by Sophie Puodzius (8/7/24)
Above: Mariona Caldentey (centre) signs for Arsenal. Photo: Arsenal Women.
Mariona Caldentey is a strong attacking presence who has been vital to Barcelona’s success over the years. She leaves as a club legend with a vast collection of 25 trophies ranging from domestic to international competitions and has scored 115 goals in 303 appearances for the club.
Following the departure of the prolific Vivianne Miedema, Arsenal have been on the hunt for a first-class striker who is capable of both creating and scoring goals. Caldentey is the epitome of this as she is adept at playing across the attacking line which will add a new level of depth and versatility to Arsenal’s squad.
Although Caldentey isn’t viewed as a direct replacement for Miedema, many notable comparisons can be drawn between them. Their goal scoring statistics are equally impressive with Miedema scoring 125 goals and Caldentey 115 for their previous clubs. However, it’s worth noting that Miedema’s appearances are significantly lower than Caldentey’s therefore the Dutch international has scored more goals on average per game.
Both forwards are great finishers and can also provide assists through crosses from the wide areas.
However, Caldentey is distinctly more physical and direct which is seen by her ruthlessness in front of goal that sets her apart from many traditional strikers. She also possesses a venomous strike that can be unleashed from distance, if an opportunity arises.
Potentially, Caldentey could be a better option for Arsenal on account of her creativity as she forces defenders out of position in order to create pockets of space for teammates. She also puts pressure on opposition defenders and goalkeepers with the aim of forcing careless mistakes to create chances in front of goal.
In contrast, Miedema prefers to receive the ball outside of the box and then utilises her passing abilities to move higher up the pitch.
As a result, Miedema’s more traditional approach as a number nine has made it difficult for her to fit into Eidevall’s team which may have contributed to her shock exit from the club.
However, it remains to be seen if letting their widely renowned top scorer leave as a free agent, will transpire to be a costly mistake for the Gunners.
Gunners head coach Jonas Eidevall described Caldentey as a “world-class forward” and “a winner with proven experience of excelling on the biggest stage.” This highlights how the Spaniard’s plethora of trophies was a key reason why she was a major target in the summer transfer window. Undoubtedly, she will be a valued asset to an Arsenal side seeking redemption owing to her competitive spirit and trophy ambitions.
Upon her arrival, Caldentey stated that she “can’t wait to get started and help the team to win trophies.” This shows that she is eyeing an inaugural piece of English silverware in an increasingly competitive league, having won everything possible at Barcelona. The Spanish international has joined in pursuit of a fresh challenge that will test her ability to adapt to a new team in a different league.
Due to the record attendances and increased competitiveness on offer, growing numbers of Spanish players could now be weighing up whether to make a move to the Women’s Super League. This is because Liga F is dominated by Barcelona with the other teams suffering from a lack of investment. The attendances are also generally significantly lower than those that we see at the majority of teams in the WSL.
Furthermore, the investment in the WSL has grown exponentially since the 2022 Euros whereas Spain’s historic World Cup win has failed to have a similar impact on Liga F.
Therefore, it’s possible that Caldentey’s decision to choose Arsenal was helped by the club’s proliferating fan base and the opportunity to play regularly at the Emirates Stadium. Equally possible is the fact that many other big names will follow suit. Among Caldentey’s compatriots, Aitana Bonmati has highlighted the need for reform in Liga F whilst acknowledging the attractiveness of the WSL in comparison.
Having predominantly played as a left-winger, it would be unsurprising if Eidevall was to utilise her in this position. However, she will be in fierce competition with Caitlin Foord who has established herself as a regular in Eidevall’s starting 11. As a result, the Australian international may find herself fighting for a starting role, as Caldentey has repeatedly proved her excellence on the left wing.
Both forwards offer something different from Foord’s dribbling capabilities to Caldentey’s progressive play. From Eidevall’s perspective, Caldentey’s pace and shooting capabilities may lead to her emergence as the first-choice winger.
This is because Foord’s goal statistics have been underwhelming with the Australian only netting four times in the WSL last season, and facing criticism from pockets of the North London side’s fan base as a result.
