Mariona Caldentey described Arsenal as the “perfect match” to play her football as she continues to shine in her debut season for the club.
The 28-year-old received February’s Barclays Player of the Month award for her Women’s Super League performances, having scored two goals and added an assist.
February caps off an impressive run for the Spanish forward, who now has 12 goals in all competitions in her first season since swapping Barcelona for north London in the summer, and she believes she has adapted well to her “new challenge” in English football.
She told the PA news agency: “I think changing club for me was something challenging because I was for 10 years in the same team with the same team-mates playing in a different way (from Arsenal).
“I did give some time to myself to adapt, but to be honest it feels it was quite quick because everyone welcomed me from the first day and they helped me so nicely.
“I do feel comfortable on the pitch playing with them, I understand more the Arsenal way – what they want, what they expect from me.
“Of course when you score and you assist, your name always sounds more, right? But we do work how we want to play and I think I fit perfectly in that way, I’m so happy to contribute to that.
“I just felt I needed something different and a new challenge. Of course this league is the best in the world, so that was so attractive for me.
“Looking at the teams – the way I want to play or the way I’m a better footballer – it just suits how Arsenal wants to play and the Arsenal way so I think it was the perfect match.”
Super Mariona Caldentey 🌟
The @ArsenalWFC forward is your February #BarclaysWSL Player of the Month! pic.twitter.com/aN3ygMgYF2
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) February 28, 2025
As well as impressing in the league, Caldentey scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in December to help them finish top of their Champions League group.
The lifelong Barcelona fan and former player now comes up against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, starting with an away tie in the Spanish capital which her family are already prepared for.
“I’m so excited, of course, the Champions League is already special just for being the Champions League and having the chance to play against Real Madrid is even bigger,” Caldentey said.
“(Laia Codina) and me were actually joking before that draw that we wanted Real Madrid so now we have it. My family is already ready for the trip to Madrid, they will come there, which is great.
“Real Madrid is growing as well, they have a good team and it will be hard, but I think we have our opportunities to beat them and that’s what all of us want.”
A packed March schedule sees Arsenal play seven games, with FA Cup and Champions League ties set to take place among their regular WSL matches.
Since Renee Slegers took over as head coach in October, the Gunners are enjoying a successful run having lost only two games in 19 and Caldentey is looking forward to the opportunities March will present.
She said: “That’s our goal as a team, to try to win trophies and to go as far as we can in every competition. March is always an intense month, really important and will decide a lot.
“We can go into the semi-finals in the FA Cup and Champions League in this month, we will go for that because we want to do it in the best possible way and try to win trophies.”
