Arsenal was caught in the midst of controversy after the club decided not to renew Vivien Miedema's contract last summer.
Since then, English striker Alessia Russo has reached new heights with Arsenal, and that's no coincidence.
Fans in north London were really disappointed Arsenalresolution Not renewing the expired Miedema contract. The Dutch striker remains the club's all-time leading goalscorer, having played an important role in their league-winning campaign in 2018/19.
At the time, Arsenal instead opted to make a new deal for Stina Blackstenius, who joined the club in January 2022. After the club made a desperate appeal for Rousseau in January 2023, Manchester United will eventually have to hand over the English striker. To receive zero compensation after only months.
With Miedema waiting in the wings amid her recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, this has left Arsenal with three top-shelf figures heading into the new season.
Following a record-breaking 2018/19 season that saw Miedema become the player with the highest number of goals in a single season in the FA Women's Football League (22), fans across England were bearing witness to the greatest striker to play the domestic game.
Fast forward to 2024, and fans were rightfully incensed when the club decided not to renew Miedema's contract.
Reports suggested that former coach Jonas Edvall was the main culprit in the decision to move for Miedema, when it became abundantly clear that the pair did not get along. Edvall's clear ambition to secure Rousseau in 2023 meant he was ready to take the club in a different direction, with a brand new striker.
Through no fault of Miedema's part, her comeback from her horrific ACL injury has been far from smooth. The 28-year-old had to undergo corrective surgery on her knee shortly after her return, and the side effects of her recovery continue to affect her to this day. She underwent another operation on her knee in the latter stages of 2024, and has only made five appearances for Manchester City as a result.
As for Rousseau, the player is as fit as it gets. Aside from the tough hamstring injury she suffered in her first season in the WSL, Rousseau has made it through her career virtually unscathed. The 25-year-old has only been out fit for one game during her Arsenal career, when she played through illness in last season's Premier League Cup Final victory over Chelsea.
Sometimes, a club has to hedge their bets on the player they consider to be the least vulnerable to injury, and in this case, it will always be Rousseau.
After all, it would be ignorant to view Miedema as a scapegoat for Rousseau's form. At the start of the 2024/25 season, the England striker failed to score in his first eight competitive matches of the season. That was until Edival departed, after which Rousseau flew.
Since caretaker coach Rene Sligers took charge in north London, Rousseau has scored 10 goals in 12 competitive matches. Despite not scoring her first WSL goal until Gameweek 6, Rousseau is now second in the Golden Boot race.
It's not just about the player getting along with the person in charge, it's a clear tactical shift that occurred in the post-Edfall era. The former Gunners boss never seemed to know who his preferred number nine was, switching between starting Rousseau or Blackstenius depending on the opposition. His tactics got the better of him, as neither player could shine in the start-stop system he was using.
Since Sligers took office, the clarity has become clear. Rousseau has started every game since Edival's departure, and Blackstenius is often deployed as an excellent substitute. The English striker has become a versatile player in the Arsenal machine, usually dropping into midfield when the Swede enters the game.
As far as statistics go, it worked. Both Rousseau and Plaxtenius are yet to score in the 2024/25 season across eleven competitive matches. Since Edival's departure, the duo have scored 13 times.
So why? The Slegers' simplification of each player's role has allowed them to flourish. The number nine is all about consistency, it is the most trusted position on the pitch, so uncertainty surrounding your role in the team will only hurt performance.
Rousseau now knows she'll start, and Blackstenius now knows it's her role to make an impact off the bench. Consistency allows these players to play their best in months.
