3. Midfielder Sophie Ingle
She may not be as favored in the starting XI as Melanie Leupolz in the middle of the pitch, but when Sophie Ingle is teamed up with Erin Cuthbert as the double pivot, the two are pure magic. Ingle tied Cuthbert for the team lead in passes into the final third. The Blues’ No. 5’s vision was brilliant on Sunday afternoon, continuously finding Sam Kerr and Reiten in behind the Gunners’ backline. Ingle simply has the ability to be in the right place at the right time to make the perfect pass to progress the ball forward.
Along with Cuthbert, she won possession back numerous times including a moment where she snatched the ball right out of the feet of Australian Caitlin Foord before making an incredible diagonal pass to Kerr running down the left flank. The west Londoners’ striker missed just wide of the goal, but Ingle created the entire chance from a time where the Gunners where looking to break into the home side’s half.
Ingle was one of four players with four or more tackles in the final match at Kingsmeadow and had a 75 percent success rate on them, losing just one throughout her 90 minutes. The Welsh captain could see most of her time next season spent on the bench, but it is matches like these that demonstrate she still has world-class performances left in her. Whether it was frustrating Frida Maanum on the wing or playing several sensational over the top balls to Kerr, Ingle was at the top of her game in a contest this club had to win. Her future may be a little unclear, but time and time again this campaign Ingle has given the west London outfit one heck of a shift as one of the No. 6’s.