Who is to blame for Arsenal's FA Cup exit?
Max Radwan takes a deep dive into a poor pitch, a tired group of players, and a head coach making odd decisions.
Arsenal suffered their first major disappointment of the Renee Slegers era on Sunday, crashing out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage after a limp performance at home to Liverpool.
The 1-0 defeat has brought back familiar feelings that even a positive start to life under Slegers cannot mask. A post from The Guardian's Tom Garry succinctly sums up a sorry state of affairs.
In the simplest terms, if Arsenal fail to win the Champions League, it will mean that they have won one trophy besides the League Cup in nine years. Meanwhile, the team that has usurped them at the top of the women's game are well placed to win a sixth consecutive WSL title, and remain in all four competitions. As is often the case following a disappointing result, reminders of an unhealthy big picture for the club in the shape of various facts and figures will inevitably surface.
Others can and will assess the wider state of the club, but zooming in, this defeat represents the first to opposition from outside the so-called big four under Slegers. It is the second time in just over a month that Arsenal have crashed out of a domestic cup at Meadow Park – which for a number of reasons, no longer feels like the fortress of old (more on that later).
It would be exceedingly harsh to point the finger of blame at Slegers here. Chloe Kelly, who was cup tied, and backup left-back Jenna Nighswonger (an unused sub on the day) were the only players in the Arsenal squad to have joined the club since the Dutchwoman was appointed.
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