Arsenal women will welcome Manchester United to a sold-out Emirates Stadium this Saturday in what should be an action-packed match, with lots of drama. Both sides need the three points in their journey to win silverware and Champions League spots this season, and one player that everyone, Arsenal and United fans, will have their eyes on is Alessia Russo.
Russo joined Arsenal in the summer from her childhood club United, in what was a big move for the Lioness, and will be looking to try punishing them at The Emirates. She’s been a vital player in Eidevall’s system since joining the Gunners, and Saturday will be a huge task for her to face her old side for the second time this season.
We walked away in October last year with a point after a late goal by Cloe Lacasse, and Russo didn’t have the best game against her old squad, looking a bit lost throughout the clash. But since then she’s really found her feet in London, and now looks at home and like she’s been in London for years. Eidevall did start her on the right wing against United last time, which is not her preferred position, so that could definitely have something to do with it. She didn’t see a lot of the ball, and maybe going back to face her old club at their home was a bit daunting for her.
Russo has scored 6 goals and 3 assists in all competitions this season for the Gunners, and has been a key part in the build up to many other goals. She will no doubt be up for the occasion, and after last season scoring the winner against us at The Emirates in the dying seconds, with a header from a set piece corner, she will hopefully be able to replicate that for Arsenal this season.
Russo’s been on the scoring sheet a lot lately, scoring 2 goals and an assist in her last 4 appearances. Eidevall seems to have grown a lot of trust in her, and has started her for most of their games, and will expect her to be at her best this Saturday.
Coming back to face your old club is always hard, especially when you’ve spent most of your life growing up there like Russo has, but I think she will want to get on the scoresheet and punish her old club. The United fans weren’t happy to see Russo leave, and made that clear the last time we faced them. I’d expect a lot more of the same this time around, but being on home soil might be the difference, and hopefully we can walk away with the 3 much-needed points.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
COYGW!
Daisy Mae
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I was at Leigh Village for the 2-2 draw and while Alessia looked lost in the first half I thought she had a great second half. Brought out two good saves from Mary Earps and hit the post. Had her luck been in she could have had a hat trick. Possibly in the first have she had not anticipated the hostility towards her from the MU fans.
In her first game against her former club the manager ‘started her on the right wing, not her favoured position’.
Precisely why we have yet to witness the best of Alessia Russo at Arsenal, when JE does play her in her favoured position (which is never for ninety minutes), she’s up front on her own, with no-one to feed her the balls, either to her feet or her head, to enable her to score. People are saying that Stina Blackstenius is playing better than Lessi; take a look back at the game away to Liverpool and see how many goal scoring opportunities she wasted. It was just fortunate that Arsenal won anyway. Lessi not quick enough on the ball? Check out, v Aston Villa, v Chelsea and her assists in other games.
It’s JE’s fault that Lessi’s not scoring more, he’s not playing her a full match and often not in the correct up-front formation. Mark Skinner got better results from her.