Arsenal have found themselves in the middle of controversy after the club decided not to renew the contract of Vivianne Miedema last summer.
Since then, England striker Alessia Russo has reached new heights for the Gunners and it is no coincidence.
Fans in North London were rightly disappointed Arsenaldecision not to extend Miedema’s expiring contract. The Dutch striker remains the club’s all-time top goalscorer, playing a significant role in the club’s title-winning campaign in 2018/19.
At the time, Arsenal instead decided to put together a new deal for Stina Blackstenius, who joined the club in January 2022. After the club desperately begged to sign Russo in January 2023, Manchester United would eventually have to hand over the England striker for a zero fee only a few months later.
With Miedema waiting in the middle of her ACL recovery, this left Arsenal with a top three spot with a number nine heading into the new campaign.
After the record season 2018/19. in which Miedema became the player with the most goals in a WSL season (22), fans across England witnessed the greatest striker to play a domestic game.
Fast forward to 2024, and fans were rightfully unhappy when the club decided not to renew Miedema’s contract.
Reports suggested that former head coach Jonas Eidevall was the main culprit behind the decision to move on to Miedema, when it became abundantly clear that the pair did not get along. Eidevall’s clear ambition to secure Russo in 2023 meant he was willing to take the club in a different direction, with a brand new striker.
Through no fault of Miedema’s, her comeback from a gruesome ACL injury has been far from smooth. The 28-year-old had to undergo corrective knee surgery shortly after her return, and the side effects of her recovery still affect her to this day. He underwent another knee operation in the later stages of 2024 and as a result made just five appearances for Man City.
As for Russo, the player is ready as is. Aside from a severe hamstring injury she suffered in her first WSL season, Russo has gone through her professional career almost unscathed. The 25-year-old proved unfit in just one game during her Arsenal career, when she played through illness in last season’s FA League Cup final triumph against Chelsea.
Sometimes a club has to bet on the player they feel is the least prone to injury, and in this case it was always going to be Russo.
Ultimately, it would be an ignorant conclusion to consider Miedema a scapegoat for Russo’s form. At the start of the 2024/25 season, the England striker failed to score in the first eight competitive matches of the season. That was until Eidevall left, after which Russo ran away.
Since interim head coach Renee Slegers took over in north London, Russo has scored 10 goals in 12 competitive games. Despite not scoring her first WSL goal until game week six, Russo is now tied for second in the race for the Golden Boot.
This is not just a matter of players getting along with the person in charge, but a clear tactical change that has taken place in the post-Eideval era. The former Gunners boss never seemed to know who his favorite number nine was, switching between rookie Russo or Blackstenius depending on the opponent. His tactics got the better of him, not a single player was able to succeed in the start-stop system he used.
Since Slegers took office, clarity has been ensured. Russo has started every game since Eidevall left, with Blackstenius usually deployed as a super-sub. The England striker has become a versatile cog in Arsenal’s machine, usually dropping into midfield when the Swede comes on.
As far as stats go, this worked. Russo and Blackstenius each had zero goals in the 2024/25 season in eleven competitive matches. Since Eidevallo’s departure, the pair have found the net 13 times.
So why? Slegers’ simplification of each player’s role allowed them to thrive. The number nine relies on consistency, it’s the most confidence-based position on the pitch, so uncertainty about your role in the team will only hurt performance.
Russo now knows she starts, Blackstenius now knows her role is to make an impact off the bench. Consistency allows these players to play some of their best football in months.
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