Arsenal - Leah Williamson
Image credit: Getty Images
Leah Williamson fought back tears as she reflected on Arsenal’s stunning 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final — a night that saw the north London club crowned European champions for the second time in their history.
Going into Saturday’s showdown in Bilbao as underdogs, Arsenal faced a formidable Barcelona side chasing a third consecutive Champions League title. The Spanish champions dominated possession and registered 20 shots, but a resilient and tactically disciplined Arsenal side held firm.
The decisive moment came in the 74th minute when substitute Stina Blackstenius latched onto a pass inside the box and clinically fired past Barcelona goalkeeper Catalina Coll to put the Gunners ahead. Barcelona responded with a wave of pressure, but Arsenal’s defence, expertly marshalled by Williamson, stood strong to see out a historic win.
READ MORE: Arsenal stun Barcelona to win Women’s Champions League in historic upset
Williamson, who was named player of the match, delivered a commanding performance at the heart of defence, nullifying the threat of Barcelona’s prolific striker Ewa Pajor, who had scored 41 goals in her debut season. For Williamson, the win was especially emotional — the England captain came through Arsenal’s academy and was a mascot during the club’s last Champions League triumph in 2007.
Leah Williamson
Leah Williamson (Image credit: Getty Images)
“I don’t have the words,” she told DAZN after the match. “I joined this football club and they were winners. They won everything, and all I wanted to do was represent the badge in the same way — and today we took another big step towards that.”
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Leah Williamson paid tribute to her teammates and the joy the win would bring to fans: “We play football to make people happy, not to make other people unhappy. Today, we made a lot of people happy. A lot of this team have been together for a long time, and to be able to do it on the biggest day… Some people had the game of their lives. I am so happy.”
She also revealed how a change in tactics earlier in the week proved decisive: “We changed the gameplan because we wanted to feel more confident and that paid off. In the first half we had chances — and I don’t think people believed how good we were. We said, ‘Second half, we just need one chance,’ and Stina took it.
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