This weekend Arsenal travel to Lisbon to take on title-holders Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final. It's been a long road for the Gunners, who had to get through two qualifying rounds to even make it to the group stage.
Their first game saw the London side thumped 5-1 by Bayern Munich - and six days later boss Jonas Eidevall quit after a 2-1 home loss to Chelsea. But new boss Renee Slegers managed to turn the Gunners' fortunes around, with victories against Real Madrid and Lyon putting them within touching distance of the trophy.
Here are the big talking points ahead of Saturday's clash at Estadio Jose Avalade:
Gunners return after 18 years
This is just the second final appearance for Arsenal - 18 years on from winning the competition, known as the UEFA's Women's Cup at the time. This was part of a spectacular quadruple in 2007, in which Vic Akers' Gunners defeated Swedish team Umea 1-0.
The game was played over two legs, with Alex Scott scoring the sole goal late in the first part. This remains the only time an English side has won the trophy. Chelsea are the only other English team to reach the final, when they face Barcelona in 2021, ultimately crashing to a 4-0 defeat.
Slegers on top
This comes at the end of an impressive turnaround this season by Arsenal under Renee Slegers, who took charge after Eidevall quit in October. Although Slegers was initially given the role on an interim basis, she later signed a full contract.
Eidevall was at the helm when Arsenal lost 5-2 at Bayern Munich in first of their Group C matches. They would finish the group with a spectacular 3-2 comeback over the Germans and top of the pool.
They later produced second-leg fightbacks to get past Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and Lyon in the semis, the latter a stunning 4-1 win in France.
Caldentey reunion
Saturday's contest will see Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey - who has shone this season - face off against her old club. The Spain international, recently named the Women's Super League 2024-25 player of the year, has scored seven goals in the European campaign.
She joined Arsenal last summer after ten years with Barca, during which time she won three Champions League titles and a number of other trophies. Arsenal also have former Barca defender Laia Codina in their ranks.
The spirit of '07
When Arsenal lifted the trophy in 2007, Slegers was still a teen, coming toward the end of a brief spell with the club's academy, while current assistant Kelly Smith was making waves as a prolific Gunners forward.
Smith, who scored 125 goals in 144 appearances across three separate tenures with Arsenal, was key in the quadruple - scoring twice in the European semi-final against Brondby. But she had to sit out the final due to suspension.
Formidable Barca
This will be an impressive sixth final for Barca, and their fifth in a row. They've won the last two, as well as coming out on top in 2021.
The squad features the likes of double Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, making them a formidable opponents. When the sides met in the 2021-22 group stage, the Catalans won 4-1 and 4-0.
Although this season got off to an ignoble start for Pere Romeu's side, who opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 loss at Manchester City, they have been in ruthless form since, with an incredible 10-2 win against Wolfsburg and an 8-2 thrashing of Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the last eight and semi-finals respectively.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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