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Arsenal secured their first win of the new Champions League campaign, Beth Mead sending the ball crawling over the line against Benfica before Alessia Russo killed off the game with their second in Portugal.
It wasn’t pretty in the Estádio da Luz, but it was enough, just, with Arsenal’s lack of cutting edge remaining a major concern.
The return to the city of their heroic underdog triumph over Barcelona in the Champions League final in May, this time in Benfica’s home instead of Sporting CP’s José Alvalade Stadium, was shrouded in far less optimism this time round.
Then, Arsenal fans had travelled with hopes tempered, given the scale of the task, but spirits high, after a stellar run to their second ever final. This time, the side that arrived in Lisbon was a more beleaguered one following a disappointing start to a season full of promise.
The Gunners have dropped seven points in their opening six WSL games and went four games without a win before Sunday’s less than convincing 1-0 win over Brighton halted that run.
The character of the side that lost their opening Champions League match last season before going on to top the group and that came from behind in the quarter-final and semi final to set up that historic victory seems glaringly absent at present.
Renée Slegers’ side failed to capitalise on their dominance against Aston Villa before conceding a late equaliser, came from two goals down to level the game against Manchester City but couldn’t fend off Iman Beney’s killer blow and scored first against Lyon in this season’s European opener but struggled after two goals from Melchie Dumornay shifted the fixture in favour of the eight-time champions.
There were changes to the team which earned the much-needed win over Brighton, with Frida Maanum, Katie McCabe and Caitlin Foord all out in favour of Taylor Hinds, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Mead, and a groin problem kept out 19-year-old centre-back Katie Reid, who was replaced by Lotte Wubben-Moy.
There are concerns over goalkeepers too, with Arsenal confirming Manuela Zinsberger’s absence from the squad was due to an injury, while fellow keeper Anneke Borbe was omitted due to illness, so 17-year-old Amy Liddiard was on the bench as back up to Daphne van Domselaar.
In the first half the story was a familiar one, the visiting team dominated possession, accruing almost 70%, but failed to make that count, a cutting edge in the final third mysteriously missing with Benfica matching them with five shots and bettering them two on target to Arsenal’s none.
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It would take a bit of chaos in Benfica’s box to give Arsenal the lead after the break, Mariona Caldentey’s cross towards Mead in the middle pinballed off of Beatriz Cameirão before both Diana Gomes and Mead got touches in with the latter doing enough to send it rolling slowly over the line.
That slow roll was a reflection of the second half, the play lacked urgency and directness. The exit of both Emily Fox and Steph Catley with different injury concerns only added to Arsenal’s growing injury woes.
The longer the game wore on with the teams separated by just one goal the livelier the home team looked, but Arsenal would get a second to see out the final minutes under less pressure, Russo turning in from Chloe Kelly’s low free-kick.
