Can the addition of Vivianne Miedema finally propel Man City to WSL title glory, following season upon season of second-place finishes?; And will Arsenal be made to rue the decision to let her go? watch Arsenal vs Man City live on Sky Sports on Sunday; kick-off 12.30pm
Sunday 22 September 2024 12:31, UK
Always the bridesmaid. Manchester City have been Women's Super League runners-up seven times since 2015, more than all other WSL teams combined. They have made that rather undesirable position somewhat of a speciality. Enter Vivianne Miedema - the player tasked with changing all that.
Targeted as the missing piece to Man City's title-winning puzzle, it's hoped the Dutch star can prove to be the difference-maker as Gareth Taylor's side bid to go one better than last season's inevitable second-place finish.
Miedema had a second knee surgery earlier this year after a devastating ACL rupture and is still getting back up to full speed, but has been a delight to watch in pre-season, showing glimpses of the Miedema of old.
It's no secret that Arsenal's former leading lady - she signed for Man City upon the expiry of her contract this summer - scores goals by the bucket load. She is the WSL's most prolific goal getter, netting 80 times in 106 appearances, hugely outperforming her 59.63 xG and averaging a goal every 102 minutes.
She has won multiple Golden Boots. She has hit the back of the net 95 times in 115 caps for the Netherlands. For context, that's 45 more goals than male counterpart and Dutch record holder Robin van Persie.
Miedema was a prodigy. She was offered her first professional contract at 14 years of age. Her full senior debut came less than a year later, playing for Heerenveen, in a campaign where she scored 10 goals despite finishing bottom of the Vrouwen Eredivisie.
Considered one of those generational types, she's so influential that writers in her native Holland have created a comic book series based on her achievements entitled Vivianne Voetbalt.
And yet, despite such historic award and acclaim, this season feels like a pivotal one in the plight of a player who has spoken candidly about losing her love for football during an arduous road to recovery from two knee surgeries. Admittedly her struggle to reach the same heights is steeper than most.
The 28-year-old started just eight league games over the past two WSL seasons, before leaving the Gunners on a free transfer. The move to a direct WSL rival - she turned down approaches from abroad to stay in England - may have left a bitter taste in the mouth of those that once adored her in red and white, but Miedema insists she's found "a new appreciation for football". And that she was intent on avoiding the "easy option".
Perhaps inevitably, then, City begin their campaign to win a first WSL title in nine years at the Emirates against Arsenal this weekend, live on Sky Sports. Ironic and intriguing.
The most fascinating aspect of this meeting, at this specific juncture, is how little we have seen of Miedema in her new surroundings and therefore how little Arsenal will know of her movements. Timing places the ball in City's court.
How mystifyingly irritated will Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall be that he has not got to see his former striker play a single minute of WSL football for Manchester City before attempting to devise a plan to stop her. The same player, but framed in a different light, surrounded by different talent and style, and tactical ideas about how and where she might rediscover her best form.
For Miedema, though, there exists a sense of renewal. The license to explore a blank canvass was - reading between the lines - the main motivator. A fresh start, under the guidance of a coach in Gareth Taylor that has a deep appreciation of many of her greatest strengths.
"She's a box of frogs at times," Taylor told Sky Sports recently. "She can be a challenge, but what you do have is a highly talented player who still has the best years in front of her. She creates things from nothing and we all know about her scoring ability. She's one of those players that coaches in the game admire."
What this move does for City, above all else, is offer versatility. Miedema's intelligence and exceptional reading of the game means she can operate as the central striker, or inside forward, or false 9, or deeper 10, or pitch invader with the freedom to do what she wants. What matters most is she can create, in different ways, from all of those positions. And that's before you add Bunny Shaw to the equation.
Only two players have averaged five plus shots per 90 since Shaw's City debut in 2021 - Shaw herself, and new strike partner Miedema (5.3).
"The link up between her and Bunny is so dangerous, I see it in training," goalkeeper Khiara Keating revealed in an exclusive chat with Sky Sports during pre-season. "We're all looking forward to seeing that in the league. They will score so many goals, and that'll equal happy days." For Manchester City, perhaps.
The remainder of WSL clubs - those without the embarrassment of riches City now boast - will presumably be less enthusiastic about the prospect of the division's all-time leading scorer playing alongside last season's Golden Boot winner. A partnership with devastating potential.
And the reality is, within City's ultra-fluid attack-heavy structure, nothing needed reinventing. Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly will continue to be the two deadliest wingers in the league. Jess Park and Yui Hasegawa will continue to grow in prominence and effectiveness, dictating games from midfield. And Shaw will bag loads more goals.
Where Miedema fits in that system is something Taylor will have to determine, without the process being too contrived. City's established 4-3-3 does not necessarily lend itself to the addition of a forward whose best work is in the pockets of space behind a central striker. And the return of Jill Roord from injury poses a dilemma, too, albeit a nice one.
Miedema's emergence will certainly provide fresh perspective. A new way to close the gap on champions Chelsea, who snatched the WSL crown from City's grasp last season by virtue of goal difference. Second place is simply no longer good enough. City must go for the kill.
Luckily, this summer, they've acquired one of the most deadly around.
Watch Arsenal vs Manchester City live on Sky Sports this Sunday; kick-off 12.30pm
