Katie McCabe stopped by the mixed zone after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg on Sunday afternoon. With thanks to Simon Collings from the Evening Standard.
On her emotions after the game…
We are still in it. We knew from last season this is a difficult place to come to. They have got fantastic support and they are a fantastic team. So for us to obviously have that resilience and show a gutsy performance to comeback and make it 2-2, I am really proud of that. It’s all to play for at the Emirates next week.
On the character of the team…
We have kind of been in those situations a couple of times this year – against Man City, in the Conti Cup against Chelsea – and we have shown who we are as a team. We know we have the quality in the team to create goal-scoring opportunities. We didn’t let that (going 2-0 down) affect us. We knew we had something in us and we showed that tonight.
On losing Kim Little and Leah Williamson for the season…
Look, it’s hard losing those types of players – even early on in the season with Beth and Viv. To lose our captain and vice-captain in the space of a couple of days hurt us, but also it brings us together. We are out there, we are running for each other and we are doing it for the girls back home as well. They are a massive part of this Champions League journey and we just have to make sure we finish it off in the best way possible.
On the injuries acting as a motivation for the team…
Of course. They are obviously around the training ground, doing their rehab. They are there, they are present. We help each other, we coach each other and you have seen our captain here tonight, Kim, travelling with us. That presence is important around the place, those leadership qualities she has and the experience she has at this level. She can feed that into the team. It just shows how together we are as a team and how much we want this for each other. I think we showed that today.
yes (valid) pic.twitter.com/EvKA8rUehh
— did Katie McCabe get a yellow card today? (@yellows4KM15) April 23, 2023
On Katie being captain for the remainder of the season…
Of course you are responsible, but I think we have got leaders all round the pitch, it’s not just because I wear the armband. We have got a wealth of experience through our backline and in our team. It’s obviously an honour for me to captain a club like Arsenal, especially in this stage of a massive European competition. But yeah, I am still fully focused on the job at hand and what my role and responsibility in the team is and doing that to 100 per cent.
On how the team are finding the energy for all of these big games…
You are doing it for those girls that have been ruled out for long periods of time. They are our energy and they are our push to keep going. I’ve represented this club for the last seven years and we are used to being in this stage of the season, where you are in things and you are challenging for things. But it’s all about recovering as quick as possible, because the next one comes around really quick. We will be looking forward to that.
On the importance of the travelling Arsenal fans…
For us, the fans are everything. We hear them, we feel them. They give us energy, especially when we go 2-0 down. They were still chanting away and singing and cheering us. What the Emirates will do for us next week will be unbelievable. There are 45,000 tickets sold, which is incredible. We felt that love, especially in the Munich game, with the drive and the push for us to keep going. We love how our supporters travel all around Europe to support us. We can see our pool of supporters growing, especially in those away games.
On what it would mean to sell the Emirates out for the second leg…
Josh Kroenke came in after the game to congratulate us, which was a really, really nice moment to be honest. He is ready for the Emirates next week as well, just as much as we are. We want people to come and watch us. We have shown that we can get big support and big crowds at the Emirates. Next week will be a massive game, so I wouldn’t want to miss it if I was a fan.
On Josh Kroenke, Vinai Venkateshem, Tim Lewis and Lord Harris travelling to the game…
It’s a touch of class to be honest and that’s what this club is all about. We have felt the love all season from them (the owners), so to have him here present in such a massive game it’s great for us. It just shows how much of a one club we are and how we have that one-club mentality.
Great piece. What a positive attitude to take about the absence from the pitch of the long-term injured players. I’m sure this helps Viv, Beth, Kim and Leah cope as well. But Katie can’t lose her rag again, however much they provoke her. We need her for the match next Monday.
I hope we sell out the stadium but if we don’t, let’s not be disappointed about it. There will still be well over 40,000 of us roaring the team on. It’s the passion, not the number, that counts.
Gah – *we need her for the final if we make it.
Yes terrible foul by the Wolfsburg player but you can’t go charging up and pushing them over like that 🤣
In the men’s game that could easily have been a red card!
That tackle on Walti was bad.