Faye White hopeful Arsenal can ride out rough moments in WSL derby battle with Chelsea
FAYE WHITE believes Arsenal can use the disappointment of a shock draw and loss in the league and Europe to fuel their battle to beat Chelsea.
The Gunners icon thinks Sonia Bompastor’s first Emirates visit as Blues boss could be the ideal moment for her old side to stun their rivals.
Today’s game is a pivotal one for White’s former club who suffered two difficult results in the past seven days.
A scoreless draw at home against injury-hit Everton was followed by a brutal 5-2 Champions League group stage loss away at Bayern Munich.
A match where ex-Chelsea midfielder Pernille Harder ran riot against Jonas Eidevall’s players netting a 13-minute hat-trick.
But White, 46, who was part of the Arsenal team that made history becoming the first English side to win a Women’s Champions League in 2007, reckons they will need little motivation to bounce back.
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And she hopes the Gunners will be ready to ride out tough moments on the pitch.
The former Arsenal captain, who won 11 top-flight titles including a WSL crown during her 17-year career at the club, said: “It’s about using that disappointment that you feel.
“During my playing career, I won nine FA Cups, but I remember the one that I lost the most. I used that as motivation to want to not feel that again.
“When you lose as a player, you want to get out there, get it out of your mind and redeem yourself.
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“But the team won’t need any getting up for this game. They’re at home, they’ll have the home crowd.
“They know they’ve beaten Chelsea well at the Emirates before, but also how tough games can be (against them).
“They just have to have that confidence and belief a little bit more, but also that desire, hunger, and the resilience side of it.”
A mixed start to the season combined with two underwhelming results in the WSL and Champions League has seen the team’s tactics come into question.
On his Wrighty’s House podcast club legend and Barclays football ambassador Ian Wright likened their performance against Everton to that of a mid-table side.
White adds: “I’ve been there and done it where you can get yourself up for the tough games
“But it’s also those matches against teams lower in the table where you’re expected to win because of the quality you have on the pitch and the bench, but you can’t quite break them down.
“And then your rivals get their hopes up and step up a level as they feel they can nick a point or even a win.”
Eidevall’s side are yet to win on their turf in the league this term with all their WSL home matches being played at the Emirates this season.
However, his team went unbeaten in their last four home games against Chelsea in the top tier.
Results include a 4-1 win last December against the Blues, then managed by former boss Emma Hayes, with Beth Mead and Alessia Russo among their scorers.
White said: “Chelsea are seen as the team to beat. If there is any time for them to be got at, it’s now.
“This is possibly a time where you could get at them because of a slight change of messaging (from their new manager) and a certain way players have been asked to play.
“This will be the first time Bompastor experiences this kind of derby.
“It’s going to be a good match but Arsenal have to be at their best and ride out those tough moments.”
Chelsea are currently unbeaten in the league having notched 1-0 and 7-0 defeats of Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Despite Arsenal’s recent results, Bompastor is not taking the threat they pose lightly.
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The Blues boss, 41, who won September’s WSL Manager of the Month prize said: “I don’t pay attention to their context or their dynamic.
“This team has a lot of talent. This game will be a tough game no matter what the context is for them.”