Chelsea Women are undoubtedly the team to beat in the WSL, but Manchester City Women and Arsenal Women, who finished second and third respectively in 2020/2021, have been building their squads ahead of next season’s title battle. Arsenal also have a new manager, with former Rosengard boss Jonas Eidevall replacing Joe Montemurro, who left and later joined Juventus Femminile. They have so far added two new players, Japan international Mana Iwabuchi from Aston Villa and England forward Nikita Parris from Lyon Feminin.
Parris is a particularly exciting signing, described by many as a “dream forward” to have, and this tactical analysis will look in greater detail at what the former Everton Women and Manchester City Women attacker will bring to Meadow Park next season. We will see how she can fit into Arsenal’s tactics, as well as comparing her statistics from last season with Beth Mead’s and Caitlin Foord’s, who are the most likely to compete with her for positions in the starting XI.
Offering passing options
To begin this scout report, we will look at how Nikita Parris gives her team passing options around the pitch. This is a key part of her game, as it enables her team to pose a threat wherever the ball is on the field.
The first thing to mention is that Parris is a versatile forward, not only able to play in one position or area of the pitch. Here, she is positioned tight to the side line, with Bordeaux Feminines leaving the space open for her to exploit. Parris’ positioning here stretches Lyon’s attacking line out across the pitch, making it harder for Bordeaux to close the ball down.
Arsenal also operated with a front three last season, so Parris would have no trouble slotting into their formation if Eidevall opts to stick with it for next season. However, what is particularly notable is that Parris nearly always stays ahead of the ball, and this would enable Arsenal next season to get players behind opposing defences much quicker, thereby causing more problems for their opponents in the final third.
