It was Sunday 10 December 2023 and 59,042 people had packed into the Emirates to watch Arsenal take on Chelsea. Unbeknown to most, one of those watching on was an American right-back on the verge of signing for Arsenal.
Emily Fox had been offered the opportunity to visit London as the deal to sign her from North Carolina Courage was being finalised. Arsenal were runaway 4-1 winners, decimating their London rivals in front of a WSL record crowd.
“I remember it vividly,” she says. “It was a typical rainy, cloudy day. I was up in the stands and you could feel the buzz and energy around the stadium. I remember thinking it was really cool to be a fan and so I could only imagine what it was like being on the field and being part of the team.”
Fox had long been interested in coming to Europe, after watching her friends at University of North Carolina go away on study abroad programmes while Fox stayed put to play football. The English influence was particularly strong at UNC. She shared a room with Lotte Wubben-Moy, the same person she now shares a backline with, who “would always have the Arsenal games on”. They were joined by another current Arsenal player, Alessia Russo, whilst Lois Joel, who now plays for Newcastle, had spent time in Arsenal’s academy.
Fox is just one of a number of American footballers who have made the switch to England over the past couple of years, with Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma notable arrivals to the blue side of London. It is a significant shift from previous US Soccer policy to discourage American players from leaving the domestic league. Fears around another exit in the form of Trinity Rodman this January led to the introduction of a “high impact player” rule to allow NWSL teams to spend over the salary cap.
Fox describes the competition between the two leagues as “natural”.
“It’s bound to happen with the game growing,” she says. “Competitiveness and wanting to be better than other leagues is the whole point of a business, and the whole point of playing in the first place. So with that it’s just trying to see who can really get it all right.
“Football is everything here. The US is such a sporty country but in all sports. Being in England and having football be the focus is really cool”.
When I’m playing these games, I always revert back to ‘This is why I’m here.’
When I’m playing these games, I always revert back to ‘This is why I’m here.’
Emily Fox
Ever since her arrival, Fox has been a mainstay of the Arsenal side. Most notably, she started all but one of the 11 games in their winning Champions League campaign last season. It’s an experience that was “humbling”.
“I actually think those games are overlooked. They’re some of the hardest games you play, and they’re not even part of the actual group stage. It is a grind.”
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The experience from the start of that year, with a limited pre-season, of pushing for results three times a week, helped forge a team that could beat Barcelona 1-0 in the final.
“Calm in the midst of the storm is how I would describe it,” she says.
“We had a full week of no games ahead of the Champions League final so we were able to be in our bubble and focus on the things we could control.
“We knew who we were facing, we knew what we were dealing with. We knew it was going to be hard. In terms of expectations, everyone knew we were going to be dying but everyone accepted that.
“I remember going on the bus into the stadium before the final and I feel like the team, without saying much, just felt together. We all had the feeling that we were all going to work for each other. If someone missed a tackle or missed a pass, five others were going to make up for it. When you have that mentality at the end of the season, when everyone is tired, it’s like: ‘What are they gonna do?’”
The victory changed Arsenal’s standing in the women’s game from sleeping giants to continental champions. “When you win a major tournament, teams want to beat you. We’ve definitely felt that,” she said.
On Tuesday, they face Chelsea for the first time ever in the Champions League. The quarter-final match-up, which would have already been a tense rivalry, takes on an extra edge because Arsenal were able to win (for a second time). It is the only trophy that has eluded Chelsea’s dominance.
“For me, I think it’s going to be like every game that we play them,” she says. “It’s going to be intense, it’s going to be competitive, it’s going to be a battle.
“For both teams, it doesn’t matter what event it is or what tournament it is. We’re playing against each other. We want to win.”
“When I’m playing these games, I always revert back to ‘This is why I’m here. This is why I chose to come here to be part of this team. To play in front of these crowds and to play against some of, if not the best players in the world.’
“I go back to that perspective and it makes me grateful. It makes me hungry.”
Photography by Suki Dhanda for The Observer