Arsenal Women started their season off in some style last night as they walked away victorious over Scottish powerhouse Rangers LFC, at Meadow Park, in the first stage of this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League. Our Gunners walked away 6-0 winners after a dominant performance that made a real statement that we mean business this season. Here’s a run down of all the goals and everything that happened.
The game started off very much in Arsenal’s favour, dominating possession and creating early chances, linking up passes well and looking dangerous from the get go. It only took 16 minutes to find the back of the net when new signing, Mariona Caldentey, whipped a cross in from the left wing towards the back post where Caitlin Foord was waiting to somehow get a head onto the ball and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
Arsenal continued to push in the first half, creating lots of close chances and were unlucky not to be 3-0 up at the halftime break, but Rangers somehow kept the peppering of attacks out of the back of the net.
We started the second half looking and playing just as confident and you could almost sense an onslaught coming, and it didn’t take long for the goals to start going in when in the 59th minute when Foord bagged her second, after Kim Little fought and won the ball back, slipping a lovely through ball onto the run of Foord who made no mistake and fired it past the Rangers keeper to make it 2-0.
Only a minute later and we were at it again, making it 3-0 in the 60th minute after some quick and slick passing from the kick off lead to Alessia Russo in front of the goal, firing it past the keeper and making it look easy.
Looking like a dominant and confident unit, Arsenal continued to hunt for more goals and were playing Rangers off the park. Foord scoring her 3rd for the night in the 69th minute after a perfect cross from McCabe out towards the back post for Foord to volley into the back of the net to make it 4-0. A perfectly timed cross and incredible finish from Foord.
Eidevall then looked to his bench making a few changes to freshen up the squad including Blackstenius, Kafaji, Walti and Wienroither and continued to push on for more goals. In the 84th minute McCabe was trying to get through the Rangers defence only to be taken down just inside the box and the ref immediately pointed to the spot for a penalty. Little steps up and thumps the ball into the roof of the net to make it 5-0.
Arsenal weren’t done just yet, making it 6-0 in the 90th minute with yet another goal from Foord, making it her 4th for the night when a shot from Kafaji was saved into the path of a waiting Foord to smash it into the back of the net.
A huge win for Arsenal, edging us one step closer to this season’s Women’s Champions League. A show of real dominance and if that performance is anything to go by, a great season ahead.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
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