LONDON -- Renee Slegers has thrown the gauntlet down at Barcelona, saying that Arsenal are not going to Women's Champions League final "just to participate."
Arsenal go into the clash in Lisbon later this month as underdogs against a Barcelona side looking to win their third successive Champions League trophy.
The LigaF side swatted aside Women's Super League champions Chelsea 8-2 in the semifinals en route to the final.
Arsenal finished the WSL season 12 points behind Chelsea, with their 4-3 win over Manchester United on Saturday clinching a second-place finish in the league.
While Slegers' side had already secured a spot in next year's Champions League going into the clash on Saturday, finishing runners-up has helped ensure the north London side will avoid an extra round of qualification.
Arsenal missed out on the group stages in the 2023-24 season after stumbling against Paris FC in this third round of qualification.
"All my energy went into this game because it was crucial for us after the last two games [5-2 loss to Aston Villa and 4-2 loss to Brighton] and preparing for the next one. So, I haven't been thinking about it [the final] too much," Slegers told a news conference on Saturday.
"But of course, I am very proud that we put ourselves into this position and it's not a lot of players or people working around teams that can say 'hey I've been in the Champion League final.' It's the ultimate for every single player and staff member. So, we're very proud and I'm very proud as well.
"I'm going to enjoy it and we're going to show a lot of respect because Barcelona is a very good footballing team and will be humble. But we also, we aren't there just to participate, so we'll go there to win."
Alessia Russo has been a key contributor for Arsenal in their run to the final, with seven goals in the competition.
She scored a brace in the quarterfinal second leg against Real Madrid, and also netted against Lyon in the second leg of the semifinal.
The England international has been equally imperious in the league. While she didn't get on the scoresheet on Saturday, her 12 goals across the campaign meant she shared the Golden Boot along with Manchester City's Khadija Shaw.
"I'm happy that she got rewarded for all the work that she does day in day out and the team as well," Slegers said. "If you look at Alessia, it's not only the scoring contribution, but she contributes in so many ways to the team on and off the pitch.
"It's a privilege to work with these players and Alessia is definitely one of them."