In years gone by, Blackstenius may have been keen to move on to a new challenge. That's because she's often struggled to get into Arsenal's starting line-up, given the presence of Alessia Russo, the Gunners' first-choice centre forward. This season, though, head coach Renee Slegers has used the pair together more often, with Russo dropping into a deeper role while Blackstenius leads the line, with the two often switching positions fluidly in order to create new problems for the opposition.
"I think they're quite different as players and that’s why they make such a good fit," Slegers said recently. "You sometimes say opposites attract. I think they are quite far away from each other. That’s what makes them such a good partnership because they want to do different things on the pitch and they give each other that space and opportunity to do those different things. So it brings a dynamic in a team that’s really good for us and they both can play the No.9 role."
It has led to Blackstenius' most prolific domestic season to date as an Arsenal player, with her eight goals and three assists from 15 Women's Super League games - just six of them starts - a career-best since her move to England. That's on top of another three goals and two assists in other competitions for the 30-year-old this term.