‘We need to make results matter’ – Williamson speaks ahead of Arsenal’s showdown with Real Madrid | OneFootball

Arsenal defender Leah Williamson says that this evening’s UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final, second leg tie against Real Madrid is a huge game, but the focus on winning remains the same.

The Gunners play host to the Spaniards at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have work to do after going down 2-0 in the first leg a week ago.

When speaking in the pre-match press conference, Arsenal defender Williamson highlighted the huge importance of the game, but said that the emphasis is always put on winning.

“It’s the biggest month we’ve had in terms of knockout competitions,” Williamson said. “This game is no different.

“I think the work that we’ve done, you can see the direction that we’re going in. We need to make results matter and count for us always, as a football club, so the focus never shifts. We can’t think about those sorts of things. We just focus on the task at hand in the next game and we’re obviously always trying to win.”

Ahead of the first leg, Arsenal were favourites to qualify for the semi-finals, but they now find themselves with lots of work to do. Williamson says that The Gunners never underestimated the threat of Real Madrid.

She said “I don’t know if anybody underestimated them, I don’t think we ever did. I think we’ve respected what their strengths are and the players that they have. The Champions League is as competitive as ever, once you get to these stages, so I think the results don’t shock me. They have quality, but we also do. Those games are highly competitive these days and you want to be the one that comes out on top.”

Reflecting on last week’s defeat in Spain, Williamson admits that Arsenal’s standards slipped and she says that The Gunners must be stronger at both ends of the pitch this evening.

She said “I think there was a general feeling that we wasted a potential opportunity.

“The pitch wasn’t at the standard that it needed to be, but we both played on it. I think the anger is more frustration at ourselves because we know what we can do and we didn’t. We know that we have more and that’s frightening for other teams also because I think in the game, we were still competitive.

We need to score goals. That’s what it comes down to and we need to stop that. We were frustrated, but more-so at ourselves than anything else because the pitch, weather, whatever it is, the standards of Arsenal are higher than they were last Wednesday.”

Arsenal’s UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final, second leg tie against Real Madrid kicks-off at 8pm this evening. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.