Proper Arsenal
Morning all. I’m not entirely sure if Andrew is on a plane or already back in Dublin, but either way, you’ve got me on cover duty today.
Since it didn’t get a mention in yesterday’s blog, I thought I’d briefly touch on the European Women’s Championship final – a match with Arsenal fingerprints all over it.
First, commiserations to Mariona Caldentey, who scored a fine header to open the scoring for Spain, but was one of three players to miss for them in the penalty shootout. Her effort was saved by England’s excellent keeper Hannah Hampton, and while shootouts are a cruel way to lose, it was particularly harsh on someone who’s been outstanding all season – WSL Player of the Year, remember. The same goes for Aitana Bonmatí, another penalty taker denied. The haunted look on her face as she collected the Player of the Tournament award said it all. Safe to say she’s probably had her fill of English opponents for a while.
In contrast, the England celebrations, led by Chloe Kelly, whose penalty sealed the win, were pure joy. What a year it’s been for her. Since rejoining Arsenal in January, she’s played like a woman possessed. I was at The Tollington in May when she briefly bounced in to celebrate the Champions League success with fans. Seemingly, that monumental achievement wasn’t enough to satiate her desire to stick it to her doubters.
“Thank you to everyone who wrote me off. I’m grateful,” she said in her post-game press conference, a pointed jab at those who froze her out at Manchester City. As a man who knows how to hold a grudge *does wanker sign at Leeds United*, I absolutely love that.
It wasn’t just the emphatic winning penalty in the shootout (recorded at 110km per hour!), it was everything else: the drive, the aggression, the hunger to make something happen when she replaced Lauren James before half-time. Her bravery on the ball and sharp understanding of her teammate led to a pinpoint cross that Alessia Russo converted brilliantly for the equaliser – the striker’s fifth goal involvement of the tournament. Honestly, what a bloody header. When she’s back from her holidays, I hope she spends some time on the training ground teaching Viktor Gyokeres how to do that.
I actually thought Russo was very unlucky to get hooked with 20 minutes of normal time left. Her relentless running and pressing caused Spain all sorts of problems, and I imagine their defenders were delighted to see the back of her. England didn’t look as threatening with Michelle Agyemang leading the line. That’s definitely not a dig at her – her hold-up play and defensive work were excellent – but, as far as I can tell, she’s not yet a consistent channel-runner. In her other cameos, she’s brought a bit of chaos to the opposition box. This time, England were so pinned back they couldn’t create those moments for her.
Still, she went to Switzerland as a relative unknown and came back Young Player of the Tournament and a national hero. After Michael Owen (1998 World Cup) and Wayne Rooney (EURO 2004), she’s just the third teenager to score more than once at a major tournament for England. I’d like to say that’s great company to keep, but Michelle seems lovely and the other two are absolute cockwobblers.
Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see how she fits into Renee Slegers’ plans next season. Tim wrote the other day that another loan, and regular minutes, might help “round out her obvious qualities”. Then again, with Arsenal Women already committed to at least 11 games at Emirates Stadium, the club might see things differently. She’s a star in the making, and they put bums on seats.
I’ll get to Leah Williamson in a second, but it’s also worth sparing a moment for two more Arsenal players in the England squad: Lotte Wubben-Moy and Beth Mead.
Lotte didn’t see any game time, but her impact has never been limited to what happens on the field. After the last Euros – where she was also an unused sub – she led the charge on the Lionesses’ open letter to the government, calling for every girl in England to have equal access to football in schools. That campaign didn’t just make headlines; it forced a national conversation. One that’s still ongoing. You can’t measure that in caps or minutes, but it tells you everything about her values and her leadership. I expect she’ll be very vocal in the coming weeks.
Beth Mead, meanwhile, played 280 minutes across England’s six games. She might not be the unstoppable force she was in 2022 when she won Player of the Tournament, but considering she spent a year sidelined with an ACL injury, the fact she’s back competing at the highest level is a hell of an achievement.
And then, of course, there’s Williamson, another who knows all about fighting back from injury. ACL recoveries are a gruelling, lonely road, and you always wonder whether a player will return the same. In her case, she hasn’t. She’s returned better.
