Arsenal Women have completed the signing of goalkeeper Lydia Williams. Williams becomes the third Australian to join Arsenal over the last 12 months, along with Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley, who was Williams’ teammate at OL Reign and Melbourne City, and was coached by Joe Montemurro.
Williams, 32, has been Australia’s number 1 goalkeeper at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, 2016 Olympics, and 2019 Women’s World Cup. Williams is a very good shot-stopper and has quick reflexes. Having played for Montemurro, she will be used to his demands for goalkeepers, which can require a goalkeeper to be one of the eleven players, both in playing the ball, but also in defending, and the positioning of the goalkeeper.
Williams will replace Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, who has left the club for Atletico Madrid. Peyraud-Magnin’s trait was longer-range passing. Manuela Zinsberger is very good at short passing, while Williams’ long distribution from goal is very good. Williams, though, is used to playing out from the back, telling Arsenal.com, “It’s been the philosophy [for a while now], so to really build on that with a team that believes on starting their attack from the back and playing out, it’s really exciting and makes me a multi-dimension goalkeeper, rather than just saving balls.”