Losa - Danielle has a phenomenal mindset

By Connor Armstrong

Danielle van de Donk kicked off her season in stunning fashion, scoring a hat-trick in Sunday's 10-0 rout of Tottenham in the Women's FA Cup.

The Dutch midfielder was in fine form during a dominant team display and was praised for her role in the victory by Pedro Martinez Losa.

Having previously called on Danielle to score more goals, the boss has been impressed by her application.

“She is a player for who the potential is there," Losa told Arsenal.com. "She is phenomenal in terms of her mindset and understanding of the game and sometimes it’s just a case of the player needing to click a little and connect with the others.

"She was comfortable, going into the wide areas, doing what we want and understanding the game. It was a good day for her.

"Last year at home she scored another hat-trick. Today it was Danielle but tomorrow it could be another player. We are a team and this is what we want."

Dominique Janssen, Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead - who scored just nine minutes into her debut - also caught the eye during Sunday’s win, and Losa hailed the trio.

“Beth was exceptional,” he said. “Chloe and Beth made an impact from the bench. It’s not just about the level of their opponents, it’s about the level of their movement, style, aggression and work on the pitch.

“Dan Carter and Jodie [Taylor] did a fantastic job but then we had another two players coming from the bench and doing a fantastic job. It’s just what we want.

“Dominique can play in different positions. She scored a goal also and she’s very good at free-kicks too. She practises every day and she’s going to score free-kicks for us.

“She’s an important player and she’s very young. They are the future of this club.”