We became champions of the world with a 3-2 win over Corinthians at Arsenal Stadium in the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final on Sunday!
Olivia Smith fired us in front early on and, after Gabi Zanotti reduced the arrears, Lotte Wubben-Moy restored our lead.
The game went to extra-time though after a 96th-minute equalising penalty from Vic Albuquerque.
Caitlin Foord smashed in our third to ensure we became history makers at home.
### FIRST HALF
It didn’t take long for us to get going in N5 as Emily Fox threaded the ball through to Alessia Russo who went for goal with power inside the opening five minutes, but Leticia closed the angle to make the save.
Zanotti shot just over the bar from distance with Corinthians’ first sight of goal, but it was 1-0 to The Arsenal in the 15th minute.
Smith opened the scoring, in the right place at the right time to nestle the ball into the bottom left after a shot from Stina Blackstenius was saved.
Smith then did really well on the left and her cross came out to Beth Mead, who struck it venomously on the volley, but Leticia made a good save.
Corinthians troubled us moments later as Duda Sampaio leathered one towards the roof of the net from the edge of the area, but Anneke Borbe made an excellent save to tip it over the bar. Corinthians did score from the following Andressa corner though, after a goalmouth scramble, by way of Zanotti.
Mariona Caldentey shot high over the bar from long range as we looked for an immediate response, and Stina Blackstenius linked up with Mead on the right, before she crossed for Russo. The ball eventually ended up back at the feet of Blackstenius, whose effort was deflected wide.
We took a short corner in the 36th minute and Mead’s cross caused problems, but Leticia was able to regain possession for the visitors as the heavens opened at Arsenal Stadium.
Kim Little poked it inside to Blackstenius with half-time approaching and she turned and shot but saw her effort go wide.
There was almost another chance on the brink of half-time as Emily Fox’s cross evaded everyone, and Mead then cut in from the right and went for goal on her left foot, but it was straight at Leticia.
### SECOND HALF
We made one change at the break, Frida Maanum coming on for Blackstenius.
Russo was denided from close range after Mead found Maanum and she flicked the ball back towards our number 23, but before long we did manage to find hte back of the net for the second time.
On this occasion, a Fox cross was planted firmly into the bottom right by the head of Wubben-Moy for 2-1.
Renée Slegers then made two further changes, introducing Smilla Holmberg and Foord in place of Fox and Smith.
Corinthians almost pulled one back with 20 minutes to go when Jhonson raced through on goal, but Borbe did well to get out and make the save.
Foord crashed one onto the post in pursuit of a third goal before Mead made way for Chloe Kelly.
There were just nine minutes left as Maanum aimed for the bottom left with power from just outside the 18-yard box, but Leticia was equal to it.
Russo had another effort saved late on and then, in the 94th minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Corinthians for what, with the assistance of VAR, she deemed to be a foul by Katie McCabe.
Albuquerque scored from the spot to send the game to extra-time.
### EXTRA-TIME
Borbe was called into action right at the start of extra-time, tipping a header from Albuquerque onto the roof of the net, before Laia Codina came on for Little.
Corinthians were in the ascendancy as a corner came out to Ivana Fuso, who hit it over the bar.
Wubben-Moy was next to head wide from a Kelly corner, but we were 3-2 up moments later when Maanum flew forward on the counter-attack and played it left to Foord, who smashed the ball low and hard past Leticia for 3-2.
Victoria Pelova was our next substitution at the start of the second half of extra-time, coming on for Mariona.
Pelova gave the ball away and Albuquerque had another chance but missed the target, before Foord went up the other end and had a shot saved.
Robledo Gisela tried her luck with a long-range effort that was always going wide in the dying embers of the game, before there was a late blow as Borbe had to be stretchered off and replaced by Daphne van Domselaar right at the end of extra-time following a collision with Wubben-Moy.
Play resumed and we held onto the lead to add another trophy to the cabinet.
### WHAT'S NEXT
We return to Barclays Women's Super League action with the visit of Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, February 8 (12pm KO). [Get your tickets!](https://www.eticketing.co.uk/arsenal/EDP/Event/Index/3718)
Then, the play-offs for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League get underway with a trip to OH Leuven in Belgium for the first leg at 5.45pm UK time on Wednesday, February 11. [Tickets for this match are on general sale.](https://www.eticketing.co.uk/arsenal/EDP/Event/Index/3817?_gl=1*gw08d6*_gcl_au*MTcwMjkxODk4OS4xNzY3NjE3MzM5*_ga*MTc4OTg5MzIwNC4xNjkyODcxMDg4*_ga_WP53Y0W9VR*czE3Njk5NTQxNjQkbzI0MDkkZzEkdDE3Njk5NTQzMzgkajQ4JGwwJGgw)
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