Alessia Russo’s form over the last few months has been outstanding for Arsenal. While the goal scoring has levelled out just a little after six goals in six WSL games, the overall performances have remained at an elite level. Her hold up play, positional sense and her ability to drive past players make her one of the best forwards in the world. She was voted today’s Player of the Match, let’s look at why.
Catley makes a clearance in the opening seconds, looping the ball into the air.
The ball by no means goes straight to Russo, she has to run across to meet it.
Russo runs across, cranes her neck and heads the ball softly to Mariona. It is a difficult action performed with minimal fuss that retains the ball. Most strikers would not have gone for this clearance, even fewer would have retained possession from it. Russo’s hold up play is at the super elite level, she might be the best player at it in the division with Bunny Shaw.
Russo is heavily involved in the opening goal. As Kop clips the ball to Raso, she falls and her Matildas teammate Cooney-Cross picks up the bits and pieces. Cooney-Cross is winning far more loose balls in advanced positions this season. As she picks it up, look at Russo, she instantly scans towards the goal to see the picture of where she is, where her opponents are and where the goalkeeper is positioned.
As the cross comes in, this is classic centre-forward play, running across the face of her marker, across the face of the goal and trying to position herself between the two centre-backs.
So even when she doesn’t quite connect with the cross, she has put Claire Hunt in a situation where she is behind Russo and not in control of the play. Russo takes charge of the situation, even if she doesn’t quite take charge of the ball and that creates the own goal.
Because Russo scanned to see where Kop and Hunt were, she gets herself in front and makes sure that Hunt and Kop are on the back foot. Because Russo is more aware of the situation before it unfolds, Hunt isn’t quick enough to get herself across Russo to clear and Kop is unsighted.
Russo does a lot of valuable work peeling away into the left channel. She collects the ball from Maanum here. Russo averages 1.88 successful take ons per 90 in the WSL for Arsenal. Only Mariona with 1.91 averages more.
She cleverly ducks inside two challenges before floating a ball to the back post from the corner of the area. Arsenal’s coaching staff refer to this as ‘the golden zone’ for crosses. This one is overhit but it’s a move we see repeatedly.
Remember this goal from Villa Park last March. Russo scored the winner in this fixture last season from an almost identical cross from Little to Mead.
Usually strikers fall into categories of hold up players or players who can drift wide and beat a player. Russo is both and that is rare.
Russo shows for this pass from Mariona on the touchline with Hunt at her back.
This little touch around the corner is absolutely elite and buys her a yard.
With her next touch she just leaves Hunt for dead. Foord is tightly marked here, maybe she should cut back for Maanum but it’s a symptom of her confidence that she goes for goal and Kop saves. Slegers said post-match of Russo that ‘she is finding that edge in her game,’ and that is certainly true. She is really beginning to bully centre-halves.
Russo shows for McCabe to receive this pass with her back to goal.
Russo is very quickly surrounded by three green shirts.
But it’s not a problem for Russo, who holds off all three challenges and finds Cooney-Cross and Arsenal keep Spurs under pressure. I will repeat that I think Russo’s hold up play is the best in the WSL.
Spurs have a free kick in their own half and when Bartrip passes to Oroz, Russo is alive to it immediately.
She’s onto Oroz like a rash.
Oroz briefly threatens to wiggle away but Russo won’t give up the fight.
Russo wins it back and now Mariona has the ball in a very dangerous situation, this is first rate pressing from Russo.
Later in the same sequence, we see some classic centre-forward play in the box from Russo. Catley has the ball out wide and she is preparing a cross. Again, Russo is preparing to run between the centre-halves and across the face of Bartrip.
When the ball comes in, Russo is positioned between Bartip and Hunt and is in control of the situation. She flicks the ball goalwards but Kop saves for an Arsenal corner. Russo continually dominated in the penalty area.
Russo can claim a small piece of credit for Mariona’s goal too. When the ball drops for the Spaniard, look at how she steps in front of Claire Hunt so that she cannot block Mariona’s shot.
Arsenal work the ball to Maanum here in ‘the golden zone’ again and look how alive Russo is to the possibility of the cross. She moves a fraction of a second before Hunt does. Russo again wants to run across the face of Hunt and in between Hunt and Bartrip.
Again, it means she dominates Hunt in the air and flicks the header just wide from a difficult angle.
It is fair to say Claire Hunt experienced a miserable afternoon at Russo’s hands and right at the beginning of the second half she picks up a booking for a cynical chop on Russo. Cooney-Cross looks for Russo in the channel here.
