Lotte Wubben-Moy is better than a back-up: Arsenal defender has earned Lionesses starting chance

Opportunities haven't been easy to come by for Wubben-Moy in the last few years. That's first true at Arsenal, where she started just six league games last term and began this season down the pecking order again, despite Williamson missing the start of the season through injury.

Instead of turning to Wubben-Moy, or indeed Spain international Laia Codina, Slegers opted to start teenager Katie Reid alongside left-sided centre-back Steph Catley, with Reid playing so well that she earned her first England call-up back in October.

With England, meanwhile, Wubben-Moy has been a regular in Wiegman's squads since the Dutchwoman took over in 2021, included in the group that triumphed at Euro 2022 and 2025, as well as the one that reached the 2023 Women's World Cup final. However, that's translated into just 16 caps for her country, 14 under Wiegman. Of those, just six have been starts and none have come at major tournaments.

Indeed, Wubben-Moy's England career to date has featured three stretches where she has been an unused sub from more than 10 games at a time - a run of 13 that ran through Euro 2022, a run of 14 that ran through the 2023 World Cup and a run of 11 that ran through the most recent Euros.

She's always been seen as a valuable personality and character in Wiegman's team, that much is clear, but the centre-back position in the England squad has always been very competitive, too. It's never going to be easy to get the nod over others if game time isn't as regular at club level, either.

But that's changed recently. After Reid suffered a knock in October and then a devastating ACL injury not long after, Wubben-Moy stepped into the Arsenal XI and hasn't looked back. She's been consistently impressive for the Gunners, able to develop a rhythm and flow that is clearly beneficial for her.

"I've been enjoying my football," she said last week. "I think ultimately, when you play football with a smile on your face, for me in particular, the rewards come with it. I can't speak highly enough of how much I've been having fun."

It's shown when watching Wubben-Moy. The 27-year-old has been imperious at the back as Arsenal have recovered from a poor start to the season, with them now best-placed to finish second in the Women's Super League behind runaway leaders Manchester City while still in the Champions League as it hits the semi-final stage.

It's clear what great form the defender is in just to watch her, and the numbers back it up. Wubben-Moy sits 11th in the WSL for her ground duels won percentage, with Catley the only Arsenal player ahead of her. Per 90 minutes, Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey, Arsenal's deep-lying midfield duo, are the only players in the Gunners' squad who win possession more regularly than Wubben-Moy, and no team-mate is making blocks more frequently.

But it's not just Wubben-Moy's defending that has caught the eye. Her role in possession has also been noteworthy, especially in the absence of Williamson.

There would normally be a lot of impetus on the Lionesses' captain to showcase her ability on the ball and break the lines either with her passing or dribbling. While she has been absent, though, Wubben-Moy has been happy to step up and take some of that responsibility.

"I actually had a conversation with Renee a few months ago and I said, 'I think I play best when I have responsibility, when I have a task, when I have a requirement to give more than just for myself'," Wubben-Moy explained recently. "The way I see my role in this team is I think to lead, lead in actions, lead in conversation, lead in collaboration.

"I feel fortunate to be one of the leaders on the pitch with Kim as well and Leah and Steph and Alessia Russo. I view myself very much a puzzle piece in that. I don’t think I’d be able to play so much on the ball if I didn’t have the support of the full-backs to support the goalkeeper and our midfield. I think I view my role as a puzzle piece and a piece that I’m very gladly part of this Arsenal puzzle. That puzzle is then for our opposition to try to solve."

What about from an England point of view, then? While Williamson hasn't pulled out of the Lionesses' squad this week, despite the team issuing an update of some changes to personnel on Tuesday morning, it would be a real surprise to see her start against Spain at Wembley. She will have been out of action for almost a month by the time that game kicks-off, and to throw her straight back in for a challenge like that may not be the right choice.

That's especially the case when England have so many other top quality centre-backs available. Among them, Wubben-Moy hasn't often been Wiegman's go-to, but with the form she is in right now, the Arsenal star deserves a chance to show what she's got on a big stage for the Lionesses.

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