Wubben-Moy: "I want to be at the top of the game"

Lotte Wubben-Moy made a vital contribution to our acquisition of Champions League football this season with an impressive display against Ajax in Amsterdam. 

Our centre-back came off the subs bench late in the first half, after Rafaelle Souza was forced off with an injury, and revitalised our side with energy, purpose and hunger for the win.

"I haven't played for a while, so I'm just trying to find my feet again. I relish every single opportunity to play. If I'm given an opportunity, I'm going to take it and I'm going to run with it. I tried to do that today and hopefully, I contributed to the team's result. Gutted to see that Rafa got injured – I hope she's alright. Overall, just happy we're in that Champions League group stage."

Reflecting after the match, Wubben-Moy noted that the evening had extra significance as over a dozen of her Dutch relatives were in the stands watching on. 

"[It was] so unbelievably special," she said. "I think the last time I saw my family here in Holland, it was my under-15 debut for England. My Oma was there and my Opa was there. It's special. It brings a tear to my eye."

Manager Jonas Eidevall was full of praise for her performance against Ajax, as well as her impressive attitude. “That's what it is to be a team player. You could be selected for the starting XI and prepare to play. But what if you don't make it, and the next week after you don't, but you still continue to practice very well. You know you're not going to start but you still prepare very well in case you go in, because football is so fast.

"That's what Lotte did," he added. "That's an example for everyone, for all footballers. That's how you should handle situations like that. It's so difficult to do it because it's so easy that other emotions will take over. But when you do it like that, I'm so proud of her.”

With fierce competition for the two centre-back positions this season, Wubben-Moy also touched on her disappointment in not being picked for this month's England squad. Sarina Wiegman, who was in attendance as we beat Ajax, named her in the 23-woman squad for the 2022 Euros but our centre-back did not make an appearance in the competition. 

"It's been a tough few days being left out of England squad, which is obviously tough," she said. That's my goal: I want to be at the top of my game, I want to be at the top of the game in this country. So I think personally, that's pretty hard to take.

"But coming on, I relish these opportunities. It's the Champions League, you love it, you're doing it for The Arsenal, and honestly, it's what we play for. This is what I play for and I know every girl that is looking up to me, is looking up to the girls on the pitch would absolutely kill for a spot like this. So I play with all of that on my back and I love it. I love this game."