Lisa Baum: How She Stunned at Broadfield

Arsenal newcomer and German forward Lisa Baum stunned in their opening WSL fixture against the Seagulls. Brighton held quite the record against Arsenal last season, gaining points from both home and away matches. However, with Arsenal’s title ambitions increasing, Baum was the one to break the deadlock and make an instant impact inside the opening ten minutes by darting past the Brighton defence. 

What Led Her to Arsenal?

But her impact on a team didn’t just start with Slegers’ side. She began her journey with German side Hamburger SV in 2021. Shortly after in 2022, she signed her first professional contract. Alongside her teammates, she was able to help Hamburger SV secure two promotions in three years. This could demonstrate her winning mentality, which may prove to be pivotal as Arsenal will be looking to add the WSL to their trophy cabinet for the first time since the 2018-19 season.  Since her early days, she moved to RB Leipzig, where she gained not only valuable club experience, but international experience too. This may be an advantage for her when she wants to gain valuable minutes in the highly competitive Arsenal setup, because her experience through the German youth levels shows that she has been exposed to competition at all levels.

How Does Baum's Playing Style Help Arsenal?

Although Renee Slegers describes Baum as “a young wide forward who will bring direct intent and athleticism”, she is a versatile player who shows many different qualities across the pitch. The majority of her strengths lie within the final third, where she can drive at defenders to create space to make room for direct play. This may also help her break down defensive blocks and go 1v1 with defenders to pull them out of shape. This is crucial for the WSL champion hopefuls, as they have previously been criticised by pundits for how they tend to find it difficult against the teams who play in a low block. Once she slices open the defence, she is instantly able to pose a threat to any opposing team. With her composed, left-foot finishing, she is able to take on spectacular shots similar to the one we saw last weekend at Broadfield. For Arsenal, her creativity in front of goal will be valuable because as the season goes on they won’t want to become predictable.

A Look at Her 2025/26 Statistics

During her final season at RB Leipzig, she racked up some impressive numbers in just a year. In her twenty-five appearances for the Bundesliga side, she played 2114 minutes. This could prove her worthy of a spot in the starting eleven, as it shows her reliability. Not only that, but within those appearances she was prolific and managed to average 0.24 goals last season. This statistic will be specifically important for Slegers and the rest of the Arsenal coaching staff as it will guide them in how to develop her as a more experienced player. She is also capable of opening up opportunities. This suggests that she can be utilised creatively rather than just a clinical forward in front of goal.

What Worked Well at Broadfield?

Throughout the match against Brighton, Baum quite clearly made her mark as an Arsenal player. Scoring on her debut was one thing, but doing so in such an unstoppable fashion is another. She particularly impressed against the Seagulls. Over the last few seasons, those in red and white have struggled to come away with anything more than a point. But thanks to her creativity and ability to strike, she was able to score within the opening minutes and stand alone on the scoresheet. With such a positive performance under her belt, she should be going into her first game at the Emirates Stadium against Crystal Palace full of confidence and ready for a repeat.

Overall, Lisa Baum’s WSL debut showed why Arsenal brought her to the club. Her pace, creativity and ability to take on defenders could give Arsenal another attacking option, while her previous experience could help her adapt to the competitive WSL. Although one performance doesn’t determine how her season will go, her performance at Broadfield gives her a positive start to life in England.