Manchester City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck believes squad togetherness could be the key to finishing the season strongly in the Women's Super League.
It's been something of a transitional season for Gareth Taylor's side following a summer exodus of high-profile players. After a rocky start to the campaign, an impressive 14-game unbeaten run saw them claw their way back into the title race, toppling reigning champions Chelsea along the way.
That unbeaten run came to an end on Sunday at Meadow Park, where goals from Frida Maanum and Katie McCabe helped Arsenal come from behind to clinch all three points and leapfrog City in the table. While the result is undoubtedly a huge blow to City's title ambitions, the ability to respond to adversity has been one of the hallmarks of their season so far, and that resilient mentality could prove decisive heading into the last five games of the campaign.
"We lost to Aston Villa and Chelsea at the start of the season and I know they weren’t great results but it probably helped us form that togetherness that we have now," Roebuck told the Manchester Evening News.
"Whenever we face a setback, we’ve been able to show really good character to come back. We lost at Arsenal in the Conti Cup semi-final earlier in the season and then the following week we played them again and showed that bit between our teeth. We want to win and we want to be competitive and bounce back when things don’t go our way."
She added: "I think, although we are a young group of players, we’re all very much on the same page. I think the team cohesion and all the other things that are important if you want to be winning, we’ve got that nailed. Hopefully that will show and we can stick together and get some big results.
"In the last few years, the league has got so much stronger so every game is a huge game and any team can take points off you. That’s credit to the league and that’s brilliant to be a part of. We have to look at all the games we have left as a cup final."
City, who are three points off league leaders Manchester United, will return to league action against West Ham on April 23. However, before their clash with the Hammers, a number of Taylor's squad will be jetting off on international duty, with Roebuck among those linking up with her national team.
The 23-year-old has already tasted success on the international stage, having been a member of England's EURO-winning squad last July. And the goalkeeper is relishing the opportunity to be part of the most successful Lionesses side in history, with one eye firmly trained on making the squad for the World Cup in the summer.
"It’s a really exciting squad to be part of," she said. "Obviously my goal is to go to the World Cup at the end of the season but the only way I’m going to achieve that is if I’m performing well at the club so that’s what my focus is at the minute.
"It's great to be part of the legacy we’re achieving on the international stage. Not just on the pitch but off it too, to be part of that movement and help grow the women’s game and women’s sport in general.
"Hopefully we can use the EUROs win as leverage to catapult the game to bigger and better things, not just for ourselves but for the next generation too, because that’s really important."
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