Arsenal take giant stride towards WCL last eight with thumping win over Leuven | OneFootball

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 the 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 against the Belgian champions. Despite vital minutes being put into the legs of the returning Leah ­Williamson and ­several lesser used players, there was little doubt that they would break through the impressive ­Champions League debutants.

“There’s high buy-in with what we’re doing at the moment and we have a lot of clarity on how we want to play our football,” Slegers said. “So, even if we make changes I don’t think you notice it as much. Of course, you have different players with different qualities, but the structure and the foundation is always there.”

Their opening goal came in the 22nd minute, with Caitlin Foord’s ball in from the right headed home by Maanum, and they extended their lead before the break with Smith side-footing in from Kelly’s cross. 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 put the ball into the middle for Maanum to turn in from close range.

Russo, on as a substitute, delivered Arsenal’s fourth, volleying home after Lowiese Seynhaeve failed to deal with Smilla Holmberg’s cross.

Arno Van den Abbeel’s Leuven team delivered a playoff place in their first European outing, but chances were few and far between against Arsenal, their best attempt was Alixe Bosteels’ curling effort from 25 yards out forcing a save from Daphne van Domselaar in the second half.

Van de Abbeel was philosophical about where his side are at in comparison to their opposition and ahead of a “difficult game” next week which they “have to enjoy”.

“There’s a big budget difference between us and Arsenal and I think as a league, as a country and as a club we have to find resources and we have to find a way to make women’s football even more attractive than it is already,” he said.

“Today, I think there’s almost 1,000 Arsenal supporters here. That says something also about the popularity of women’s football in England and that is something we have to work on in Belgium to make women’s football more attractive and in that way find more resources for the evolution of our sport.”

The arrival of Little with eight ­minutes remaining was welcomed raucously by the travelling fans, the 35-year-old’s incredible Arsenal career and continuing influence a cause for recognition and celebration and her manager was full of praise.

“Kim is special,” Slegers said. “Everything she does is 100% and with so much detail, and she’s so humble. I said to her the other day that I think she’s still getting better every day. She has so much control, but also much bravery in her game.”

Header image: [Photograph: Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP/Getty Images]