Arsenal forward Alessia Russo said she drew motivation from England captain Harry Kane’s recent Ballon d’Or win as the club seeks to improve its fortunes this season. Kane claimed football’s most prestigious individual honor at the London Palladium on Monday evening, following Alexia Putellas, who received the women’s Ballon d’Or.
Russo described the moment as special and said seeing one of her role models recognized gave her added inspiration. “As soon as he got announced, I had goosebumps,” Russo said, while also praising Putellas’s achievement. She added that the awards created a sense of motivation to push forward both individually and collectively.
Arsenal, the 2025 Women’s Champions League winners, are currently navigating a challenging start to the Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign. After a difficult run of five matches without a win, the team secured a 2-1 victory over Tottenham in the north London derby on Saturday, with Russo converting a key penalty. Despite the win, Arsenal remain 10 points behind league leaders Chelsea and second-place Manchester City.
The Gunners have also begun their European season with moderate success, accumulating four points from their first two Champions League matches. Russo emphasized the team’s goals and expressed confidence in their potential for the rest of the campaign. “Maybe it’s been tough to begin with, but I believe we’ve still got great things ahead in this team and in this season,” she said.
Arsenal manager Renee Slegers highlighted the significance of the recent derby win as a foundation for improved performances. “The way we played with intensity, with fight, with the grittiness that is necessary in a north London derby, that’s for us the foundation for performances going forward,” Slegers said. She stressed the importance of maintaining that level of play in upcoming fixtures.
Today, Arsenal face Benfica in the Women’s Champions League, aiming to continue their strong European form. In other Champions League fixtures, Chelsea—currently unbeaten domestically and holding four points from their opening two European matches—host Roma. Elsewhere, Real Madrid travel to Bayern Munich, Lyon welcome Inter Milan, and Swiss club Servette Chenois meet Belgian side OH Leuven.