Arsenal have completed a memorable comeback to secure passage to the UEFA Women’s Champions League Semi-Finals. Having lost 2-0 away in Madrid, not many had given Renee Slegers’s side much hope of progressing to the next stage, but a brilliant display in front of their own fans saw them do just that.
A crowd of over 22,000 were present at the Emirates Stadium, and after a battling first half ended goalless, the Gunners came out fighting, scoring three times in the space of 13 minutes to knock the stuffing out of their illustrious opponents.
The victory was one that was savoured by all those present in North London, and fans who want to travel to France to see them face Lyon can do so with the help of Go Sport Travel. It’s an occasion you wouldn’t want to miss out on.
It was Alessia Russo who broke the deadlock early in the second half, firing home before Mariona Caldentey, a former FC Barcelona star, made it 2-0 just three minutes later.
Russo then added a crucial second, Arsenal’s third, just before the hour mark before Sleger’s team then held on to complete a 3-0 success, one that their supporters will remember for a long time.
26-year-old Russo, who moved to Arsenal from Manchester United in 2023, has now scored 18 goals in all competitions, and her six-goal Champions League tally makes her the second top scorer in the tournament.
Commenting on the stunning success, and her part in it, Russo was still coming to terms with the magnitude of Arsenal’s triumph,
“It was amazing. Still feels a bit surreal right now, I’ve not really let it sink in yet. We had a lot of belief all week, we knew what we wanted to do, we knew what we were capable of as a team and we have done that tonight.”
“We knew we were doing well in the first half. We felt good,”
“We felt like we had momentum and we said we wanted to be more patient in the final third because we knew we needed to score. Chloe put in some great crosses which set up the first two goals and then we were persistent and probably should have had more to be fair. The week has been busy but we have all been locked in. Tonight is when you enjoy the football. We enjoyed the crowd and we will enjoy tonight.”
Arsenal’s Women’s team, much like their men’s side, have never won the UEFA Champions League, despite having reached the Semi-Finals on many occasions. They are also still on the lookout for some top-level domestic success, with their last Women’s Super League success coming in 2018/19.
On that front, Arsenal currently sit second, six points behind Chelsea, who remain undefeated. With just four games to play, it’s unlikely that Sleger’s side can make up their deficit in time, making their travels in Europe all the more important.