England captain Leah Williamson's long-awaited injury return can help save Arsenal's season

The Lionesses' skipper is back after a devastating ACL injury, and she can provide a boost that the Gunners' stuttering WSL title bid needs

Leah Williamson’s long-awaited return to action might not have come under the brightest lights or in the biggest game, but it hardly passed quietly. As Arsenal romped to a 6-0 win over Reading in the Continental Cup group stages at the end of January, the defender grabbed the headlines, coming off the bench to provide a lovely assist for Beth Mead and end nine months on the sidelines caused by a devastating ACL injury.

Jen Beattie, whose place she took as a substitute, bowed as the 26-year-old entered the fray. Katie McCabe ran over to ensure Williamson was sporting the captain’s armband as she made those first steps back on a football pitch. Her every touch was cheered by the crowd as she eased her way back into things with an impressive 30-minute cameo.

Every little celebratory detail, from her team-mates and adoring fans, perfectly captured how much her return means to Arsenal. On a human level, it was an emotional occasion. Williamson has worked incredibly hard for the best part of a year to get back out there and has had to overcome the disappointment of missing a World Cup at which her country reached the final.

And on the sporting side? Vivianne Miedema, Arsenal’s star forward, said it all last month. “We all know what Leah can bring to the team,” she told reporters. “She is one of the best, if not the best, centre-back on the ball in the world and that will improve us going forward massively.”

Now her much-anticipated moment of return is "out of the way", in the defender’s own words, the impact that Williamson could have on this Arsenal team in the next few months is extremely significant. In fact, it could go a long way to helping the Gunners save their season.

Getty ImagesPerfect timing

It’s been a weird season so far for Arsenal. They started it with elimination in the Champions League’s first qualifying round and a shock defeat to Liverpool on the Women’s Super League’s opening weekend. Wins over Manchester City and Chelsea saw the Gunners firmly reassert themselves back in the title race, but then a first-ever north London derby defeat meant they went into the winter break on a low, and they fell further behind league leaders Chelsea last weekend, as West Ham beat Arsenal for the first time in their history to leave their city rivals six points off the pace.

Williamson’s return could hardly be better timed, then, as it offers a psychological boost to the team in a difficult moment. She’s available for a huge FA Cup fifth-round clash with Man City on Sunday, and then she'll hope to help the Gunners with their stuttering title race.

All hope isn’t lost, as Arsenal still have to play Chelsea and City again in the WSL, so they could well make up the ground. They’ll want to approach the challenge with that positive mindset as there is an awful lot of work to do if there is to be any chance of the trophy returning to north London in May.

AdvertisementGettyTactical flexibility

Williamson’s timing is good for head coach Jonas Eidevall and his options, too. Lotte Wubben-Moy and Amanda Ilestedt are the only centre-backs to have played significant minutes this season, with Laia Codina having struggled for regular opportunities in her first year in England, while veteran Beattie has just departed to join Bay FC in the NWSL.

With Emily Fox, the full-back who joined the club in January, set to leave to represent the United States in the Gold Cup in February, Williamson’s comeback gives Arsenal the option to change to a three-player defence that may help cover for Fox’s absence, too.

Eidevall hasn’t set his team up in that three-player defence since way back in October, when the Gunners drew 2-2 with Manchester United. He confessed that Arsenal were “lacking relationships” in the system at that time, with it just the second league game of the season following a transfer window which saw several new players arrive, but that chemistry has since developed. With Williamson also back, it could see him return to a set-up that he has always enjoyed having as an option.

GettyMore of the back three?

During his time in Sweden, Eidevall switched between the back three and four often, and when an injury crisis forced his Arsenal team into the back three at the end of last season, he admitted it was a shape he had trained the players in as early as January "so we can change between games or in games".

“In January, we had the Brighton game called off, we had good time between games,” Eidevall explained last year. “We used that time to say, ‘Okay, let’s train a different formation, let’s train in a back three.’ We weren’t going to use it in the game after, but as a group of players we need to understand the principles and why we might want to play with another formation so we can change between games or in games. Us investing that time gave us a point where we could change formations much more easily.”

There are many reasons why such fluidity can help a team – it’s been something Emma Hayes has used at Chelsea as they’ve become the dominant force in England over the last few years – and suddenly it feels like more of an option for Eidevall with Williamson back.

Given Arsenal’s recent struggles in breaking down teams who sit back and defend, a change of shape can give them a different approach. Indeed, Eidevall switched to a back three during a cup clash with second-tier Southampton back in November when his team were struggling to get the result they wanted.

GettyAdaptability

It’s not just in a back three that Williamson gives Arsenal another option, either. She’s a different centre-back to those Eidevall has at his disposal already, with her passing range, vision and progressive drives on the ball setting her apart from most. That gives the coach a different profile of player that he can play in a centre-back duo in a back four.

The England captain also brings another midfield option to the table, with her boasting a history of performing well in that area for club and country. Putting Williamson's qualities in that more advanced position is yet another asset for Eidevall as he and his team try to overcome the issues they have encountered this season, in particular in breaking down defensive-minded opponents.