Arsenal’s Frida Maanum scores 4 for Norway as they qualify for Women’s Euro 2025

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·31 October 2024

Arsenal’s Frida Maanum scores 4 for Norway as they qualify for Women’s Euro 2025

All praise has been on Caitlin Foord, but we shouldn’t overlook what a bright start to the season Frida Maanum has also had. Unfortunately, after a brilliant 2022–23 season where she literally carried this Arsenal women’s team on her back, racking up 16 goals in 38 games, the Norwegian midfielder struggled to replicate her fine form last season. She struggled to duplicate her 2022–23 brilliance, and the incident where she collapsed on the pitch during the Continental Cup final win over Chelsea in March didn’t help. When she collapsed on the pitch during that game, many worried that her career was over. It turned out that her collapse was not medically related but rather an anomaly. Weeks after that incident, she returned to the pitch in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Leicester, playing the last 25 minutes of that game. She managed to see out the rest of the season, making cameo appearance after cameo appearance. In the summer, she did manage to play in Norway’s Euro qualifiers and was also, after a break, available to feature in the Arsenal Women’s USA tour. She didn’t dazzle in the pre-season friendlies but was ready to impress when the Gunner women started their season with the UEFA women’s Champions League group qualifiers. Since that Rangers game, she has scored four goals in 11 games for our Gunner women. Indeed, the past few weeks have been challenging, with nearly every top Gunner not performing at their peak. On Tuesday night, Maanum had the game of her life when her Norway team faced Albania in a UEFA women’s Euro 2025 qualifier. In a game that was more of a formality, having won the first leg 5-0, Norway were still relentless; they put on a show for a 9-0 win. Our Gunner women star scored four of the nine goals Norway scored on Tuesday night, securing their spot in the playoffs for the Euro 2025 women’s tournament in Switzerland next summer. After the game, Maanum admitted she’s in a good place and doesn’t feel any issue (especially the collapsing incident) holding her back, given the Arsenal and Norway national team medical departments are taking care of her, plus she’s been given all the support she needs.

She admitted via NRK, “No, I don’t feel any of those issues anymore. I feel really well taken care of by the medical teams with both the national team and Arsenal, and that support has meant everything to me. I’ve had people supporting me every step of the way, so I feel like I’m in a really good place now.”

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About her resurgence, to try get back to her best self and hinting at that with those 4 goals, she added, “It means so much to me. I’ve been through a lot, and it’s been really tough at times. I needed that summer break to put some distance between myself and everything that happened last season, as everyone knows [referring to when she collapsed during the cup final].”

Maanum is back to her best; now, we just need to trust her with more game time. Who knows, she might be crucial for Arsenal to turn things around after a difficult start to the season.

What are your thoughts Gooners?

Michelle M

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