Arsenal set up Chelsea tie in the Women’s Champions League | OneFootball

Arsenal set up a massive Women’s Champions League tie against Chelsea after they beat Oud-Heverlee Leuven 3-1 at Meadow Park.

Having put themselves in control with a flawless first-leg performance in Belgium, the second leg was mostly a formality for the defending champions.

A brace from Frida Maanum along with goals from Olivia Smith and Alessia Russo gave the Gunners a commanding lead going into the home leg.

Arsenal had a full week to prepare for the tie after their Women’s Super League fixture against Brighton was postponed due a waterlogged pitch, and they had to battle miserable conditions at Meadow Park on Wednesday night.

Leuven came to London with a tall task on their hands, and after a cagey opening 15 minutes, they didn’t look likely to score one, let alone four. The Belgian side didn’t register their first touch in the Arsenal box until 20 minutes in when a long ball over the top caught out the Gunners’ defense, leaving Jada Conijnenberg one-on-one with Daphne van Domselaar. The Dutch forward couldn’t convert for the opener however, and just minutes later Arsenal took the lead.

Alessia Russo was fed in the box by Katie Mccabe, and held her defender off well to get her shot off, firing past keeper Lowiese Seynhaeve. OHL pulled level on the night when Kim Everaerts cut the ball back into the box and Sara Pusztai slotted home low past van Domselaar. Although the goal was chalked off for offside originally, VAR awarded the goal after a short check.

The rest of Arsenal’s first half was sloppy, and they were lucky that OHL weren’t able to do more with loose passes from Mccabe and Mariona Caldentey. The stalemate continued into the second half, until Arsenal once again took the lead, this time with a penalty awarded after Caitlin Foord was brought down in the box by Linde Veefkind. Caldentey converted into the bottom right corner, sending Seynhaeve the wrong way. 

From there it was routine for Slegers’ side to close out the game. They came close again through Russo and Foord, with the Australian’s shot just tipped over the cross bar to deny her Arsenal’s third. On the stroke of 90 minutes, substitute Taylor Hinds slotted a pass through two defenders to Russo in the middle of the box. The Lioness held them off to turn and tuck her shot under Seynhaeve score her 50th for the Gunners and complete their 7-1 rout.

Now, Renee Slegers’ side will take on Women’s Super League rivals Chelsea in the quarter finals, as they look to progress into the last four.

The two legs of that tie will take place on March 24th or 25th and then a week later on April 1st. As Chelsea progressed to the quarter finals automatically in the top eight, they receive home advantage for the second leg, meaning the first meeting will be held at Emirates Stadium and the second at Stamford Bridge.