Codina on language, partnerships and the fans

Every home game, one of our women's first-team shares their insight into life at Arsenal in our matchday programme.

Laia Codina shares what it's been like learning a new language, forming a defensive partnership with Lotte and playing at Emirates Stadium for the very first time. 

Since arriving here at Arsenal, I have seen that there's a big difference between the league in Spain and the league in England, and I think it has taken me more time than I expected to settle into the squad. Now, though, it's really benefitting me as a player.

I would say I have felt a lot better since Christmas. I feel more comfortable playing and recently, I've been involved in some really important games, which has given me more confidence.

The move has been a big challenge for me and I think, when you look at my time at the club so far, you can see that I've improved with every game. I've settled in with the team but I've also settled into the city and the culture. It's not been easy to do that but I feel that I've been improving in everything and now, I feel like I've really adapted to my surroundings. 

I'm really enjoying my time at Arsenal and I'm really happy because that's why I made the move here: to grow, to be challenged and to learn more about myself as a player and a person.

So what are the biggest differences between the Spanish league and England? Honestly, there's a little bit of everything, but I would say that the physical side of the game is maybe the biggest. For example, for me as a defender, I feel that when other teams press us here at Arsenal, the rhythm and timing of their press is different and it feels like they're very well coached. You can feel that they know what to do in every game. 

Another difference is that there's a lot of work on what the other teams do because they are also working with a really good process. We need to be ready so we're not caught out on the day and we can solve any problem that we face. It doesn't matter if they're at the top or bottom of the league, you're always going to have to fight and give 100% if you want to dominate the game. You really do have to earn the right to play. 

Outside of football, I've been really impressed with how welcoming and friendly everyone in England has been to me since I arrived. They've been so kind and I'm very grateful because wherever you go, people always ask, "How are you?" and I feel like they actually want to know. They have a smile too. I can say now that I'm really happy here and a big part of that is because I've been made to feel so welcome. 

I've loved being around Colney and living in St Albans too because it's a great town to live in as a football player. You have everything you need. 

So yes, after six months here, I'm very happy to be at Arsenal and I'm very happy that I made this move. Arsenal already feels like a familiar club to me and I can feel a special energy in this place. People who have been here for years have explained what it's like as a club and now I understand it. This club gives such an amazing feeling to new players. I didn't expect everything to feel so familiar so soon.

I'm really happy with my progress in learning English too. I strongly believe that if you want to move to a new country and really integrate, you need to learn the language. I'm still having lessons twice a week, depending on when our games are, but the team have been so helpful with me too. 

Every week, I feel like I'm making progress and I'm able to understand the girls more and more. I'm going to keep doing lessons twice a week until the end of the season but it's really helped me feel integrated with the team and adapted to English culture - not just with the team but in society in general.

On the field, learning English has definitely helped because I'm a defender who really likes to communicate a lot on the pitch. In football, it's so important to properly articulate the things you want to say and put your message across quickly. In the beginning, it was difficult because I didn't know specific words and I wanted to talk about certain things tactically. 

Since Christmas, I would say things have clicked in my head and I can feel that my communication on the pitch is fluent. My teammates can feel it too and that's one of the most important things because we can solve problems together quickly now.

I've played most of my games with Lotte at the back and I've really enjoyed working with her. Our chemistry has been growing every week and we're getting better with every minute. It's easy to play with her too. She knows the way that we want to play at Arsenal because she has grown up here and she's made me feel just how important Arsenal is to her.

It's easy to understand her on the pitch and she has been exceptional this season. You can see it in the stats and you can feel that all the players feel so comfortable playing with her. I'm so grateful to play with her because she's such a good person and player. 

I played my first game at Emirates Stadium recently and I was talking to a lot of the girls about it, saying that I've played in a lot of stadiums and in the World Cup, but I feel like Emirates Stadium is something different. From the very first minute of the game, you feel the crowd, you feel the people all around the stadium from top to bottom and it gives you so much energy and confidence. 

It's one of the things that has surprised me most about being at Arsenal. I was told by a lot of people that there's this massive chemistry between the team and the fans, but I didn't expect it to be like this. It's only when you feel it and experience it. 

It's something that no other team in England has right now, so I think it could be a real superpower for us. For me as a player, that support can take your game to another level and in those difficult moments, it brings you back up and gives you confidence.

During the recent international break, I had some interviews with the media in Spain and they asked me about our record attendances and how it's possible, because in Spain they are quite far away from achieving this. But here at Arsenal, we've just experienced two sold-out games in a row, with every ticket sold, not given away. 

That's an incredible thing for me to be a part of and it means a lot to me to know that so many people across the club are working hard to make days like that possible. I'm so proud to represent Arsenal.

Laia's blog appeared in the Arsenal v Aston Villa programme, which you can still purchase online. 

You can also subscribe to Arsenal Women's matchday programme to get every issue this season delivered straight to your door each matchday.