Alessia Russo's early-season struggles a reminder that Arsenal and England star remains a work in progress – but there are reasons for optimism as Lioness aims for '20-goal striker' target
GOALThe striker will be frustrated she didn't score against Manchester City on Sunday, but her performances for the Gunners suggest improvements
There was a moment on Sunday when it looked like Alessia Russo was primed to grab the equaliser Arsenal were chasing in their Women's Super League opener against Manchester City. Brought on as a substitute just after the hour mark, with the score 2-1 to the visitors, it was 10 minutes later that the England star found herself through on goal and with all the time in the world to pick her spot.
Yet, to the frustration of herself as well as most inside the Emirates Stadium, it was an opportunity that ended with Russo throwing her hands to her face almost bewildered by her own decision-making.
It was a great ball over the top by Emily Fox that found Russo, one which completely caught out City centre-back Alanna Kennedy. By the time Russo latched onto the pass, her marker was a good five yards behind her, another covering defender, Kerstin Casparij, had too much ground to make up and Ayaka Yamashita, the City goalkeeper, couldn't decide whether to race out or not. The Arsenal striker was through.
Yet, despite the space and time she had, Russo seemed to panic. As she reached the edge of the box, she fired a tame shot into the grateful arms of Yamashita, spurning a golden opportunity to level the scores. Her reaction showed that she knew what a big chance it was and that she couldn't believe she hadn't taken it.
Fortunately, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter so much. A few minutes later, Beth Mead got the goal to level the scores at 2-2, with the spoils shared between two sides expected to battle for the WSL title. However, it was a reminder that, despite being the first-choice No.9 for both Arsenal and England, Russo is very much still a work in progress when it comes to fulfilling her potential in the role.