From this scenario, Hunt really should be in control, the ball has run past and Hunt has her body between Russo and the ball and is facing in the direction the ball is travelling in.
But Russo grapples and fights tooth and nail to win the race. But she isn’t satisfied just with getting the ball and waiting for the cavalry to arrive.
She wants to drive her way past Hunt and into the area too, she doesn’t just want to win the ball and hold it.
Hunt gets frustrated and just flies into a tackle and catches Russo, earning herself a yellow card.
A minute later and now Russo is taking Hunt for a walk in the opposite channel. Arsenal launched counter attacks with quick combination play several times in the second half, here Fox plays a first time ball into the channel for Russo.
The first touch here is absolutely exquisite. Because Russo is aware of the space in behind, she pushes the ball ahead of her into her stride first time. It means that Hunt isn’t just sprinting to keep pace with Russo but she has to do extra work to keep pace with the ball. Most players would control the ball and then push forwards. Russo does it in one movement.
She has the beating of Hunt again, who has used up her emergency foul credit. It’s unfortunate that nobody was attacking the centre here.
Spurs are once again opened up on the counter with some on touch passing. Williamson clips the ball to Maanum here and Frida makes a lovely layoff for Caitlin Foord.
Foord has time and space to drive and teams work a lot on these breakaway scenarios in training. Russo makes a run out wide because she wants to challenge Hunt. If Hunt tracks Russo too closely, it leaves a big gap in the middle for Foord to go alone. If she stays too central, Russo will be on for an easy pass. It’s a dilly of a pickle for a defender.
Russo’s wide run prevents Hunt from closing Foord down as she has to continue to back peddle.
Russo calmly passes the ball into the bottom corner via the post. A goal was the least she deserved on the day.
From this angle you really appreciate how far wide Russo pulls to make the gap Hunt has to defend much wider. Hunt is put in a no-win position, allow Foord space to drive through alone or else give up the chance of blocking the pass to Russo.
Russo drops into the number 10 role when Blackstenius comes on and the intent in her performance is just the same. As Arsenal play out from the back here, she positions herself just off to Oroz’s left and Little is able to find her via Walti.
It’s another example of Arsenal exposing Spurs with a quick combination to start a counter. Russo has time and space to turn and drive.
And drive she does, playing a nice ball out wide to McCabe to set up a good situation.
Russo did not stand still all game. As Williamson has the ball here on the right and Spurs are set up quite well, Spence is ball watching and Russo makes a sharp run off her into the right channel.
Russo arrows towards the by-line to get a cross in. Her play was relentlessly positive all afternoon.
Russo’s performance won her the Player of the Match award and rightly so.
Who is this Alessia Russo? She’s a lot better than the Alessia Russo we signed not that long ago!
True – and she was pretty good then!
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Great analysis Tim.
A growing superstar and world class player that I am so pleased to have at AWFC. She never stops working for the team, holding up play, closing down, passing, various touches, pestering defenders and scoring goals.
So proud to have Russo’s name on the back of my shirt!!!
You could clearly see on Hunt’s face that she couldn’t deal with Russo no matter what she tried. Lessi was unstoppable, so much improved since we signed her.
From the first game, it was obvious she was a baller. So awesome to see her be fully bedded in by now and on the same wavelength as her teammates. Really an incredible player who makes those around her even better. Thanks for the analysis Tim!
Fantastic player. In my opinion, along with caldentey, the 2 world class stand out players in the team and squad.
I wonder if kelly smith is having an impact and influence on russo’s progression on the coaching side? Especially in terms of her finishing and use of her strength. They don’t come any better than Smith in the history of ladies’ football.
When we failed to sign her the year before we actually did, I wasn’t too disappointed. I thought she just wasn’t worth the amount we were prepared to pay. I was wrong, very wrong – and we got her on a free!
It was abrilliant match
Russo’s name doesn’t have to be on the scoresheet for her to be the Player of any Match.
She’s electric and if her coach knows she’s got more to offer, then she’s not yet at her best.
The Lionesses only Number 9; let’s hope she doesn’t suffer an injury along the way.
“Electric” is accurate – she’s been extra-special all season.
What a wonderful performance from Alessia. I wish she could play for the men’s team too. She totally had Hunt in her back pocket. By the end of the game, Hunt looked so distraught and defeated that i thought she would cry. Definitely not highlights for OPTA.
She’s not available for the men’s team.
Our oft commentator Fun Gunner, compared Alessia in her current form to Kim Little in her peak years – this is the highest possible analogy!