Arsenal women qualify for Champions League play-offs but injury problems mount | OneFootball

UEFA have confirmed that following their 1-0 win over FC Twente, Arsenal have qualified for the Women Champions League play-offs.

They could still qualify directly for the quarter-finals stage but it is out of their hands.

Arsenal women qualify for Champions League play-offs but injury problems mount 4

Although the scoreline suggested a narrow 1-0 win, this was a dominant performance from Arsenal, particularly on the defensive side. The team worked relentlessly throughout the game to deny Twente both space and time. The statistics underline the control, two shots and only one on target for Twente, compared with 15 shots and five on target for Arsenal.

It was frustrating that the forwards did not have their shooting boots on, otherwise the performance would have bordered on outstanding. Chances were created consistently on the night, but the finishing was lacking.

Off the ball, the team were superb, especially the midfield three of Caldentey, Pelova and Cooney-Cross, who are nominally all attacking midfielders. They worked tirelessly to maintain the defensive block shape and ensure the press was well organised, particularly the new tactical tweak of two players pressing the ball-holder simultaneously.

With the Meadow Park set-up change, the benches now sit directly beneath the press box, which meant Aaron D’Antino and Renee Slegers could be heard clearly throughout. Their instructions repeatedly focused on getting the two sixes into position to stop defensive transitions and keeping the unit as compact as possible.

Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images

Slegers made only two changes from the Liverpool match. Fox was rested, McCabe came in at left-back with Hinds switching across to right-back, while Pelova replaced Maanum. Borbe continued in goal. With Codina and Nighswonger unavailable through injury, there were limited defensive options on the bench. Thankfully, Williamson was not required.

There was a worrying moment when Elberink, the Twente winger, arrived late into a challenge and kicked Borbe in the head. The forward was rightly booked, though there was an expectation in the ground that VAR might intervene for a potential red card.

The same type of incident occurred in the Real Madrid v Wolfsburg match the previous day. Referee Kirsty Dowle initially gave a yellow card, but unlike at Meadow Park, VAR intervened. The referee was sent to the monitor, the yellow card was rescinded and a red card was shown for serious foul play.

While the PGMOL is often criticised, the all-English VAR crew under UEFA jurisdiction handled that incident correctly, which is a clear example of VAR working as it should.

With no red card at Meadow Park, the match grew increasingly physical after that incident. More fouls followed, further yellow cards were shown and the referee struggled to fully control a contest that remained on edge until the final whistle.

Borbe took a significant blow and there will be concern over concussion, which would rule her out for a number of matches. At one stage, attention even turned to the possibility of a first-team debut for 17-year-old Amy Liddiard in goal. She remains untested at this level and that scenario alone is likely to push Arsenal towards securing an emergency loan as swiftly as possible.

Under Champions League regulations:

“If a club cannot count on the services of at least two goalkeepers registered on List A because of long-term injury or illness, the club concerned may temporarily replace the goalkeeper concerned and register a new goalkeeper at any time during the season and complete the official registration of List A with a goalkeeper fit to be fielded. An injury or illness is considered long-term if it lasts at least 30 days as of the day the injury or illness occurred. If the goalkeeper recovers before the end of this 30-day period, the player must nonetheless remain off List A until the end of such period. The new goalkeeper does not have to be locally trained, even if the replaced goalkeeper was.”

The Women’s Super League regulations also allow emergency registration outside of the window where a club has fewer than two fully fit goalkeepers available for selection due to injury.

With three matches still to be played before Christmas, it would be sensible to expect Arsenal to accelerate the arrival of a goalkeeper to avoid the risk of fielding an untested 17-year-old should Borbe be unavailable through concussion.

Everton away at Goodison Park is next on Saturday, another must-win fixture in the battle for second place in the league.