Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) action is back underway this weekend. The media heard from Crystal Palace manager Laura Kaminski as the Eagles gear up to face Arsenal.
Kaminski’s side currently occupy the bottom spot in the WSL table, behind Leicester City by only one point. The head coach asserted ahead of this weekend’s fixture, “We’ve shown some progression in the first half of the season in terms of playing big sides.”
Expressing her eagerness to get back into the swing of things, the head coach explained “I think the break came at a good time for us, the players mentally were given ample time off to ensure they were refreshed and recharged ready for January onwards, which is really important for us.”
Eagles ‘had practice in leading’ over Sheffield United
Last time the two sides met, back in 2021, Arsenal ran riot to a 9-0 victory. Kaminski highlighted that on this occasion, “We need to protect – in terms of our goal difference – we need to look after that.”
Renée Slegers was announced as Arsenal’s permanent head coach on Friday morning. Kaminski expressed her thoughts on the appointment, saying she is “delighted” for the new Gunners manager. “To see another female manager take the opportunity, and earn the opportunity in the sense that she has, is absolutely class for her and for the players.”
The South London outfit’s recent 6-1 Adobe Women’s FA Cup victory over Sheffield United has provided a confidence boost for the squad as they approach this next challenge. Kaminski said: “They’ve come back with a really good mindset. The win the other day just shows in front of goal, we can do it. We have to make sure that our feet are on the ground and we certainly don’t take anything for granted. We had to work hard for that result.”
The landslide victory has also highlighted the persistent gap between the second and first tier of women’s football in England. Kaminski continued, “In the WSL, you need to be a team that is difficult to beat and then the next week, it is flipped and we are going after teams who are getting loads of pressure high up the pitch. In that sense, you’ve got to be really good at two things and going into the game, we’ve had practice in leading.”
Hughes ‘in a really good place’ with ACL recovery
Star forward Elise Hughes suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in April last year after playing a monumental role in Crystal Palace’s Barclays Women’s Championship title charge. The Halfway Line asked Kaminski how things are looking for the key player.
Kaminski revealed that the Welsh international return to full team training on Friday morning, a milestone celebrated by the team. “The timeline is still unpredictable,” told the manager, but “She’s in a really good place.”
The Eagles boss was also asked if fans can expect to see much movement in the lead up to deadline day after Poppy Pritchard, Jorja Fox, and Brooke Aspin all returned to their parent clubs following loan spells. “We’re as active as others,” Kaminski continued, “We know that there’s certain areas of the pitch we want to make improvements.”
Crystal Palace will face Arsenal at Meadow Park on Sunday afternoon at 14:00 (GMT). The match will be available to watch live on YouTube.
