Victoria Pelova is playing a key role for the Netherlands at the Women's World Cup. 

The Arsenal winger has caught the eye on the right of the Dutch midfield, providing the assist for Jill Roord in their 1-1 draw with the USA. 

After an impressive performance against the favourites, Pelova will be aiming to pick up where she left off in the Oranje's final Group E match against Vietnam tomorrow.

New normal

At 24, Pelova is still a developing talent. 

She was an unused substitute as the Netherlands lost to the USA in the final of the 2019 World Cup.

But Pelova is now a star name in the Dutch squad having joined Arsenal from Ajax in January and excelled in the WSL. 

She said: "Four years ago we were in the final against the USA and it was a full crowd of 60,000. 

"But now playing at the Emirates in front of that kind of crowd feels normal. I'm just excited to see what it's going to be like now. 

"Obviously it's in Australia and New Zealand and it's a long way to go for our fans but I think we are still going to feel the support."

Special talent

Pelova is more than just a gifted footballer. 

She studied applied mathematics at Delft University of Technology and also had an aptitude for tennis and snowboarding. 

Netherlands manager Andries Jonker will be glad she chose to pursue football as he looks to take on the world's best.

Standout performer

Pelova's quality has been on show at the World Cup so far. 

She was one of the standout performers in the Netherlands' 1-0 win over Portugal, managing a team-high four dribbles. 

Against the USA, she set up Roord for a superb opener and completed an impressive 83.6% of her passes. 

With excellent distribution and the ability to beat any full-back, Pelova's performances will be vital for the Netherlands as the tournament progresses.

Added pressure

There is added pressure on Pelova and her team-mates, with expectations raised ever since the Netherlands won the European Championship in 2017 and reached the World Cup final four years ago. 

Talisman Lieke Martens spoke about that burden in June. 

She said: "Suddenly, after the Euro win, people expect a lot from us. I think we dealt with that well as a team. 

"We have slowly grown into it and we are still dealing with it. 

"People expect us to always be able to battle for the grand prizes, and we have given ourselves that standard. The character in the team is back and maybe we can achieve something beautiful again at this World Cup."

Match-winner

If the Netherlands are to go all the way, they will have to look to players like Pelova for inspiration. 

The Arsenal star is an influential figure for her country and capable of producing match-winning moments. 

Pelova will hope to continue her fine form against Vietnam as the Netherlands target another three points and a place in the last 16.