Arsenal focus shifts firmly to Brighton test

Arsenal focus shifts firmly to Brighton test Renee Slegers has set Arsenal’s focus on Brighton after Chelsea, with the FA Cup quarter-final the next major test. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images Renée Slegers used her pre-Brighton press conference to make one point above all others, Arsenal may have come through a draining and emotionally charged tie against Chelsea , but they have no intention of treating that as an end point. Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton & Hove Albion offers the chance to reach a second semi-final in the space of a week, and Slegers was clear that Arsenal see it as a major occasion in its own right.

The Chelsea tie took plenty out of them, mentally and physically, but she framed that as part of a broader stretch in which the players have repeatedly found a way to deliver. “It took a lot of energy and investment of course, but I think the players have been delivering this throughout the whole block, so not only on that night, but everything they do,” she said . “So, of course it took a lot, mental, physical energy, but we’re happy with the result of course, going through to the semi-finals, and now we know we have one more game to play against Brighton this block, which is going to be a huge game for us.

It’s 10 years for us (since we won the FA Cup) for Arsenal, so we’re well aware and it’s going to be a very important game for us. ” That same seriousness came through when she was asked how important this quarter-final feels in the context of everything else Arsenal have going on. Rather than allowing the focus to drift towards Lyon or the wider schedule, Slegers described Brighton as the challenge that now matters most.

“Yeah, very important, just mentioned it, we know we’ve done some big things so far this block, which we’re very proud of,” she said. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images “I think I said it post-match after the Chelsea game that this was probably the biggest challenge so far in the season from a scenario perspective, but we did it, now we go and prepare for Brighton off the back of all this, that is, for us, the big challenge of the block, that we have to finish the job and keep on going and never stop. So doing everything to recover mentally and physically from the Chelsea game and being ready for Sunday.