Arsenal's Gervaise takes to high office

Arsenal LFC may have exited the UEFA Women's Cup last season with a 6-0 quarter-final defeat at Umeå IK but they have taken to the new UEFA Women's Champions League in style.

PAOK dismissed
The 2006/07 European champions won the first leg of their round of 32 tie against FC PAOK 9-0 and then repeated that scoreline at home on Wednesday, Kim Little claiming a hat-trick to add to the four goals she scored a week earlier in Greece. The Gunners now need to get past AC Sparta Praha to make the last eight again, and manager Tony Gervaise is thriled with how his side have begun the campaign.

'Great attitude'
"Scoring another nine goals is very good, we're delighted with that," he said. "The girls had a great attitude to the game and we did not expect anything other than having to do the business again, and they did that with the nine goals." Gervaise is also a fan of the new format, with two-legged knockout ties from the last 32 on. "I think it's exciting," added the Scot. "The change of format's been excellent, it gives teams more opportunity."

Succeeding Akers
This is a landmark season for Arsenal as for the first time since the team's foundation in 1987 they are not being led by Vic Akers, the former boss having stepped up to become general manager. Gervaise, a former Scotland youth coach who arrived in summer 2008 to assist Akers before stepping up this season, said: "It's quite enjoyable to be the decision-maker, but there's no pressure or anything. I just enjoy this side of the game and being involved in it and the team's responding very well and we're delighted with the way we're going."

Fleeting absence
He has won all five competitive games in charge but there is one name missing from the lineup, Gervaise's compatriot Julie Fleeting. The prolific striker has been out since late last year when she became pregnant. "Hopefully we'll have Fleeting available at the end of the month," continued the manager. "Maybe not ready for competitive football, but everything's fine, the baby's strong and everybody's well. We're hoping to see her at the end of October."

Loan hope
There is also a chance that Arsenal could temporarily welcome back England trio Kelly Smith, Alex Scott and Karen Carney, who moved to the United States earlier this year but are hoping to return on loan during the American winter close season if contractual issues are resolved. "It's not happened as quickly as we would have liked but hopefully there'll be something positive in the near future," Gervaise said.

Dominance
Without those players Arsenal were pushed unusually hard last season, needing a last-day 1-0 win at Everton LFC to secure a sixth straight English title. But Gervaise does not think their domestic dominance is under threat. "If any other team in Britain or Europe had lost the players we lost, they wouldn't have won anything," he said. "For me the gap's still there and we'll work to widen that gap."