When West Ham trailed Arsenal 1-0 at Meadow Park and captain Kim Little hobbled off with a knee injury, fans could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
Jordan Nobbs came on in Little’s stead and, within a minute, Nobbs had equalised and put on a player of the match performance in an eventual 3-1 victory. It caps a great week for Nobbs, in which she also scored a golaco against FC Zurich in the Champions League on Thursday night.
This angle of Jordan Nobbs’ goal 😍
🇬🇧🎙👉 https://t.co/12VK9wBKqc
🇨🇭🎙👉 https://t.co/wEEAuKcx3g pic.twitter.com/YydkHgppG2— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) October 27, 2022
With the serotonin still swimming around her brain, Arseblog News asks Jordan what this week has meant to her after spending so long out of the starting eleven.
“Obviously, i love this club so much, I have absolutely trained my bum off for the last 5-6 months for those little moments, I know I have to be ready for them. I’m proud of myself for staying in it and with the girls we have, it’s so hard to get into the team and that makes it so special when you get chances because you know you are competing with top, top talent.”
Nobbs is not the only player to come into the team at a difficult moment after several weeks on the sidelines. Lotte Wubben-Moy has come into the team following injuries to Leah Williamson and Rafaelle. Frida Maanum put on a player of the match display against Lyon in the Champions League having not started a game since March recently.
“It shows the mentality we have,” Jordan explains. “Frida came in and had a fantastic game against Lyon and me and Frida have been on the bench a lot. We’ve been pulling each other through when we get to training and sometimes you have to say, ‘right, we go again, we train hard again.’ It brings the team together because we all have to play a part.
“You’ve seen how many players have played minutes in the last fortnight in this squad and put in a great performance and it’s all credit to their mentality and staying focused on what’s best for the team.”
SHE'S ONLY JUST COME ON!
What an impact from @JordanNobbs8 🤩#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/TN6aYAgZzG
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 30, 2022
Nobbs came on in her trademark number 8 position having been played by her club coaches and the national team coach either on the wing or in the support striker role.
“It was a nice, I haven’t had much of a chance to play there over the last few years, that 8 has been my role for the last ten years. But I love that role, I am one of those players who wants to get on the ball, it’s a position I’ve always loved. My first priority at the moment is to get on the pitch but it’s definitely something I really enjoy to start deep and go high.”
Nobbs’ every contribution has been cheered enthusiastically by supporters keen to show the love to the club’s longest serving player. The supporters club has voted her as player of the match in the last two matches. The love of the Arsenal faithful is not lost on Nobbs.
“I cannot thank the fans enough, every time I set foot on that pitch they have been such a boost for me. Hopefully I have shown them over the years what I think of this club and they make me feel such a part of it and I wanted to score for them. That’s the best part of football.”
So much love for Jordan tonight. Her performance was wonderful and the cheers so deserved.
Well done girls. A lot of determination and will to win by the whole squad but particularly from our Jordan.
Our Jordan is real. Accept no substitutes!
A joy to watch, just wishing her good health
Yes. I’m sure she said “bum”. 😂
The plaudits coming your way are well deserved, Jordan. What a fantastic mentality to go with prodigious talent.
Very concerned about Kim, though. Everything crossed.