Overview
Arsenal usually play a 4-3-3 with Leah Williamson and Jen Beattie as center-backs, both of whom can also play in midfield thanks to their possession of the ball. Joe Montemurro likes to push his full backs very high. Lisa Evans and Katie McCabe played it last season and made a name for themselves as ali.
In midfield, Lia Wälti is still with Jordan Nobbs and Kim Little ahead of her as the number 8 striker. When under pressure, Little retreats and forms a double pivot with Wälti who can keep the ball in tight spaces. Nobbs is a box-to-box midfielder who offers a goal threat.
Up front, Vivianne Miedema is Arsenal’s most recognizable player and one of the biggest goal threats in world football. However, his goals are only part of his game. She likes to get away from the front line and slide into position number 10, allowing characters like Nobbs, Little, and Van de Donk to enter the area for forward support.
Arsenal are a team that seeks to dominate through possession; they are patient with the ball, with the players rotating positions. “The important thing is that the players understand the space and the rotations, so that when we pass the ball there is always an option for the player to receive immediately and we have the second and third phases of the game mapped,” says Montemurro. .
What players do they have signed this summer and can it be used by the quarter-finals?
Australian left-back Steph Catley has been added from Melbourne City. He has played with Montemurro in the past and is considered one of the best left-backs in the world. Goalkeeper Lydia Williams also arrives from Melbourne City, while Swiss full-back Noëlle Maritz arrives after a trophy-laden seven-year stint in Wolfsburg. He can play both as a full-back and on both sides. 20-year-old Swiss international Malin Gut has also been hired to provide coverage for national team-mate Lia Wälti as a defensive midfielder.
Head coach
Montemurro joined Arsenal in December 2017 after holding various managerial roles with Melbourne City’s men’s and women’s teams. He is an advocate of total kick based on short passes and the rotation of positions in attack. “The less the opponent has the ball, the less they can hurt you,” he says. He also likes to make specifics for each opponent and enjoys solving tactical problems in the game. His assistant, Aaron D’Antino, is a video analytics expert.
Star player
They are far from a unique team, but Vivianne Miedema is undoubtedly the star. He broke the Dutch goal record at the age of 22 and has won the WSL Golden Boot for the past two seasons. She is also a talented creative player, providing more assists than any other player from last season. She seems to be sliding on the pitch and enjoys working outside the penalty area as much as she likes working inside it.
Did you know?
Jen Beattie’s father John was a Scottish rugby player in the 1980s [her brother Johnnie is a recently retired professional rugby player, too]. He scored a header against Argentina at the Parc des Princes in last summer’s World Cup – John scored a try for Scotland against France at the same end of the same pitch in 1987.
Who could surprise everyone in Spain?
Australian striker Caitlin Foord signed in February but was only able to play twice before the block. An experienced artist, she is now trying to make her mark in Europe, “He’s a little different from some of the players we have, he’s very powerful in the third finale,” says Montemurro.
What is Arsenal’s realistic goal in the WCL?
Arsenal must win the tournament to qualify for next season’s competition. They are not favorites at all given the presence of Lyon and Wolfsburg but will definitely aim to win the tournament in Spain. Saturday’s quarter-finals with PSG could go either way.
European pedigree
Arsenal remain the only British side to win the tournament in 2006-07. This is the first time they have been in the Champions League since 2014 and while they don’t have the pedigree of Lyon or Wolfsburg, they have played more Champions League quarter-finals than any team.
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