'She's a sister' - Lotte Wubben-Moy opens up on 'intimate' relationship with Arsenal and England team-mate Alessia Russo

Russo joined Arsenal on a free transfer ahead of the 2023-24 WSL season and has established herself as an integral pair of Jonas Eidevall's squad with four goals and two assists in 10 WSL appearances. As well as hitting the right notes on the pitch, she has also managed to weave a close-knit friendships with her new team-mates. This includes Wubben-Moy, whom she previously played and lived with during the pair's time at the University of North Carolina.

Speaking to the club media, Wubben-Moy said: "Viv [Miedema's] a part of my family now. My mum and dad treat her like another child of theirs and my sister and my partner both love Viv, which is really special. Likewise, with Less, she’s a sister to me."

Wubben-Moy believes that the Arenal squad share an excellent camaraderie among themselves which has led to on-field success. She insisted that the familial bond among the players helps them to give their all on the pitch.

"There aren’t many moments in life where you can look at work and look at your private life and see how connected they are," she said.

"That seems to be the case in women’s football and particularly at Arsenal, when we have moments that bring us so closely together and go beyond the professional world. We fight so hard on the football pitch, it’s hard not to have such intimate relationships with other people.

"We put so much emotion into our performances that when you get to share that experience with others, it creates such a tight bond. These are friendships that we’ll have for years and years, way after we all stop playing, and that goes to show how strong we are as a collective."

Arsenal's team spirit will be put to the test in the WSL on Saturday by Everton. They are currently third in the league standings but could soon overtake leaders Chelsea as just three points differentiate the two sides.