U.S. women’s national team defender Emily Fox was among the 59,000-plus spectators at the Emirates Stadium on Dec. 10 to watch Arsenal defeat Chelsea, 4-1, a crucial victory for the Gunners in a three-team title race in England’s WSL.
Fox was a free agent considering her next move, and playing in Europe was always a matter of when, not if, she said. Soaking up that crowd, and the thrill of a title race reignited, was “the icing on the cake” in her decision to leave the National Women’s Soccer League after three seasons and join Arsenal. For years, she thought about being part of that the type of environment.
Fox, 25, is already one of the best full-backs in the world, one who often plays an inverted role and is capable of attacking opponents in unpredictable ways. Her move to Arsenal, she said, is about getting uncomfortable and further refining her game — and a necessary step in her explicit quest to become the best full-back in the world.
“I feel like I want to develop more of my attacking game and so I think the style that Arsenal plays allows me to have freedom, especially with inverting inside or staying high and wide, which I think has become more of a thing that outside backs are doing now because the game is changing,” Fox told ESPN.
“And then…
