Are Arsenal Women putting themselves in a tricky position with Lotte Wubben-Moy?

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·20 de enero de 2025

Are Arsenal Women putting themselves in a tricky position with Lotte Wubben-Moy?

How can you discuss the Arsenal Women’s 2023-24 campaign without acknowledging how brilliant Lotte Wubben-Moy was?

The England international massively stepped up in Arsenal’s central defense. After Rafaelle’s exit and Leah Williamson’s ACL injury, which meant she would miss the start of the 2023-24 season, Arsenal needed someone to step up. Despite the arrivals of Laia Codina and Amanda Ilestedt, Lotte was the player who rose to the occasion and made herself “the leader” of the Arsenal defense.

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With quality performances week in, week out, she was a constant in Jonas Eidevall’s lineup—he couldn’t dare have her on the bench. Unfortunately, her perfect 2023-24 campaign was cut short with an injury: a torn plantar fascia.

Even so, I don’t think anyone else among the Gunner women showed her level of improvement and consistency through 2023-24. Lotte was awarded Arsenal Women’s Player of the Season 2023-24, and received high praise indeed from our now head coach, Renee Slegers, in this article.

Lotte Wubben-Moy’s fully deserves her award for Arsenal Women’s Player of the Season

She wasn’t fit to start this season and has since struggled with injuries, but she’s back now, and there’s an issue.

Leah Williamson and Steph Catley have, under Renee, formed an “unbreakable” center-back pairing, keeping clean sheets game after game (now 5 in a row in the league). Breaking that pairing seems misguided.

But if it cannot be broken, Lotte will struggle to get ample game time. Before playing a key role in 2023-24, it felt as if whatever she did, she can’t break into the team this season. Her performance last season should have given her the leverage to start whenever fit, but that’s not proving to be the case..

With the UEFA Women’s Championships taking place in Switzerland in the summer, Lotte will aspire to make the England Lionesses squad. Will she make that squad without playing much?

That’s where the temptation of her pushing for an Arsenal exit this winter comes in. Most Gooners who’ve watched her play would argue that whichever team she joins, she’s an instant starter when fit.

One might question whether Lotte Wubben-Moy would ever want to leave her childhood club. She wouldn’t be the first; a desire to play more between now and the summer could be the perfect reason for her to do so. Arsenal legend, Jordan Nobbs, made a move to Aston Villa for game time and was rewarded with a place in the Lionesses squad at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Who knows? Lotte could opt for a loan exit, reestablish herself, and challenge for a starting spot next season, if not decide to join that club permanently.

Lotte’s situation makes me sad. After playing so well for us and having an incredible season, it would be a hard decision for her to leave her childhood club. But if we want her to play a key role in the Euros or even just make the Euros squad, leaving may be her best option.

What do you think Gooners? What’s happening with our Lotte?

Michelle M

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