Recharged Foord hits top gear for Matildas

Gun forward Caitlin Foord says a much-needed break from football and relishing the ruthless environment at Arsenal have been key to her scintillating Matildas form.

Foord starred in Saturday's 4-0 win over Sweden at AAMI Park, scoring two goals, including a wonderful curling strike, and having a hand in another.

"I'm enjoying myself at the moment, enjoying my football," she told reporters.

"I've always known I'm at my best when I am enjoying myself.

"We don't get many opportunities to play on home soil so we want to enjoy every moment of that and make the most of every opportunity."

Foord has five goals in her past three internationals, while she has scored four for Arsenal this season in the Women's Super League and Champions League.

"I just put it down to having an off-season," she said. 

"Having time away from the game, having time to refresh and to miss the game a bit. That's what I've needed.

"That's for a lot of us as well and making that move to England has given us the opportunity to do that. 

"But on top of that, being at a club like Arsenal - the level that I'm training in, day in, day out, and the demand to have to perform. 

"In a squad like that, surrounded by so many great players, if you're not in form, you'll be on the bench."

Head coach Tony Gustavsson rested several key players - including Foord, Sam Kerr, Steph Catley, Alanna Kennedy, Mary Fowler and Hayley Raso - for mid-year friendlies against Spain and Portugal.

That decision came under fire after Australia copped a 7-0 thrashing from Spain.

But the Matildas coach felt vindicated by the newly recharged Foord.

"A lot of them were very close to being fatigued and getting injured and burned out. They hadn't had an off-season for years," he said.

"We said, 'We need to give them time off. It might cost us in the short run but in the long run it's going to help us'.'"

While happy to play as a winger, Foord has also reaped the rewards of operating more centrally alongside Kerr in a 4-4-2 formation with Australia.

"Being central, I find the ball a bit more in front of goal, and more opportunities to shoot and to link up with Sam as well," she said.

"I'm enjoying it."