WSL1 MATCH PREVIEW: Janssen’s Relishing Chelsea Challenge & New Arsenal Coach’s Style

6th January 2018 Jen O'Neill

Second plays third at Kingsmeadow on Sunday (1.30pm ko, LIVE on BT Sport) in the WSL’s biggest fixture, as Chelsea host Arsenal, reports Carrie Dunn.

The Blues are three points ahead of their visitors, but have a 16-goal advantage in terms of goal difference – with 21 goals scored, they have conceded just twice in the league.

Arsenal, however, had a reasonably sluggish start to the season under previous boss Pedro Martinez Losa. Though they have lost just once, they have found the net just 11 times – and let in eight.

So now new Gunners coach Joe Montemurro takes his squad across to their London rivals for the first time – and the versatile Dominique Janssen is looking forward to the challenge.

“I think Chelsea are a very tough opponent,” says the 22-year-old. “You see what they’ve been doing lately – they’ve been really good, so they’re definitely one of the toughest teams in the league.”

Versatile midfielder/defender Dominique Janssen on the ball for Arsenal. (PA Images)

“I’m very optimistic about the Chelsea game, actually!”

The Netherlands international has been enjoying working with Montemurro, who she thinks shares a lot of ideas with coaches from her homeland.

“He has very clear ideas of what he wants, and he wants to play a little bit of a different style,” she says. “He still wants us to be very dominating, but he brings a lot of clarity to the team. I think that’s very important for all of us, so we know exactly what everybody’s job is. That’s really helping the team – I think we’ve already moved forward since he came. I’m very optimistic about the Chelsea game, actually!”
Janssen in action for the Netherlands against Belgium in 2019 WWC Qualifying. (PA Images)
“We are Arsenal – we want to be in the Champions League. That’s the goal”
 Janssen relishes the chance to be able to spend some time improving her technical skills, enjoying time on the ball in training as well as minutes on the pitch in the starting eleven.

“With the warm-up, he’s trying to bring some technical drills in there, and I really like that, because it’s just nice to keep up your individual technique. It’s something you have to maintain, but it’s nice, and it’s fun – I really enjoy that. Also in training he’s just trying to train very effectively, so we’re not standing on the pitch for ages – he’s making his ideas very clear. I really like the way he’s coaching us and I hope we can have a lot of success with him.”

And that definition of success is equally clear – nothing less than competing with the European elite will do.

“We are Arsenal – we want to be in the Champions League,” says Janssen. “That’s the goal. We have to be in the first two positions [of the WSL] – and everything is still open. Basically we are fighting for everything. The league is just halfway – we have half a season to go. Nothing has finished yet, and we want to go for everything.”

Don’t miss any of the FA WSL coverage this weekend:

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