The transfer window may only be in its infancy, but revolving door at London Colney is already in full swing. Noelle Maritz, a rock at the back over the last 3 seasons, has said her goodbyes and made the move to Aston Villa. In her place has arrived Emily Fox, a 25-year-old US International, from North Carolina Courage.
If one were to describe Noelle’s time at the club, it would probably be safe, secure, sensible. Ever since Alex Scott’s retirement in 2018, the right back position had become a something of a problematic void. Lisa Evans, ordinarily an attacking winger, was repurposed to play there for most of their title winning season. Whilst Evans was able to provide a McCabe level threat on the flanks, a defender she is not. Leonie Maier was brought in the following season to remedy that, providing an more orthodox player for that position. Sadly, she was never able to fully integrate herself into the backline. Maritz’s arrival brought an air of stability to Arsenal’s defence. A UWCL winner with Wolfsburg, Maritz brought high level experience and a steely competitive edge, most notable when she stared down Nadia Nadim when Arsenal played PSG in the Champions League.
Didn’t flinch 🦖😀😅 pic.twitter.com/E87MXwLWbr
— Dr Nadia Nadim (@nadia_nadim) August 23, 2020
Maritz looked to have had the right back slot nailed down for the long term, but the arrival of Laura Wienroither changed all that. Originally signed as a rotational option, it soon became clear she had become Jonas’ Eidevall’s preferred right back. Maritz is a top defender, but the role Jonas wanted the right back to play in his set up required a greater presence in attack, something Wienroither could offer him with her pace on the flanks. When Wienroither tore her ACL, and Eidevall opted to start left winger McCabe ahead of Maritz, the writing was on the wall. Maritz departs Arsenal a fan favourite, and Aston Villa have acquired a gem of a fullback that will serve them well for the foreseeable future.
Given Wienroither is still months away from recovery, to sell Maritz now would be foolhardy, unless a replacement was already lined up. Thankfully, Arsenal have been preparing for this eventually for weeks. Whilst fans were recovering from the shock defeat in the North London Derby, some early Christmas cheer filtered through when reports of Arsenal’s interest in Emily Fox broke.
Tar Heels has proved to be a strong breeding ground of future Arsenal talent. Heather O’Reilly, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alessia Russo have all learnt their trade at the UNC. Now, they have another one of their alumni in their team in Emily Fox.
‘I’m excited’ Hallie tells me. ‘I’ve had her on my dream signing list for Arsenal since the Summer’. Hallie is an Arsenal fan currently living in America and has had the chance to see Emily Fox play in the NWSL for NC Courage. And in her estimations, Fox ranks as one of the best right backs in the world.
‘She’s pretty much guaranteed starting RB for us [Arsenal]’ she states, even ahead of Laura when she returns to fitness. A bold claim, but Emily Fox’s progression since her Tar Heel days would suggest it is a well-founded one. At UNC, she was described as one of the fastest players on the team, a potent weapon in the arsenal (no pun intended) of any full back (just ask Hector Bellerin). A powerful dribbler who likes to push up offensively, she is a fullback more in the template of what Jonas Eidevall would like over what Noelle Maritz could offer him. But something else Hallie mentions is that, added on top of her attacking prowess, is her versatility within the defence, able to play at left back, centre back as well as right back. This flexibility is ideal for Arsenal, given their current injury struggles in that department – It is also how Emily Fox became a starter for her national side.
Despite typically playing at left back with NCC, Fox plays on the right of defence with the US National Team. She was tipped to take over the left back slot from Crystal Dunn within the national set up, however, a spate of injuries saw her shift over to right back, a position she has retained ever since. To become a starter in one of the best teams in the world is no mean feat, yet Fox has managed it, to the extent that she started every game at the 2023 World Cup, keeping 3 clean sheets and conceding only 1 goal. Such were her impressive performances; she was nominated for US Soccer Female Player of the Year.
The departure of Noelle Maritz was a sad one, but it also felt like the right move at the right time for both parties. However, it was of the utmost importance that Arsenal replaced her with someone either as good, or even better. Arsenal’s roster is currently at its maximum. It’s now no longer about adding quality, but rather upgrading on the quality that already exists. Martiz was a quality defender, but with the traits at her disposal, Emily Fox looks to be that step-up Arsenal needed.
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