Arsenal are European champions again. A fifteen-year gap after their 2007 championship, Arsenal beat Barcelona 1-0 in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in Lisbon through a 74th minute goal from Stina Blackstenius. The victory claimed Arsenal's second continental championship, but came through a measured, veteran performance that further cemented the club's position in the annals of history in women's soccer.
The winning goal was one which summed up Arsenal's approach perfectly. Beth Mead and Blackstenius came off the bench in the second half, and for her, there was nothing Cata Coll could do about her exquisitely weighted shot into the bottom left-hand corner. The two substitutes were only on the field for seven minutes having come off at 67 minutes, but that was all Arsenal needed. It was such a well-worked move, executed with composure, and just the perfect example of coaching staff's acute understanding of the game.
Decisive Shift
Manager Renée Slegers wasn't afraid to get the mix up and brought substitutes in Maanum and Chloe Kelly as a way of bringing two proven performers who have played in high-stakes games into the fray. The team gained some bite, found spaces in behind the back four of Barcelona, and soon were being rewarded for creating them.
Blackstenius has already left her imprint in the box. She was denied in the 72nd minute, and two minutes later, she found the net after Mead's pass. What was equally note-worthy was Arsenal's solid organisation at the back against one of the best attacking outfits around.
Barcelona's favorites' status did not intimidate Arsenal from the first whistle. Defending, led by Leah Williamson, remained tough all match long. Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar made crucial saves, including from efforts from Aitana Bonmatí and Claudia Pina.
Barcelona controlled more possession but failed to generate much in terms of actual depth. Arsenal did well to hold up space defensively and even found a goal disallowed for offside. They were quite good at shutting down Alexia Putellas and Bonmatí, leaving them with little or none at all. Emily Fox and Steph Catley worked well out wide, shutting off Spanish runs and forcing them into long-range shots.
Emotional regulation spot on
Even as the game intensified and Barcelona came at them, Arsenal never lost their shape. This was a team that was greatly composed. The players stuck to the game plan and believed in it until the end.
That calmness was rewarded. While Barcelona kept pushing from outside the penalty area and couldn't manufacture clear-cut chances from there, Arsenal waited patiently and waited for the moment just to counter-attack. And when that moment came, they did not waste any time.
A title indicative of historical importance
It's Arsenal's second European women's championship, and their previous one was in 2007. The triumph further solidifies the team's position as a powerhouse within women's soccer and reaffirms England's top-performing club in European competitions In all, Gunners have 15 national championships, 14 FA Cups, and seven League Cups under their belts.
The recent continental triumph sends the team back into Europe's top tier and serves further to highlight accomplishment in the English league, now among the world's best in soccer.