Alessia Russo is part of the furniture for the long term at Arsenal, and she hopes to be a part of a club that are constantly picking up major honours.
The turnaround in the last two thirds of the 2024/25 season show the "new standards" that the squad is capable of reaching and striving to uphold.
‘You’ve always got to keep working hard’
At the age of 26, she still has a lot of time to mature and get even better as an attacking threat. It is an opportunity that excites Russo, who wants to make the most of the long-term deal in North London.
*“I want to do everything I can to be the best version of myself for me and for my team. I think I owe it to when you play for a club like Arsenal, you owe it to yourself and the team to do everything you can to make sure you're in the best shape, in the best form, and doing all you can to work hard.*
*“I will do that and I want to do that at Arsenal. We have a great standard of players that I can learn so much.”*
She wants to be the talisman for a top team battling on all fronts. The Gunners got their hands on the Champions League in May, but bowed out of the Women's FA Cup to **Liverpool**and the Women's League Cup to Man City before they finished in second spot behind runaway champions Chelsea.
“We're very clear in the fact that we weren't satisfied with how we performed at times in the league over the last few years. I always say when you win a trophy it lights that fire to go on and win more.
“It fuels your belief as well as a team because we've done it against some of the best in Europe. For us as a team, it's given us confidence to now implement that consistently. We've set a new standard.”
The striker signalled that the dressing room has to strike a delicate balance to push for such targets.
“I think it's comfortable in the sense that everyone's here to support you, but it's also uncomfortable in the sense that you've always got to keep working hard because we have so many great players and it makes it an uncomfortable environment at times because everyone's so good and pushing for more.”
‘They’re a massive part of us’
At Arsenal, the striker is confident that she has found the right club culture to get the best out of her.
“That's the kind of perfect balance of what I wanted. I wanted to be in a place where I feel like I can talk to anyone and have a relationship with everyone, which I do, players and staff. I also wanted to be in an environment where it is uncomfortable at times. You have to stretch yourself, have to push.”
The Gunners have traditionally been one of the biggest advocates for the growth of the women's game in English football. Russo is proud to be part of that heritage and recognised the role of the supporters.
“Whether you're an Arsenal fan or not, you can feel the relationship and the bond that the players and the fans have. That's something I felt when I first signed. They come literally everywhere.
“Part of the joy of playing for Arsenal is you get to play for the best fan base in the world. They're a massive part of us as a team and hopefully we can go on to win some more trophies with them this year.”
**Arsenal**announced that the Women's team would play all 11 of their home fixtures in the WSL this season at the Emirates Stadium. The striker is glad to have the right to enjoy this stage with the fans.
“There’s a massive sense of pride when we play at the Emirates. I felt that from the first game when we played there. I can't wait to get back to being there with fans who follow us all over the country and come out in numbers. We've sold about 17,000 season tickets this year, which is just incredible.”