golden blonde¹

fc zürich & west ham (h)

late october 2022
if you looked at their champions league group, it was easy to assume the top three finishers would be lyon, juventus and arsenal. the one outlier? zürich. they played in the swiss professional league; and really, it was a semi-professional league, most of the players had day jobs.

knowing this, jonas exercised his bench options, which included elena for the time being. her starting 11 spot was shaky at best, especially with the talent in midfield and their defense was sorted out despite the injuries to leah and rafa.

manu would be getting some rest this game, giving kaylan her first start of the season. elena hadn't really spent much time with the american besides in training. instead of laura starting, noelle would be taking her place. this time, instead of playing centerback, steph was gifted her usual left-back position back, whilst jen played as a center back.

elena would be starting in place of lia, and for the first time this season, she'd be playing as the sole pivot. jordan would start in her legendary 8, whilst kim would be playing as a ten. it'd be the first time elena would really play with jordan in a game, they had played together before, but those were short spells when either one of them came off the bench.

the forward line changes completely with the exception of beth. lina replaces caitlin as viv, who was benched the last two games starts in front of elena, occupating the 9.

in the third minute they get a free kick that steph sends in beautifully. jen gets her head to it but it's straight at the zürich keeper.

however, the difference in skill is proved easily. arsenal win possession back every time they lose it, their press is considerably high, lotte and jen both pushing up near the halfway line.

in the 38th minute, arsenal start an attack from the back. jen passes it to elena, who easily finds steph running up the left side. after a signature steph catley cross into the box, jordan excellently finishes it, placing the ball perfectly under the crossbar, but out of the keeper's reach.

1-0 to the arsenal.

"VAMOS!" elena fist pumps her arm into the air as steph and herself jog towards jordan.

"beautiful cross steph!" elena tells the australian, who only smiles at the compliment.

steph really did have a wonderful left foot.

in the first minute out of four of stoppage time, beth pushes high into the box. elena too, was also in the box. unfortunately beth's ball is caught out, but elena does excellently to dispossess the zürich player. she dribbles even higher in the box, reaching the touch line before she sends the ball up in the air, only reachable for the height of lina hurtig, who safely nods it on frame and into the back of the net.

elena leaps into the scandinavians arms as lina celebrates her first goal for the arsenal.

2-0.

however, as the next half starts, zürich get a goal back immediately. the defense had been sloppy, almost asleep the way they were defending. elena couldn't help but watch as jen made a lazy challenge on piubel, who struck the ball at the near post, beating kaylan.

so much for their clean sheet.

steph and beth are subbed off in the 58th minute for rotation, as katie and frida replace them.

in the 75th minute, elena is taken off for stina, as arsenal look to attack more to extend their lead.

but it happens again in the 76th minute. piubel slips in behind lotte as the two centerbacks have a miscommunication on who was marking her. the ball is excellently struck again, similar to jordan's goal where it hit the cross bar and went down into the net.