Noelle Maritz at Arsenal Women – scout report

This tactical analysis will have two primary focuses. Initially, we will take an in-depth look into Noelle Maritz, Arsenal Women’s new signing following her spell at VfL Wolfsburg. We will look at her in both the attacking and defending phases for Wolfsburg.

Following this scout report, we will go into detail about how Maritz will fit into this Arsenal side, and delve into the tactical flexibility this move brings for Joe Montemurro in setting up his side in the upcoming campaign. Maritz’s ability to play in multiple different positions in various different set-ups will allow Arsenal Women to evolve their tactics further moving forward.

Maritz at Wolfsburg  attacking phase

Playing at Wolfsburg, a lot of Maritz’s involvement comes in the attacking phase of play. Her versatility is her biggest asset in the German side’s continuously moving tactical system. In this section, we will detail her roles we see Maritz occupy as Wolfsburg look to break down opponents.

Over the past campaign, Maritz has played in an abundance of roles. Capable of playing on both the left and right-hand side, which will have intrigued Montemurro greatly, she has played in both the full-back roles and wide forward positions on each flank. Below you can see the heat map of Maritz over the previous campaign, which highlights her time spent in multiple positions.

When Wolfsburg set up in their opposition’s half, their primary shape is a 3-1-6 formation. One full-back drops in to help protect the central defenders for counter-attacks, while the opposite full-back steps forward into the highest line and provides the width on this side. Maritz is capable of playing in each of these roles, which offered Wolfsburg a great amount of tactical flexibility. As they moved possession around looking for space to unlock the opposition’s defensive block, these two players can move interchangeably, which allows them to create overloads in the wide areas before the opponent has time to react with their defensive shape.

When Maritz occupies the wide area in the attacking line, she is an extremely dangerous threat from crossing positions. She averaged 3.31 crosses per 90 this past campaign. This number is on the lower side because of her role in the rest defence oftentimes; however, she has a 43.3% accuracy percentage on these, showcasing her eye for a cross in these areas, and a potential to be a primary attacking threat for Arsenal in a new system. The most standout statistic for Maritz is her 0.44 assists per 90, showing that along with her crosses finding their intended target, this is often in a dangerous position that results in a major goal-scoring opportunity.