Arsenal manager Renée Slegers indicated loaned Lioness Chloe Kelly could make her second Arsenal debut in front of the Emirates crowd this weekend.
The Gunners are preparing to face fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Barclays Women’s Super League, and could be boosted by the 27-year-old who has been ineligible to feature in their last two matches due to loan restrictions.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat did Renée Slegers say?
Kelly’s move back to Arsenal, where she began her senior career in 2015-18, came after a dramatic fallout with Manchester City. She had struggled for minutes under Gareth Taylor this season and criticised the club’s approach to a potential move for her on on social media during the transfer window. After links to Manchester United and Brighton, she eventually returned to North London on deadline day (30th January).
However, she could not feature against her parent club in Arsenal’s dramatic 3-4 win over City, and was also ineligible for their Adobe Women’s FA Cup victory over London City Lionesses last week. Sunday’s derby is her first chance to reappear for the Gunners.
Slegers said: “Chloe’s settled very well. We are happy she’s back. She knows what Arsenal is. She comes from the club. What she brings to us is her quality as an attacking player, but she’s also shown her willingness to defend and be aggressive and work hard.
Embed from Getty Images“We hope she is available for Sunday and we know what she can do for us. I look forward to her first minutes for Arsenal and we will see when that is.”
Victoria Pelova, who has been out with an ACL injury since last June, picked up her first minutes and a goal for the U21s this week – but is not expected back in first-team action.
Arsenal are third and ten points clear of Spurs in sixth. Robert Vilahamn’s side have lost their last two games in the FA Cup against Everton and the league against Manchester United. However, Slegers was keen to dispel any complacency.
“It’s the North London Derby, it’s a rivalry and we’ll both feel it. They will feel it, and hopefully we can make them very uncomfortable at the Emirates. They have been performing well. They’ve recruited a couple of players, we will respect their strengths, just like with every opposition, there are areas to exploit, and that’s what we are going after on Sunday.“
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal are strong favourites, having come out on top in 10 of 14 meetings between the sides including a 0-3 win in the reverse fixture in November. However, the fixture has become more competitive in recent years – with Spurs sealing their only victory over Arsenal in December 2023. 55,000 tickets have been sold for Sunday’s edition.
“It means a lot, and I think especially for the staff and players that have worked for Arsenal for a long time, played for Arsenal for a long time, they understand what it means, and I feel that as well, and I know the history, so it’s going to be a big game that I look forward to.”
The North London Derby kicks off at Emirates Stadium on Sunday 16th February at 12:30.
