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Arsenal delivered a dominant and efficient display away to OH Leuven to take a 4-0 lead into the second leg of their Women’s Champions League playoff at the Emirates Stadium next week.
Frida Maanum opened the scoring, Olivia Smith added the second, Maanum struck again and Alessia Russo finished things off against the Belgian side before midfielder Kim Little came off the bench late on to put the cherry on top of the evening, making a staggering 400th appearance for the club.
The Champions League holders are 90 minutes away from an all-WSL quarter-final tie against Chelsea, who qualified automatically for a place among the final eight by finishing in the top four at the end of the league phase.
It was never going to be as connected a performance for the travelling Gunners, with five changes made to the team that secured an impressive 1-0 win over WSL leaders Manchester City on Sunday. Arsenal have needed to rotate a little amid a hefty run of fixtures and although this was the first leg of a tie that would earn a spot in the Champions League quarter-final stage it was also the optimal time to rest legs, with Renée Slegers’ side having earned a 3-0 win against Leuven in their final game of the league phase.
Arsenal were predictably dominant in position against the Belgian champions and that it wasn’t always the slickest of games for them didn’t matter. There were vital minutes in the legs of the returning Leah Williamson and the rarely used Laia Codina, Victoria Pelova and Chloe Kelly, and there was little doubt that they would break through the impressive Champions League debutants.
The opening goal came in the 22nd minute, with Caitlin Foord’s ball in from the right headed goalwards by Maanum and although goalkeeper Lowiese Seynhaeve got a palm behind it at full stretch, she could not keep it out.
Arno Van den Abbeel’s Leuven team earned a win against Twente and secured draws against Paris FC, Roma and Paris Saint-Germain in the league phase to deliver a playoff place in their first European outing, but chances were few and far between against Arsenal, a swift counter-attack which led to Jada Conijnenberg firing over from the right their best effort of the opening half and Alixe Bosteels’ curling effort from 25 yards out forcing a save from Daphne van Domselaar their best of the second half.
Arsenal extended their lead before the break, Smith side-footing in from Kelly’s cross before she went close to getting a second, her low shot tipped wide by Seynhaeve.
The atmosphere in the Den Dreef Stadium was not dampened significantly by Arsenal’s two-goal cushion, a vocal battle waged between the block of red at one end and home fans in the other for much of the match.
It was 3-0 within seven minutes of the restart, Smith’s clever one-touch pass to Foord sprung the offside trap and the Australian Foord put the ball into the middle for Maanum to turn in from close range. Further changes came, Williamson removed at the hour mark having upped her minutes from the seven she played on Saturday against City as Arsenal ease her back in following a calf injury picked up in early January.
The substitute Russo delivered Arsenal’s fourth, volleying home after Seynhaeve failed to deal with Smilla Holmberg’s cross.
The arrival of Little with eight minutes remaining was raucously welcomed by the travelling fans, the 35-year-old’s incredible Arsenal career and continuing influence a cause for recognition and celebration.
