Kyra Cooney-Cross ran the show for Arsenal against Brighton last weekend.

The 21-year-old was a force of nature in midfield — cutting out attacks and progressing play, as the Gunners breezed to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Broadfield Stadium.

Those precious three points keep Jonas Eidevall's outfit within touching distance of Women's Super League leaders Chelsea ahead of Matchday 8.

As Arsenal prepare to face West Ham this afternoon, we take a look at how Cooney-Cross is settling into life in North London.

Tenacious tackler

Last Sunday's victory over Brighton was Arsenal's first clean sheet of the WSL season.

Melissa Phillips' side had already taken points off two of the top four — drawing 2-2 with Manchester United before beating Manchester City 1-0 — marking the fixture out as a potential banana skin.

But Cooney-Cross helped keep the Seagulls at bay, as she pounced on loose passes and heavy touches while operating in front of the Gunners' rearguard.

She is currently inside Arsenal's top five players for both successful ball recoveries (8.42) and tackles won per 90 minutes (1.58), which will not come as a surprise to those who witnessed her performance in Sussex.

Connecting the dots

Cooney-Cross also thrives at turning defence into attack.

The 5ft 5in midfielder’s diminutive frame allows her to ease players off the ball and evade opposition pressure, before kick-starting offensive moves for her side.

Despite only playing 173 WSL minutes this term, she has already completed an impressive six of her nine take-on attempts — the joint-third most in Arsenal's squad.

And it should only be a matter of time before the Brisbane native starts adding end product to her game.

She contributed four league assists in 18 matches for previous club Hammarby in 2023, which put her inside the division's top 10 performers.

Stiff competition

Cooney-Cross looks to have finally found her place at Arsenal, having only arrived at the club in September.

Prior to the Brighton match, Arsenal boss Eidevall praised the Aussie international — but also highlighted the level of competition within his squad.

He said: "Kyra needs to be good in practice and so does everyone else as well. And there's always going to be competition for the spots.

"So Kyra's position before these two [most recent] games was strong and it's strong now and we believe a lot in her. And we look forward to seeing her for the rest of the season."

Another sound display will have further strengthened the midfielder's case for a starting berth, as she continues to emerge as a key figure for the Gunners.

With Arsenal set to take on fellow London outfit West Ham today, Eidevall will hope Cooney-Cross can continue her upward trajectory and help extend their winning run.