How Victoria Pelova has helped keep Arsenal's European hopes alive
By Emily Keogh
It is undeniable that Arsenal’s campaign has been marred by injuries; however, the January introduction of Victoria Pelova has helped to keep a struggling Arsenal team afloat.
The young winger joined the side amidst a host of injuries plaguing the North London side including both Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema suffering the dreaded ACL rupture months earlier.
But prior to this, Pelova drew notice when Arsenal faced her former club Ajax in the Champions League qualifiers where the 23-year-old dazzled the Gunners, sparking transfer rumours not long after.
Calling on her Dutch teammate and forementioned Arsenal star Miedema, Pelova chose to accept a move to North London, joining the side in January 2023, announcing her venture to the side the day after longstanding Gunner Jordan Nobbs departed for Aston Villa.
Speaking after Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, Eidevall remarked on Pelova’s contributions and what drew the eye of the Gunners boss to the impressive right winger.
“That is one of the things that became evident for me when we played Ajax in the Champions League (qualifier) and we saw her playing live was how physical she was,” Eidevall said ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich. “I liked that combination from her as a player.
“She has adapted very well coming into the team. She is versatile and can play a lot of different positions. She is not only neat on the ball to create but her off the ball movement and defensive contribution.”
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Since joining Arsenal, Pelova has made 18 appearances, scoring two goals and earning two assists and making a major impact away from the stats sheet as well.
Featuring in the Champions League for Arsenal, Pelova also made pivotal contributions to their second leg quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich after a stellar performance the days before earned her a place in the XI. She retained a starting spot in both semi-final games against Wolfsburg, where she had a standout performance despite a last-minute loss.
In the past week, the Dutch international shone during two of Arsenal’s WSL clashes with Leicester City and Brighton, earning a Player of the Match performance in both that truly spoke to her invaluable contributions to the depleted Arsenal side.
The Leicester City game echoed the right winger’s effortless blend of physicality and technique that saw her retain the ball in tight situations. As the Foxes adopted a rigorous player-to-player marking system, Pelova often found pockets of space, freeing herself from her marker and ramping up her defensive milage while being the favoured option pressing forward.
During the game against Brighton, the 23-year-old stepped into midfield, highlighting her versatility as a player and controlling the pace of the game even during patches of high pressing from Brighton. Earning her first WSL goal of the season and using her sheer vision and technical ability to dominate the midfield, the youngster has proven herself as an invaluable asset to Eidevall's North London side.
Speaking to the media about the former Ajax player, Eidevall reflected on Pelova’s performance and her development at the club.
“We will see in the coming periods where Victoria’s strengths will really flourish into one position," the Swede said, speaking on how adaptable Pelova has already proven to be.
"We can all see the talent and the qualities she has, and now it is to see where we can really put that into as much efficiency for the team as possible.”
“You want Pelova on the ball so where you put her in the team has to be in a role where you involve her a lot,” Eidevall explained. “You could tell against Leicester how comfortable she is with the ball, how comfortable she is in 1 v 1 situations and the good weight she has on her passes.
Whether she is playing as a winger or in midfield, Pelova has made a splash since joining the WSL and has staked her claim on Eidevall's starting XI, a decision that has helped keep Arsenal's race for a top three finish and Champions League qualification hopes alive.