I am astounded that Arsenal did not pay a transfer fee to sign Alessia Russo in the summer after watching her run riot against Chelsea (when Arsenal won 4-1). She was certainly worth every penny Arsenal were willing to pay for her in the January transfer window, but as Manchester United rejected that record bid from Arsenal, they were left frowning as she left on a free transfer in the summer to join Arsenal, a club she believes is where she can take the next step in her career.
When Arsenal signed her, the expectation was that she would come in and score goals, but ahead of the match against Chelsea on Sunday, some, while appreciative of her work rate and performance, were apprehensive that she did not score as many goals as they hoped.
However, after her brace on Sunday, the narrative changed, and she is now regarded as the hero she is.
Though Beth Mead and Amanda Ilestedt both scored, you can’t help but notice Russo’s influence in the London derby win. Since 2021, when Arsenal last defeated Chelsea in the WSL, they lacked that extra edge going into London derbies, but on Sunday, Alessia Russo provided that.
“We came out, we did that, and we competed right until the very end — it was a massive win,” she admitted via Arsenal.com of the London derby win post-match.
“It was so enjoyable. I think you get so much energy from people with their passion. When you’re just doing the job really well, and that’s what we did today, everyone stuck together, and we got the job done.”
Alessia Russo consistently contributes to the team. Her constant quick, crafty run behind the Chelsea defence on Sunday was nothing short of spectacular. She single-handedly ran Chelsea ragged.
The 24-year-old will become a superstar as a Gunner, trust me, and with Beth Mead alongside her, the Gunners strike force is formidable.
Michelle Maxwell
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Vital win, keep it up girls!
Completely agree about Russo’s contribution, not only on Sunday but in many games. Russo, Lotte and Pelova did not stop working, on and off the ball. The point for me was the world class way the young Russo scored her first (and come to that the penalty as well). This woman would have been a bargain at £1m or more, a real gem, talented and grounded. Excellent performance.