Maren Mjelde 2019/20 – scout report

As we head into the winter break, Chelsea Women are in third place following their shock draw to Liverpool Women last Sunday. However, the Blues have a game in hand and will need to secure three points against Everton later in the season if they want to harbour any hopes of challenging for the title.

The first half of the season has seen Chelsea perform admirably beating Arsenal Women, Manchester City Women and Manchester United Women, taking out three of the best sides in the FAWSL. The result of these wins has come from standout performances from several of their players but none more so than Maren Mjelde. The Norwegian midfielder was forced into playing at right-back early on in the season after a long term injury to Hannah Blundell. Having played at centre-back before moving to right-back, this move represented another shift in role and position but one that Mjelde has accommodated expertly.

This scout report will take a closer look at the attributes Mjelde has shown over the first few months of the season and how she’s made the right-back position her own. We will use tactical analysis to identify her strengths and qualities that have translated from her versatility across several positions.

Defensive Positioning

Chelsea have one of the best defensive records in the FAWSL this season and their defence is one of the main causes of this. A backline including Johanna Andersson, Magdalena Eriksson, Millie Bright, and Mjelde have been tough to break down. The four players have a mixture of strength, pace, and tactical intelligence that make them formidable. The two full-backs are balanced with Mjelde usually sitting deeper than Andersson who prefers to bomb forward. With help from Ingle in shoring up the central areas, they have been able to repel most attacks. Mjelde is a natural defensive midfielder, and her greatest asset is her positioning and defensive ability.

This has been one of the biggest assets in her move to right-back. These skills have set a solid foundation and allowed Mjelde to assert herself against some of the fiercest wingers in the league. The likes of Beth Mead and Leah Galton have terrorised defences this season and Mjelde performed excellently to prevent them both from dominating their flank.

The right-back has averaged 4.13 defensive duels winning over 60% and 7.75 recoveries per 90, with close to 35% of the recoveries coming in the opposition half.  She isn’t afraid to take on her winger and wants to play aggressively to ensure she has the upper hand in the duel. This has given her and the team defensive solidarity and forced teams to attack down the opposite flank.

As this example shows, Chelsea’s back four hold an excellent line and Mjelde doesn’t stray far from her marker. In fact, she stays close enough to apply immediate pressure once the pass is received. Mjelde steps into the space in front of her to intercept the pass before Galton has the chance to react. This not only stops Manchester United from getting a chance to regroup and build an attack but puts Chelsea in the ascendency.

Chelsea’s strategy going into games revolves around their pressing tactics. This is an important aspect of their and one that has been vital to their victories against Arsenal, Manchester United and City. Mjelde has been a major part of it playing as the full-back as she pushes up to press certain opposition from higher up the pitch. Her aggressive approach has seen Chelsea able to win back possession from advantageous positions and put them on the front foot. The statistics support her forward forays as she averages 5.07 offensive duels per 90. This aggressiveness allows Chelsea to create numerical superiority with one of the central midfielders and winger dropping in to add pressure.

As the example above shows, Mjelde has taken up a much higher position to ensure West Ham Women do not have an easy way out of their own half. Sophie Ingle is the nearest player to help Mjelde in case the defender tries to play her way out or pass forward. The pressure put on the West Ham defender forces her to go all the way back to her goalkeeper.

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