We capped off pre-season with a convincing victory over Southampton on Saturday afternoon and Lia Walti shared her reflections after the match.
Our midfielder, who took up captain duties as one of nine half-time substitutions, was particularly full of praise for our academy players who have stepped up in pre-season.
"They are incredible, honestly. You see them improving every day, they really take on board all the information they get and you could see today that the level doesn't drop with them. They can step up in important moments, and I'm sure they have incredible careers ahead of them.
"I think you can always watch young players and try to get something out of their game because they play with freedom. They don't think too much, they have no pressure. And it's quite a nice fresh breath out on the pitch for us. And it's just nice to see the smile on their faces when they can play for Arsenal, for their childhood club. So it's a moment to be proud of them."
As we head into Champions League qualifiers on Wednesday, Walti believes that our squad's mindset and preparation will push us to new levels this campaign.
"We want to keep building with the fans but also with our performances and trophies. Last year we won the Conti Cup, but we were all a little bit disappointed with the end of the season.
"This club belongs on the biggest stage and that's where we want to go. In the next two weeks, we want to push for Champions League, and then we have a good squad that can compete for every single trophy. Those are our standards right now."
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