When the team news dropped ahead of Arsenal’s match with Aston Villa, two absences stood out: Kim Little and Lia Wälti. Since 2018, the pair of them have been ever present in the Arsenal midfield, providing a level of calm authority for the rest of the team, a firm foundation from which the Gunners have been able to construct their assaults upon enemy territory. But after 6 years, it is also a pairing that is starting to show its age.
Ageing axis is a ticking time bomb that needs defusing rapidly
’10 more years, 10 more years, Kimmy Little’ cry the Arsenal faithful on matchdays, a desperate plea for their captain to defy the inevitability of time and continue to run the show. But in recent seasons, it is becoming abundantly clear that their Scottish star is no longer at the peak of her powers. In 2010, Little was Arsenal’s top scorer with 47 goals in all competitions, whereas last season, she only managed two. Her last goal from open play was two years ago, and even her reliability from the penalty spot has begun to wane with three misses last season, something that would have been unfathomable until now.
Little is by no means finished yet, still having a key role to play in this Arsenal side. The technical ability she possesses is unmatched by anyone else in the team, and last season, her absences were keenly felt. Arsenal thrashed Chelsea 4-1 at Emirates Stadium with her in the team, but were forced to travel to Spurs the following weekend without her, and in her absence, they suffered their first ever North London Derby defeat.
Time is closing in on the Little-Wälti midfield axis, and Arsenal need to ensure they are in control of the moment when it expires. Attempts have been made to find successors, with the likes of Victoria Pelova, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Kathrine Møller Kühl all being brought in to audition for the role of future Arsenal midfielder. Until now, however, there has been a deep reluctance to move away the stability Little and Wälti offer and start gambling on the future, a conundrum made worse with Pelova’s ACL injury. It was noticeable that in the final days of Jonas Eidevall, it was they, and not the likes of Cooney-Cross or Møller Kühl, that he defaulted to as the season began to crumble around him.
The need to finding viable alternatives in the engine room grow with every season. Against Aston Villa, Renée Slegers put forward a solution that showcased that in fact, the Little-Wälti endgame may be an opportunity to be embraced, rather than feared.
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Injuries force Slegers’ hand into embracing future potential
With Wälti still recovering from surgery to remove an abscess and Kim Little left out of the squad altogether after an injury concern, Slegers partnered Cooney-Cross with summer signing Mariona Caldentey in the midfield base. Cooney-Cross has had to remain patient since her very late arrival in the 2023 summer window.
Chances to demonstrate her talents in the centre of the park have been at a premium, due to injuries, attempting to settle in, but also being stuck behind Little, Wälti and Pelova in the selection queue. Here, finally, was an opportunity for her to stake her claim in the future of Arsenal’s midfield. It was an opportunity she seized with both hands, as for the first 45 minutes, it was the Cooney-Cross show.
Set-pieces have become a weak point in Arsenal’s attack in recent times, to the extent that they elected to change their set -piece coach in the summer, although to little effect. Against Leicester City, frustration grew with penchant for short corners without achieve anything with them. Here, Cooney-Cross offered Arsenal the missing dimension they have been lacking. 14 minutes in, Cooney-Cross whipped a devilish ball following a short corner right into Caitlin Foord’s path, who failed to take advantage of the opportunity given to her. Four minutes later, Cooney-Cross delivered another brilliant set piece into the box, and this time Russo met with a glancing header that evaded the dive of D’Angelo and nestled in the net.
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From then on, her presence and confidence in the game grew. Seconds later, a good turn and a show of strength saw her evade two Villa players, and suddenly Arsenal were on the attack again, and only a fine double save from D’Angelo prevented a quick-fire double.
This was the Cooney-Cross Arsenal had hoped for, with Mariona making barnstorming runs to push the Villa defence back and provide the main attacking impetus, Cooney-Cross had the freedom of the midfield to keep the possession ticking over with her accurate passing whilst also shielding the back line. She should have registered a second assist when she showed good pace to dart along the byline following another short corner, only for Williamson to nudge her cutback wide. The next one, she took on herself, a rasping effort that was arrowing towards the top corner until a superb tip over the bar from D’Angelo denied her.
The scoreline did eventually improve for Arsenal, with Cooney-Cross playing key roles in the build-up to Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius’ goals. With 5 minutes left to play, she was withdrawn to applause from the home crowd, replaced by Kühl. It is hard not to observe the great contrast between the two players as they swapped positions; one almost certainly in the frame for the seasons to come, the other sadly may see their future play out elsewhere.
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A positive performance from Cooney-Cross, but bigger tests are ahead
Whilst there had been glimpses of this from Cooney-Cross last season, such as the away trip to Leicester City and the League Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur, this was by far her most complete performance for the club. It should come with the caveat that it was against a very poor Aston Villa side, who offered a performance so wretched, Robert de Pauw and the club saw fit to part ways just three days later.
This was hardly the calibre of opposition to justify rubber-stamping Cooney-Cross as an absolute starter. But, it did provide a window for fans and the club to gaze through and observe the talent they have at their disposal, if they are willing to trust it and give it time to flourish.
This was a positive step forward for Cooney-Cross, but the ground beneath her is hardly stable. Wälti will almost certainly move straight back into the fold next year, Pelova’s recovery from her ACL will conclude in the coming months, and the spectre of Arsenal’s high interest in Keira Walsh looms in the background. If Cooney-Cross is to be a mainstay, then she will have to sustain this level against the tougher opponents in the coming days, the obvious one being Bayern Munich next week. All journeys must start somewhere, and whilst we might be witnessing the end for one Arsenal midfielder, we might also be seeing the beginning for another.