Attempt number two.
After the postponement of what should have been our season opener at Manchester City, the Arsenal Women team is finally about to kick-start their 2022/23 campaign with one target: lift the trophy that evaded us last year by one single point.
We had the best attack, the best defence, registered only one league defeat throughout the whole season yet Chelsea pipped us to the league title, their third on the trot. It was particularly painful to see thing unfold, last year, as the trophy had our name written all over it for a large part of the campaign. Draws at home to Manchester United and away at Spurs were the difference between winning or being second-best, even more that the odd but well-deserved defeat against bottom of the table Birmingham City, as unexpected as it was.
It’s time to turn the page and start over again, ready to battle for the best prizes both domestically and internationally. We still have a long way to go to truly compete for the Champions League trophy but we are very well placed to reinstate ourselves as league champions, the last time being in 2019.
Exciting new addition to the squad
I am confident but I don’t consider us the standout favourites, although there are many reasons for optimism: last winter’s switch to a more offensive 4-2-3-1 with Vivianne Miedema in her favourite number ten role saw us flourish and the addition of a direct, very physical wide forward in the shape of Lina Hurtig will allow more unpredictability and power in the final third. Moreover, we will have Rafaelle and Laura Wienroither from the start of the season and players will be more used to Jonas Edivall’s methods.
I do have some reservation about our midfield, which looks very thin in numbers and appears to be over reliant on Lia Wälti, whose role and skillset is quite unique in our squad. Every time she is absent there is a feeling that the void is impossible to fill and it has a big impact on the team’s balance and cohesion. I wish we added some cover for the Swiss international but it is as it is, I guess, and we will simply hope for the best. Of course, Leah Williamson can step in midfield when needed but her accurate, hard-to-read long passes from the back have proved to be a great asset last season and giving them up should truly be a last resort measure.
Skipper can play in midfield
This is not the time to worry, though. Let’s focus on the first game of the season, on the first step of our quest and on the return of football!
Let’s go!
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.
No mention of power midfielder Jordon Nobbs. Don’t you rate her?
I rate Jordan Nobbs very highly and I wish she played more regularly last season, before her injury. That said, I don’t see her as a potential alternative to Lia Wälti. Thanks for reading!