Renee Slegers remains confident her Arsenal team can achieve great things this season despite slipping to their first Women's Super League defeat of the campaign.

Arsenal were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Alyssa Thompson pouncing on some sloppy defending to score the only goal just before the break.

The Gunners improved after the interval, having also seen Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey hit the woodwork in the first half, but they were unable to find an equaliser. 

Arsenal's attacking troubles have been a topic of conversation as they have scored just two goals this campaign, with only Charlton Athletic (one) netting fewer in the WSL so far. 

Slegers' side had 18 shots, but only two of those forced Hannah Hampton into making a save, with those efforts generating an expected goals (xG) total of just 1.04. 

The result also saw Arsenal's 20-game unbeaten run in the WSL come to an end, leaving them seventh in the table and already seven points behind leaders Manchester City. 

And while Slegers expressed her disappointment with the defeat, she backed her players to hit their stride sooner rather than later, with a Women's Champions League clash against Paris FC coming up this Wednesday. 

"Very disappointed. We know it's a tough game Chelsea away. I think we did well in the first half in the physical battle and dominated until their goal," Slegers told Sky Sports.

"We found it hard in the second half and it cost us more energy. It's a cocktail of things. It's everything. Technical and psychological. We're looking at it.

"I believe in these players. The goals and the points will come. I believe in them."

For Chelsea, however, they ensured their own unbeaten run in the WSL continued. They are now 12 games without defeat in the league. 

The Blues are also now unbeaten across their opening four games of a WSL campaign for the fourth successive season, while Arsenal only have five points to their name at this stage for the second time in the last three seasons (also 2024-25).

Keira Walsh has been key to Chelsea's strong start to the season, and she once again played a starring role in the middle of midfield against Arsenal.

She finished with team-high totals for chances created (three), accurate passes (62) and possession won (10), while only Lucy Bronze (107) had more touches for Chelsea than Walsh's 92. 

The England international acknowledged the difficulties Chelsea came up against as Arsenal searched for an equaliser, but she was thrilled to help get her team over the line. 

"It's hard, Arsenal were chasing a goal and changed formation a bit," Walsh said. "It was important that we kept a clean sheet and stayed in the game.

"Ellie [Carpenter] took us up the pitch a bit at the end and it really helped."

Walsh was also not reading too much into Chelsea's unbeaten league run, adding: "I don't really think we think about it.

"We've got both sides to our game and we showed that in spells. Everyone was fighting for each other. Every first and second ball was ours."