Arsenal ran out 1-0 winners over FC Twente in a dominant Champions League display, but fans were still left wanting more.
It was a relatively easy win under the lights at Meadow Park for Arsenal as an early Beth Mead goal was enough to secure the Gunners all three points.
Both Leah Williamson and Kim Little made the squad again as they slowly ramp up their return from injuries, and the three points were enough for Arsenal to secure their place in at least the playoff round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
FC Twente remain on only two points in the league stage, with it looking increasingly unlikely they’ll qualify for the next phase.
The Lineups
ARS: Borbe, Hinds, Wubben-Moy, Catley (C), McCabe, Mariona, Cooney-Cross, Pelova, Smith, Mead, Russo
TWE: Lemey, Van De Vegt, Carleer, Knol, Groenewegen, Van Ginkel (C), Ravensbergen, Rood, Tuin, Oude Elberink, Proost
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The Action
Some Arsenal fans may have been worried in the opening moments after a lively start from Twente, but these fears were put to bed quickly. The Gunners could’ve led within ten minutes when Beth Mead and Victoria Pelova’s combination freed up space for Mariona to let one fly from the edge of the area that was inches from the top corner.
Arsenal looked to press high early, and it paid off when a shrewd Mariona interception led to Mead receiving the ball off the right, swiftly switching onto her left foot. A composed finish into the bottom corner put the Gunners one up early, and they kept this pressure up.
Renee Slegers’ side didn’t give the Twente backline a second to breathe while in possession and did well to keep up this intensity for the first half. Taylor Hinds and Mead were causing Alieke Tuin problems all half as they swapped positions and kept the defence guessing
Twente did manage one counter that easily could’ve seen the game levelled as Sophie Proost got the run on Hinds, but saw her header fly over the bar.
While the home side dominated the first half, they managed relatively few chances and went into the break with only a 1-0 lead.
Emotions ran much higher in the second half after the opening minutes. Anneke Borbe came out to smother an Eva Oude Elberink counterattack, but in doing so took a boot to the face, infuriating the Arsenal bench and was followed up by a few crunching tackles from both sides.
A second nearly came for Arsenal after a floated cross from Mead perfectly landed on Russo’s head, but she could only steer it just wide. A call for more directness in their attack must’ve come at halftime as they looked to put the game to bed.
As the half progressed, Arsenal’s control became more and more pronounced as Twente were made to defend a flurry of set pieces, the majority of which looked as if they could sneak in, but the visitors continually failed to clear.
Even with such sustained control, Arsenal were still struggling with their end product as the Twente defence remained strong and wouldn’t allow any easy chances. The game should’ve been put out of sight in the 78th minute when Russo managed to hit the bar with a header from no more than four yards out, and the tension amongst the home fans grew as Twente stayed alive.
Even more chances followed when Anna Knol slipped and received a risky pass across the backline. Foord pounced and drove forward to lay off Frida Maanum, but her shot was blocked by some heroic defending.
An eerie silence fell across Meadow Park as a late counter from the Dutch side looked dangerous, but Ravensbergen rushed her pass as she saw the attack come to nothing, much to the relief of Gunners fans who saw their side see out the remainder for a dominant 1-0 win.
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Champions League holders have plenty of control, but lack ruthlessness
In the end, it was a comfortable European night for the reigning champions. Over 60% possession and only allowing a single shot on target make for positive reading for Arsenal fans; however, this doesn’t tell the full story. Arsenal had 15 shots with 5 on target, but even with all this control there were still moments at the end where it looked as though the Dutch side could deliver a dagger to Meadow Park.
It’s a familiar story for the Gunners. Their WSL win over Liverpool at the weekend was an important start to this block. Still, after an early goal and another dominant performance, their lack of clinical finishing and creativity allowed Liverpool back into the game and leaving Arsenal relying on a late Blackstenius winner.
This was a crucial win for their Champions League campaign, guaranteeing them a place in at least the play-off round. However, if they don’t become more ruthless, their results will start to reflect it.