. It's one game at a time, but we have to make sure the players stay fresh.Renee Slegers

Arsenal come into this opener as the reigning 2025 European champions, so the aim is to start the group stage with a win that doesn't add to the doubts already swirling around the team. And there are doubts: the side has gone two straight league matchdays without a win, dropping four points between United and Crystal Palace, and that has set off some alarm bells despite a solid level of play.

Slegers doesn't hide her frustration, but she isn't panicking either. According to the manager, the problem isn't in creating chances but in finishing them.

We've analyzed it. The way we progress on the pitch is good, the way we dominate and carry the ball forward is good. But then the final third and the chances we create, we've gone back over that again from both a tactical and a psychological perspective. The quality in the squad is so good, we do so many things well, and that's why those results were so frustrating.Renee Slegers

The rest of the Women's Champions League opening matchday also brings games of real weight. The most eye-catching fixture sends Real Madrid to Paris to face Paris Saint-Germain. Elsewhere, Inter Milan host Sweden's Hacken, and Juventus take on Benfica in another of the night's key matchups.

For Arsenal, the challenge is twofold: keep their European ambitions on track while not losing sight of the wounds still to heal in the English league. Rotating against HB Koge will, in the end, be a way of saving legs for Stamford Bridge without sacrificing their start in Europe.