Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall was full of praise for Dutch star Vivianne Miedema after she scored her third goal in as many games following a return to action.
Miedema took some time away from football in November after she was granted a leave of absence by the club. But since returning she has been in superb form, scoring the winner for the second game in-a-row on Wednesday, as Arsenal edged out Juventus 1-0 to close in on the Champions League quarter finals.
The 26-year-old's first half volley ensured the Gunners stay top of Group C, five points clear of their Italian opponents in third. And Arsenal' s boss Eidevall said after the game that he believes she is clearly benefiting from a much-needed mental recharge.
"Her (Miedema's) form is down to her being mentally ready to play these games," Eidevall said. "And to train and to enjoy her football.
"I think in the last two games, we have seen some brilliant stuff from her, in both attack and defence. The weight of her passes and touches is extraordinary, how well she does things like that.
"If we were finishing chances better we would have talked about her having multiple assists in these games, not only scoring goals. We are very happy for her that she is able to show these performances, which are so important to the team."
Miedema's break from football was granted prior to November's international break, explaining that she had never fully recovered from covid-19 picked up during Euro 2022, but since returning she has looked at the top of her game. Even prior to the Champions League clash she explained that she felt "physically a lot fitter" since returning to action.
Miedema also scored the winner against Everton on Saturday as Arsenal returned to winning ways in the WSL. And she agreed with her manager that she has looked a different player since her break.
"I think you can see it in my game now," she said. I really needed it (the break)
"You could see in my game before and I'm just really happy that I've had my break. Three more games now until the Christmas break and we just need to keep winning.
"I got on the ball a lot more today, which obviously really helps as well. I'm just happy that I can help the team in this way but I would actually like it if we score a couple more goals, so we finish the games off a bit earlier."
The WSL's all-time top goalscorer had already urged officials from across the women's game to consider players health and wants coaches to encourage players to takes break when required. Miedema was rewarded with a one-year contract extension in the summer amid transfer speculation, and finished 11th in this year's Ballon D'or standings.
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