Leah Williamson is in that phase of her career that a lot of great players go through when their consistency just washes over people and they miss it. Usually when the great players like this get to about 33 and people can see the end they get a ‘grand old’ halo. But she is one of the greats.
— Tim Stillman (@tim-stillman.bsky.social) 2025-07-28T06:25:57.689Z
There’s a composure to the way she marshals those around her. A quiet clarity that cuts through the chaos. You rarely see her shout, but when she speaks, everyone listens. And when she acts, whether it’s a smart block, a clean interception, or a calm pass through the lines, you can feel the tempo of the team shift around her.
On the eve of the final, she described the Lionesses as “task-focused”.
“Whatever is in our way, we’ll try and overcome that together. I don’t think we’re a team fearful of losing… we focus on being the best people we can to each other, performing the best that we can, and hopefully that gives you the result that you want.”
You don’t hear many players talk like that. But then, not many players lead like Leah Williamson. She makes you proud to be Arsenal, whether you care about England or not.
The Lionesses have adopted the phrase ‘Proper English‘ to sum up the spirit that’s carried them through the toughest moments of a backs-to-the-wall campaign: resilience, humility, togetherness. But for Gunners supporters, those qualities feel very familiar.
We’ve seen that same steel and composure from this group before, not least on the biggest European stage back in May. Proper English? Maybe. But there’s more than a little ‘Proper Arsenal’ in there too.
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Speaking of Arsenal centre-halves, over in Singapore, William Saliba has hinted that negotiations over a new contract are heading in the right direction.
Asked for an update following Sunday’s win over Newcastle, he said: “There is nothing now but there is a good conversation with my agent and the club. Let’s see.”
It’s no secret that Mikel Arteta is eager to tie down the Frenchman, who has two years left on his current deal. With Real Madrid sniffing around, it’s a situation we’d all like resolved sooner rather than later. Some of us are old enough to bear emotional scars from previous Spanish raids, so the positive noises from Saliba’s camp are welcome.
It certainly helps that Gabriel Magalhaes has already committed, and that their partnership at the heart of defence is rightly considered one of the best in Europe, never mind just the Premier League.
Get it done, Andrea. Then get Saka done. And announce Nwaneri. And buy Eze. And…
It’s easy to forget Saliba has been an Arsenal player for six years now. What started as a promising youth signing has matured into a cornerstone of Project Arteta. Now, aged 24, he’s stepping into a leadership role, even mentoring the next generation – Marli Salmon reportedly among those he’s taken under his wing. He’s been suitably impressed by what he’s seen on tour.
“They are unbelievable,” he said of Arsenal’s teenage talents. “They are young, we mustn’t put pressure on them, but to play the way they play at 15… I remember when I was 15, I was not playing with the first team — I was with the under-17s, so it’s good!
“We have to protect them and give them support, but of course they are really really good players, and I hope they will help us as soon as possible.”
I think many fans will be hoping to see more of them against Sp*rs on Thursday. That said, as the new season comes into focus, it wouldn’t be surprising if their cameo opportunities are reduced, especially when you consider we have three further signings to incorporate into the squad.
Maybe Arteta will clarify matters when he faces the media in Hong Kong. I’m assuming there will be a press conference either today or tomorrow. We’ll cover those quotes as and when they drop (assuming I’m awake) on Arseblog News.
For those looking for further reading/viewing, there’s a shedload of Gyokeres #content doing the rounds. I enjoyed David Hytner’s piece on the mystery of the Swede’s celebration (even though he’s actually clarified how it first arose in his Arsenal interview) and the fact the Guardian tracked down various opponents to ask how you stop him. The Times (£) and The Athletic (£) have both run profiles and, if you haven’t already, Uefa’s video feature – released just before we beat Sporting 5-1 in November – is worth a watch. And, from a stats perspective, Scott’s ‘Debrief’ article on Substack goes into the nuts and bolts of his game.
By the time you’re done with all that, you’ll probably be bored of Big Vik before he’s even played for us. But there we go, the modern world moves fast.
Right, I’m done. Work awaits. I’ll catch you soon. Andrew is back tomorrow.
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