In comparison, Caldentey’s finishing ability is first-class and she certainly has the capacity to become one of Arsenal’s leading goal-scorers.
Therefore, it’s likely that Eidevall’s decision will depend on the opposition as both players have different strengths to showcase if given the chance.
If Foord was to lose her spot in the starting lineup, this could create a knock-on impact on the wider picture for the North London side as she has built up a great partnership with Matildas teammate and Arsenal left-back Steph Catley over the years. The pair regularly complete overlapping runs which can overload opposition defenders and allow accurate crosses to be fired into the penalty area.
Consequently, the introduction of Caldentey will mean that new partnerships need to be formed which could lead to mistakes on the pitch if not built up effectively.
From a technical perspective, the Spanish international is an all-rounder with the ability to maintain possession and drive the ball accurately between the lines of play.
She is frequently active within the opposition’s half as she works hard off the ball to ensure that she is always a passing option for teammates which allows fluidity in Arsenal’s style of play. This mirrors the type of play that Arsenal aims for as it enables the ball to be passed quickly up the field that initiates countless opportunities in front of goal.
On the left wing, Caldentey is a difficult opponent for any defender as she uses her immense pace and strength to advance forwards before delivering pinpoint crosses into the penalty area. Her physical presence allows her to withstand challenges and maintain possession that will contribute to Arsenal’s hold-up play.
As a result, Caldentey’s assist stats are admirable with the Spanish forward registering 16 assists in Liga F last season. These assists may be critical for the Gunners, as one of their top assist providers Victoria Pelova is expected to miss the entirety of the 2024/25 season with a devastating ACL injury.
Caldentey is adept at breaking defensive lines owing to her great vision which is crucial when breaking down low-blocks. This could be vital as much of Arsenal’s underwhelming season has been due to costly losses where the team has struggled against low-block teams.
A recurring trait that has caused Arsenal to fall short of expectations is their inability to capitalise upon opportunities in front of goal. Statistically, the Gunners are amongst the leading teams for chances created however they rank as one of the worst teams in the WSL for big chances missed. This highlights how the Gunners are successful in generating goal-scoring opportunities but the team lacks finishing quality.
Take for example, the North London Derby last season, where Arsenal had 60% possession and 31 shots but failed to score resulting in a damaging 1-0 loss for the Gunners.
In this fixture, the majority of Arsenal’s attempts lacked the power and conviction required to trouble the Spurs goalkeeper Barbora Votíková.
Contrastingly, the Lilywhites took advantage of their short spells of possession, with Martha Thomas heading home in the 57th minute to secure a historic first North London Derby victory.
Caldentey has strong potential to improve Arsenal’s performances, especially in these tight games where the team struggles to break the deadlock. The Spanish international has produced critical goals multiple times such as a late winner in the 2018 Copa de la Reina Final. Therefore, Caldentey will inevitably provide the forward momentum and tenacity that has been lacking in Arsenal’s attack over recent seasons.
Further to this, Caldentey is a dependable penalty-taker which is clearly demonstrated by her penalty conversion rate of 100% last season.
Therefore, it’s likely that we will see Caldentey step up to take penalties regularly as her arrival will hope to boost Arsenal’s penalty success rate. The experienced Kim Little who is currently a first-choice penalty taker only scored 33% of her penalties last season meaning that Caldentey could be the preferred choice moving forward.
Furthermore, the Gunners’ shock early exit from the UEFA Champions League last season was due to defeat on penalties against Paris FC. This raises the question of the pivotal role that Caldentey can play in the Gunners’ future success owing to her ability to influence the direction of games.
Caldentey’s arrival can catalyse the turnaround that Arsenal desperately need to ensure that their title hopes are kept alive by avoiding shock defeats where the team has failed to convert. She is a gifted striker who regularly capitalises upon her countless opportunities in the final third that is evidenced by her notable statistics for both goals and assists.
Therefore, Caldentey could well be the missing piece of the puzzle for an Arsenal side who are pursuing a breakthrough season to obtain their first piece of major silverware in years.
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