Celebration last night
Last night was Arsenal Women’s first must-win game of the season and they delivered. Big time.
Although the final scoreline could be considered a bit harsh on the Germans, especially after the first half, the win is well deserved.
In a night that saw us scoring four goals, it was our off-the-ball shape and performance that impressed the most: from Beth Mead relentless pressing upfront to Manuela Zinsberger focus and reflexes, the whole team was fully switched-on defensively and kept an exemplary composure on a crucial occasion.
This, among all the positives from the night, is perhaps the most important output of our second game in the Champions League and the one that makes me optimistic for the remainder of our european campaign. Keeping this mentality, composure and focus will be key for our aspirations because it will provide the perfect platform for our incredibly talented players to make the difference on the ball.
As long as we keep the pressure on and our focus up, we will always score goals and win games, even on those bad nights when our passing will be off or the movements won’t come off, because we have a highly-skilled squad, a great mix of physical and technical qualities and some very experienced players that can deliver when it matters.
Last night was the ultimate example of what a big difference a solid mentality can make: Hoffenheim could have taken the lead, could have reduced the score, could have even mounted a credible comeback if it weren’t for our focus and attention to details.
There was a 10/15 minutes span, in the second half, when we slowed things down and were a bit less intense in our approach and Hoffenheim had a couple of big chances but Katie McCabe first and then Manuela Zinsberger were there to respond.
There to respond
Obviously I was very happy to see Tobin Heath score her first goal for the Club and Vivianne Miedema interrupt her so-called goals drought but if I had to pick one standout player from last night, that would be Beth Mead – again.
Impressive Heath
Since the season started, the English forward is the perfect embodiment of everything this team should aim to be: she’s the best at pressuring the ball; she’s relentless throughout the game; she is aggressive in 1v1 situations and she’s is the ultimate team player.
There is some real hunger in the way she plays that complements and elevates her game, sublimating her technical qualities and making her one of the most influential players in the team. If her mentality can flow through the team, we could be up for some nice things, this season.
Last night was a big one for our girls and they delivered a big win, which of course is a big relief: the loss in Barcelona put us in a tricky position but last night result put us back on track and allowed us to take the advantage over Hoffenheim. Provided that we will take six points off Køge and assuming that Hoffenheim take zero from both their games against Barcelona, a draw in Germany would see us go through the group stage and progress to the knock-out phase.
Viv left pitch after scoring 3rd
Now it’s time for another international break before we take on Brighton in the Women’s Super League, at home, on 31st of October. Let’s hope all our girls come back fit and healthy, especially Vivianne Miedema who left the pitch early, last night. What about leaving her behind this time, Mr. Parson?
Italian living in Switzerland, Gooner since mid-nineties, when the Gunners defeated my hometown team, in Copenhagen. I started my own blog and podcast (www.clockenditalia.com) after after some experiences with Italian websites and football magazines. Covering Arsenal Women with the occasional rant about the boys.
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