Renee Slegers [Jay Patel/SPP]

AS one Arsenal manager extends their contract, another is facing mounting pressure, with Renee Slegers forced to tackle questions about her future at the club.

The murmur is, for now, external, with the club insisting that Slegers retains their full backing. But having seen the Gunners win just two of their opening seven matches in all competitions, such confidence can fade very quickly.

On Sunday, Manchester City increased the pressure on Arsenal’s head coach when they twice came from behind to seal a 4-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

It leaves the north Londoners sitting 10th in the WSL table. Slegers now has the international break to find solutions, and she’s hoping a change of scenery will benefit her players, too.

“It’s been really intense,” she admitted. “It’s not been the results that we’ve wanted. No one wanted this, the club, the fans, they were brilliant again.

“But it’s really good for the players to go away and go to another environment, go to the national teams, play their football somewhere else and then come back with new energy.”

Arsenal return to league action a week on Saturday, on October 17, when they host Birmingham City at the Emirates.