I am eagerly anticipating the return of our Arsenal Women; I miss watching some of our Gunners “make football look easy.” Emily Fox is one of our Gunners I’m looking forward to watching. The USA international joined Arsenal last winter and was an instant success, improving our right wing in ways we didn’t think possible.
The former North Carolina Courage right back demonstrated her ability to invert into central areas with and without the ball, making her difficult to mark out of the game as she avoided opposing wingers and fullbacks with that tactical play. Fox is in the 92nd percentile of WSL full-backs for progressive carries, which means she makes it simpler for the ball to reach the opponent’s goal when she inverts.
That said, as technically gifted as she is, she occasionally reverts to playing as a typical fullback, which allows Beth Mead to drift into more central areas and thus be difficult to defend against. Though she provides plenty offensively, she is also superb defensively. Even when she inverts or runs up and down the wings, her athleticism allows her to recover in space and be ready to resist danger from opponents.
Emily Fox has been a phenomenal addition to the Arsenal. Emma Hayes, the USWNT boss, called her up to represent the United States in the women’s soccer team at the Paris Olympics, starting next Thursday. I hope she impresses and builds momentum so that when the UEFA Women’s Champions League round 1 qualifications begin, she is ready to assist Arsenal’s return to Europe. Her fight for a starting spot against Laura Wienroither at Arsenal’s right back is something we Gunners can look forward to.
What are your thoughts on our right-back options?
Michelle M
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Move her to left back and let McCabe move into midfield