RENEE SLEGERS urged Arsenal to go for the jugular in the first round of their battle with Lyon for a Women’s Champions League final spot.
The Gunners will face one of their biggest tests this term when they face the contest’s record winners at the Emirates on Saturday.
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And they have been given a fitness boost with Alessia Russo’s and Chloe Kelly’s return from injury.
However goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar is still sidelined, with the Netherlands stopper set to miss encoubter.
The lunchtime clash will see Slegers’ players push for a first-leg semis victory.
A result that would put them one win or draw away from reaching the contest’s decider for the first time since 2007.
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It was during that year, under former boss Vic Akers, the Gunners made history becoming the first English side to lift the trophy.
Arsenal boss Slegers, 36, said: “We want to go for it and take the opportunity by the throat.
“There will be an enormous crowd so we’re going to go from the start because we enjoy playing at the Emirates.
“We know this is our chance and I think 40,000 tickets have been sold
“We’re at one of the final stages of the Champions League. It’s a huge moment.”
A 5-1 drubbing of Leicester on Tuesday was Arsenal’s last result at the Emirates.
The win led to them cutting Chelsea’s lead at the WSL’s summit to three points.
However Lyon will be a far different proposition to the Foxes, with the latter currently having the worst away record in the WSL this term.
The French giants, currently managed by ex-Gunners boss Joe Montemurro, have won the trophy eight times since 2011.
The most recent of those triumphs came almost three years ago when they beat current holders Barcelona 3-1 under former boss Sonia Bompastor
Under the head coach, who now manages Chelsea, they also reached last season’s final where they fell to a 2-0 loss to Spain’s reigning champions.
This term Lyon have scored 24 times in the tournament whilst conceding just twice in the tournament.
Despite the visitors’ formidable Champions League form, Slegers reckons Arsenal has the quality to see off the European heavyweights.
She adds: “I have huge respect for their history and what they have been doing and producing in the Champions League
“But us playing at the Emirates, and the hunger and the belief that we have at the moment, we’re going to go and play our game to the best we can.
“Even though we have huge respect for their qualities and threats, we believe we can do something.”
Among the Gunners aces certain to be starting later is versatile forward Mariona Caldentey.
The Spain superstar, 29, knows all about helping a club make Champions League history having won it three-times with her old side Barcelona.
And Caldentey reckons Arsenal have the hunger they need to end their 18-year wait to become queens of Europe once again.
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She said: “We want to win titles and the Champions League is a big one.
We are still a bit far away right now, it’s three games for that.
“But everyone is hungry for it so it’s a mentality we need to keep. We are here because we deserve it.”
