Alessia Russo

England striker Alessia was a high-profile addition to the ranks when she joined on the eve of the 2023 World Cup, and she delivered on the pitch, netting 16 goals in 31 appearances, with 12 of those goals – plus four assists – coming in the WSL. 

The skilful, pacey forward netted a double in her second appearance, the dramatic 3-3 draw with Paris FC in the Champions League, and bagged her first WSL goal for the club in the 94th minute to complete a late turnaround against Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium. That was a happy hunting ground for her, as she scored there in victories over Chelsea (two in the 4-1 win), Tottenham (1-0) and Leicester City (3-0), and she finished the campaign strongly with six goals in her final six games. 

An intelligent player who’s adept at dropping deep to link play, Alessia joined us following the end of her deal at Manchester United, where she scored 27 goals in 59 appearances. Having made her international debut in 2020, her clever backheel against Sweden at Euro 2021 was named Goal of the Tournament and she starred at the 2023 World Cup, scoring three goals to help England to the final.