FotMob Interview: Erin Cuthbert on Arsenal vs. Chelsea, the biggest rivalry in the WSL
True rivalries are relatively young in women’s football. More often than not they are inherited from their male counterparts, forced onto the women’s game as a marketing ploy without the necessary history to back them up.
Nothing could be further from the case, however, when it comes to the derbies between Arsenal and Chelsea. When these two meet, fireworks tend to follow. The Jonas Eidevall knee-drop, the Emma Hayes shove and the infamous “sockgate” (when Arsenal turned up at Stamford Bridge) are amongst the most recent incidents in a battle that has intrigued over the years.
Saturday’s game at the Emirates will be no different and the stakes could not be higher. For while this derby is the epitome of a true rivalry for what it brings on the pitch, Chelsea undoubtedly have the bragging rights. In 21 meetings, the current champions have come out on top 12 times and one must go back to December 2023 for Arsenal’s last win in the league. In addition, Sonia Bompastor’s side are currently unbeaten at the top of the Barclays WSL and know that Arsenal must win to keep their title hopes alive.
At the heart of it once more will be the effervescent Erin Cuthbert whose experience of this rivalry goes well into the double figures.
“It’s no surprise that I love these types of games,” she says with a smile. “I love the atmosphere. I love rivalry in football and I think that should never go away. I think Chelsea-Arsenal is huge, especially in the women’s game, and it’s something that players relish. But the other part of me, the more rational part, is telling me it is just another three points. You can’t overthink it. Don’t make it bigger than what it is.”
“[My favourite] was the FA Cup Final at Wembley in the December [2021],” she remembers. “I played right-back and I think it was me against Caitlin Foord on the wing. I had such fun. It was bodies on the line. I think me and Millie [Bright] slide-tackled each other at one point to get the ball out of play.”
The no-nonsense, straight-talking Scot is a core member of Bompastor’s team. Now in her ninth season at the club, she has transitioned from a youngster to one of the more experienced players and from a forward into one of the best central midfielders in the league.
“Did I think a young girl from Scotland would survive eight/nine years at such a big club playing pretty consistently? Probably not,” she reflects. “But I’ve grown with that role. I’m a player who loves the competition. That’s what I enjoy most in training – how much everybody wants to win; how much it matters when you lose a small-sided game. I lost today and I was off in a terrible mood for half an hour before I recovered and said well done to my teammates. It’s because it matters and if it matters every day, then it’s going to matter on a weekend.”
The 27-year-old has been key to Chelsea’s impressive start once again. An energetic, box-to-box midfielder, she has played an integral role alongside Keira Walsh, a partnership that has been developing ever since the latter joined the club in January.
“We are building a connection,” she says. “I think we’re two very different central midfielders but we do complement each other. She’s trying to give me a bit of the calm and I’m trying to give her a bit of the intensity.”
Cuthbert’s desire to be front-footed and involved in the attack has been on show. She sits third highest in expected assists (1.9), chances created (13) and key passes (13) this season.
“Over the last couple of games, I’ve maybe seen myself in higher areas, trying to be more involved in attacks and linking the midfield to the front line,” she says. “It’s always about balance as a central midfielder.”
She will have to be at her balancing best once again against Arsenal on Saturday. For despite the Gunners’ inconsistent start to the season, Cuthbert is well aware of the multiple threats Renée Slegers’ team can present.
“They still have quality all over the pitch,” she states. “I’ve watched a lot of their games this season. I think [Alessia] Russo is in good form. Obviously, Mariona [Caldentey] can unlock a defence at the snap of a finger.”
“I think they’re going to be a really aggressive team at home”, she continues. “We’re going to have to be ready for a bit of an onslaught early on and be switched on because a team like Arsenal can punish you. I think we have given up too many chances this season and they punish you for those chances so we need to be really structured with a calm head.”
“Most of all, it will be trying to give my experiences of playing at the Emirates because it is a really tough place to go,” she continues. “You can’t hear each other speak. You can’t give information or tactics or communicate. A lot of it has got to come off feeling which is very different and maybe what we’re not used to.”
Chelsea are a different outfit with Cuthbert in the team. On Saturday, they will once again need her energy, fight and desire if they are to overcome their arch-rivals; someone who absolutely lives for these games. For as the Scot says, “We love a wee scrap but that’s the nature of football. If you don’t love that then why are you playing?”
(Cover image from IMAGO, with additional imagers from Girls on the Ball)
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