Mackenzie Arnold responds amid calls from Matildas fans for World Cup hero to be dropped

Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold has vowed to "keep fighting" for her spot in the starting side amid growing calls for her to be replaced by Teagan Micah. Micah was Australia's No.1 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2022 before a serious concussion kept her out of the 2023 World Cup and presented Arnold with an opportunity.

It is a chance the 30-year-old took with both hands as Arnold shot to superstardom at the World Cup, famously helping the Matildas win a dramatic penalty shootout against France in the quarter-final. But Micah is getting her career back on track, and calls have been mounting for her to replace Arnold as Australia's No.1 after standing out in recent games at international and club level.

The 27-year-old started in place of Arnold in the 2-1 loss to Brazil earlier this month but made four cracking saves to deny the visitors. She returned to her club side Liverpool - where she has established herself as the club's first-choice keeper - ahead of Australia's games against football minnows Taiwan. It meant Arnold got her chance to prove herself once again. But she was caught badly out of position in the first match, which saw Taiwan net an unlikely goal before having little to do in the second game.

And Arnold knows she needs to fight hard to hang onto her spot in the side for the upcoming She Believes Cup in the US in February and then the Asian Cup in 2026. “I think having what we would call a down year, a lot of players could take that as a chance to switch off,” Arnold told News Corp this week.

“But I think heading into the Asian Cup, it's going to be a massive thing for us to get a result out of that considering what happened at the Olympics. I’ve always said, ever since I got the starting spot, that I’ll just take each game as it comes.

“I’ll never be complacent, I’ll always keep fighting for that spot. You are only as good as your last game, I know that. I just have to keep trying to perform and hopefully keep my spot.” But many Matildas fans have seen enough and want to see Micah reinstated as the Australian No.1 after she shone against Brazil.

Teagan Micah continues push to become Matildas new No.1

Micah is keen to make the No.1 spot her own again and is going about things the right way, with standout performances for the Matildas and her club side Liverpool. "One thing I have learned over the course of my years in the Matildas is that the No.1 is never really set. It is always about the most recent performances," Micah said earlier this month. "I feel like I'm training really well and feeling good at my club in Liverpool so that helps as well."

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While the uncertainty around Tom Sermanni's future as Matildas coach means the goalkeeper will likely have a chance to impress a new manager, with Football Australia set to name a permanent replacement for Tony Gustavsson before the end of the year. "I think it is a fresh leg (up)," Micah said. "A lot of people haven't played in our team for a long time so it is good to see a lot more rotation and players stepping up."

But even if Sermanni is made permanent, it may work in Micah's favour, with the interim coach impressed with her performances. "They (Micah and Arnold) are two very good goalkeepers playing in the two top leagues in the world and at two very good clubs," he said. "There is obviously competition there and we have young Chloe (Lincoln) coming through as well. That's a positive thing for us."