“Off the pitch, she’s a fantastic person,” Arsenal manager Renee Slegers said when asked about her decision to start Alessia Russo over Stina Blackstanius at Everton.
Blake Stanius came off the bench to score the winning goal against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium last week, but Slagers has chosen to stick with first-choice number nine Russo despite growing doubts.
advertise
The England striker repaid her faith by scoring the second goal in Arsenal’s comfortable 3-1 victory in her 100th Women’s Super League (WSL) appearance.
Slagers told Sky Sports: “We’re delighted she’s playing for us. She can do a lot on and off the pitch.”
Russo has now started all 16 of Arsenal’s games this season and her all-round performance against Everton was another reminder of why she has become an integral part of the team for club and country.
‘Selfless’ Russo’s WSL career so far
[BBC]
Russo has always been versatile, as evidenced by her goal contributions during her WSL career.
advertise
She came off the bench to provide an assist in Manchester United’s 5-2 victory over Birmingham City on her debut, and then opened her scoring account in the 3-0 win over Brighton in the following game.
Before joining Arsenal, Russo played 46 league games for Manchester United, scoring 27 goals and providing 6 assists.
Russo has averaged a goal every 1.86 WSL games since arriving in north London, along with eight assists. The perfect combination of purpose and provision for others.
Former England midfielder Izzy Christiansen summed it up on Sky Sports after the game at Goodison Park: “I love watching her trajectory. Her reading of the game is second to none. She plays at a high level and does it unselfishly.”
advertise
Former England defender Laura Bassett added: “She really pushed this team to get this win. It wasn’t the prettiest win but she has been at the heart of it all.”
“The glue that makes a team work”
Russo acted at Goodison Park as if she had overheard her manager’s effusive pre-match praise.
She did “so many things” on the pitch to help the Gunners achieve a crushing victory and fully deserved the Man of the Match award.
Russo’s expected goals rating was 1, accounting for 51.28% of Arsenal’s total expected goals rating of 1.95 on Saturday afternoon, with four of her eight shots on target and one goal scored. She is also the Arsenal player who has had the most touches of the ball in the Everton penalty area (16).
advertise
Russo is often criticized for her lack of goals compared to forward Blake Stanius, but Russo’s all-around play makes her a key component in Slegers’ system.
England team-mate Esme Morgan explained on Sky Sports: “Lester is such a complete player. She contributes so much to the team, not just scoring goals.”
“When we played in England, a lot of the goals we scored rarely involved the four or five passes leading up to the goal. We relied on her a lot.”
Morgan added: “It’s frustrating to hear people criticize her for her lack of purpose. She gives so much and does it so selflessly. She’s the glue that makes the rest of the team function better.”
[BBC]
Ben Haynes, Ellen White and Jane Beattie return to the Women’s Football Weekly Podcast. New episodes air every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus you can watch them on Women’s Football Weekly Updates
