Laia Codina hasn’t had much opportunity to make a significant impact on this Arsenal team. Watching her in yet another masterclass against the London City Lionesses makes you wonder what more Laia has to do to get a start in the WSL. Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall must have been impressed, because he started the Women’s World Cup champion on Saturday – to face Manchester United!
I know it can be tough to switch up defenders. When it comes to playing a defensive system, it’s important to stick with what’s been effective. One pairing that has shown promise is Amanda Ilestedt and Lotte Wubben-Moy in central defense. They seem to have a good connection and have been getting the job done.
But hey, you never really know what you’ve got until you give it a shot. Laia, being an ex-Barcelona player and a World Cup-winning defender (lifting it with Spain last year), is definitely a top defender. At first, she was held back by an injury, but she managed to overcome it and is now fit and ready to go.
However, Codina hasn’t played a significant role in this Arsenal team. She definitely has the potential to make a difference for the team, and her performance against the London City Lionesses& Manchester United showed us just how talented she is.. In those matches, it was clear that she is an excellent passer of the ball. Additionally, she managed to achieve some impressive stats:
115 Touches 1 clearance 93 passes (88 completed) 3 long balls (2 successful) 12 ground duels (4 won) 5 aerial duels (4 won) 1 dribble, which was successful
Lori, in her scouting report for Total Football Analysis, described Laia as someone who excels at intercepting the ball, has great passing skills, and can pull off impressive footwork.
Lori admitted:“Codina has excellent footwork and outstanding passing accuracy, as expected. She has shown exceptional acumen in anticipating the trajectory of either a pass or a loose ball and promptly takes action to intercept.”
I believe from Lori’s report and the glimpses of brilliance the 2023 summer signing has shown, through Laia’s brief cameos, that she is destined for greatness. However, she would truly shine if given the opportunity to feature regularly.
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