Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema granted time off to ‘rest and recharge’ By Michelle
Arsenal have granted forward Vivianne Miedema a leave of absence to “rest and recharge”.
The 26-year-old, BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year in 2021, has left the UK but will return following this month’s international break.
The Dutch forward is the all-time top scorer in the Women’s Super League, having netted 120 goals since signing for the Gunners in 2017. She has also scored more international goals for the Netherlands than any other player, across both the women’s and men’s teams.
Miedema enjoyed another excellent WSL campaign last season, notching up 14 goals and eight assists, making her Arsenal’s top goalscorer for the fourth consecutive year. The 26-year-old was rewarded with a one-year contract extension in the summer amid transfer speculation, and finished 11th in this year’s Ballon D’or standings, while her teammate and partner Beth Mead finished 2nd only one point behind winner Alexia Putellas. Beth and Miedema are a very high profile couple, known as ‘The Beckhams of the lesbian world’. Are they perhaps going through a rocky patch?
Arsenal told BBC Sport: “Viv has been granted some time off to rest and recharge.
“We are supporting her closely and she will be returning following the international break.”
However, the forward has struggled to match her previous form this season, scoring just twice and registering one assist in five WSL appearances and she was named on the bench for Arsenal’s last two matches including their WSL clash with Liverpool which Arsenal won 2-0. Miedema has also been left out of Andries Jonker’s squad for the Netherlands’ upcoming games against Costa Rica and Denmark, on 11 November and 15 November respectively.
Arsenal travel to Leicester in the Women’s Super League on Sunday, without Miedema.
Is it perhaps due to the level of competition to get play time within the Arsenal squad? Eidevall has said: We all know competition is very important to drive us to the next level, and that is something we should be grateful for.
Whatever the problem, we hope that some rest and recuperation will have our superstar forward back in action soon.
Michelle Maxwell
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“Are they perhaps going through a rocky patch?”
Please don’t start with this nonsense tension you people like brewing among fans.
If you’re gonna write about someone, least you can do is make your research first.
You do know Viv caught Covid right? Also she herself can out to say how the aftermath of the euros took its toll on her mentally and physically and that it’s affected her a lot.
She’s been given time to properly get enough time and rest for herself at least.
Stop making silly assumptions