The other day we spoke of how important our Arsenal women midfield duo Kim Little and Lia Walti are. We discussed how they, along with Frida Maanum, formed a balanced engine room that laid the foundation for Arsenal’s dominance.
Some believe that the Gunner women missed the two experienced midfielders during their match against Liverpool.
The Reds presented a formidable challenge to our team. But our team managed to secure three points in a challenging match against Liverpool, a team that consistently presents challenges, thanks to a goal from Alessia Russo.
Alessia Russo of Arsenal celebrates scoring her team's first goal with teammates Katie McCabe and Beth Mead during the Barclays Women's Super League match between Liverpool and Arsenal
Alessia Russo of Arsenal celebrates scoring her team’s first goal with teammates Katie McCabe and Beth Mead during the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Liverpool and Arsenal . (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
The victory was necessary because those above us dropped points (Leicester 1-1 Chelsea, Everton 2-1 Manchester City).
Renee Slegers faced the question of whether the team’s lack of Walti and Little in the last two games has resulted in a loss of control. Although she didn’t explicitly acknowledge it, she implied that the team missed Walti and Little’s cautious approach to games, although Little did replace Mariona for the last half hour.
“Kyra and Mariona have played there for two games, against Villa and Valarenga. We get the game we want, and we dominate, and then you get so much out of Kyra and Mariona with their qualities.
“Today, because we don’t get the details right, the game becomes scrappy and duelling and transitional. All players are different, but Kim Little and Lia Walti are more conservative most of the time, and Kyra and Mariona are more brave and go forward, and all four are very important, and we just have to put the puzzle together for what kind of qualities we need.
“At the same time, all four of those players can play all the roles we want them to because they are so versatile and have so many qualities, if that answers your question a little.” A Little LOL.
As for Walti, I feel she can take all the rest she needs; there is no need to rush her back. Kyra Cooney-Cross could continue filling in for her.
That said, with the winter break upon us, hopefully after the break we’ll have the Little & Walti partnership to continue dominating the midfield battles.
Michelle M
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Renee Slegers, Interim Manager of Arsenal, smiles as she looks on prior to the Barclays Women's Super League match between Liverpool and Arsenal
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