Arsenal cruised to a dominant 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday, securing at least third place in the FA Women's Super League and clinching Champions League football for next season. Goals from Frida Maanum and a brace from Alessia Russo ensured the Gunners made light work of their opponents, with one eye now on leapfrogging Chelsea into second place.

However, the win came without two key players—Katie McCabe and Leah Williamson—both absent from the squad for different reasons. McCabe's absence was straightforward, attributed to family reasons, while Williamson was sidelined with a muscular niggle. As Renee Slegers explained in her pre-match press conference, "Leah is managing a niggle, so she didn't come on to the pitch, and she won't be travelling to Villa tomorrow either."

Williamson's injury struggles have been a recurring theme this season, with the defender limited to just five league appearances due to issues with her knee, calf, and hamstring. Her absence, along with Steph Catley's ongoing recovery from a calf problem in her right leg since early April, left Arsenal without a single recognized defender on the bench for the match. Catley is now training on grass but remains unavailable for selection.

After the final whistle, Slegers addressed the squad depth concerns, noting the challenge of balancing a large roster with matchday limits. "We spoke about it yesterday in the press conference, for us to get the balance right," she said. "You want everyone to be involved and contributing. This was an extreme turnaround with Wednesday night and Saturday morning. But we have depth in the squad to be able to do it, but then there's also a maximum, so we have to find that balance because we want everyone to be contributing."

As Arsenal prepare for their penultimate match of the season, fans will be hoping for positive updates on both McCabe and Williamson's availability. With Champions League football secured, the Gunners can now focus on finishing the campaign strong—and getting their stars back on the pitch.