Arsenal defeated African champions FAR Rabat 6-0 at the Brentford Community Stadium to book their place in the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup final, which will earn them a minimum prize of £750,000.
It was a perfect night for the Gunners, who were in complete control from start to finish, leading by three points after 20 minutes. This gave head coach Renee Sleggers the perfect opportunity to manage his players’ game time and give Chloe Kelly a 20-minute cameo on her return after almost two months.
Having watched CONCACAF champions Gotham FC suffer a crushing defeat at Corinthians in the early hours of Wednesday, Arsenal were never in danger of suffering the same fate from the moment Stina Blackstenius nodded in from a corner kick for the opener with eight minutes remaining.
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Highlights of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup semi-final, Corinthians vs. Gotham FC.
FAR Rabat struggled with crosses all night and within the first three minutes Frieda Mahnum was on the turn to meet Olivia Smith’s shot and go within two points.
Mariona Caldenti added a third goal with 20 minutes remaining after a VAR penalty for handball from a cross was awarded, but Smith finished off the game in a contest five minutes before the break with a brilliant solo run.
Sleggers took the opportunity to rest some of his squad for their third game in eight days against Corinthians on Sunday, making two changes during the break, but it was the introduction of Alessia Russo in the first hour that reinvigorated an anticlimactic second half.
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Five minutes after arriving, she fired from the rebound of Mahnum’s shot, and 10 minutes later she cut wide into the box to score a stunning sixth goal in front of England manager Sarina Wigman.
Arsenal will earn £750,000 for reaching the final, but could earn a total of £1.7m if they win against Corinthians on Sunday, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
See every goal as Arsenal cruise to victory
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Stina Blackstenius gives Arsenal the lead
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Frida Mahnum doubles Arsenal’s advantage
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Mariona Caldenti hits the penalty into the bottom right corner.
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Olivia Smith extended Arsenal’s lead before half-time with a shot from 18 yards out.
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Alessia Russo scores consecutive goals against AS FAR
Sleggers: The team is progressing well.
Arsenal manager Rene Sleggers told Sky Sports:
“We’ve made some changes, but the team is coming together very well at the moment. They’re very disciplined at the moment, scoring goals in different ways, but we had to deal with some unknown plays against them, so I’m really happy.”
Regarding these changes, he said: “The players are doing well. We needed fresh legs, motivation and inspiration after the Chelsea game and that’s what all the players brought.”
Analysis: A perfect night for a professional gunner
Sky Sports’ Ron Walker at Brentford Community Stadium:
“There is always the potential for an upset in cup football, but Arsenal’s professionalism and willingness to do the dirty work gave them the opportunity to achieve such a big win against the African Champions League winners in November.
“In the end, it was as much a mismatch on the pitch as it was on the scoreline, but that didn’t detract from Alessia Russo’s clinical touch as she ended her fifth game without scoring. However, had other players remembered their shooting boots, the Gunners could have won by an even bigger margin.”
“Arsenal’s ruthlessness in ending a competitive match between the first whistle and half-time gave Renée Sleggers, who had already made six changes from Saturday’s win over Chelsea, the perfect opportunity to rotate her squad, while Chloe Kelly looked sharp on her return for the first time in two months.
“Manager Sleggers later told reporters that the England winger had been chomping at the bit in the run-up to her return and it showed. “Most of her team-mates were too, and a repeat of Sunday’s performance at their home stadium would surely be too much for Corinthians.”
“The head coach dodged a question about how much the £1.7 million prize money would help the club. But with nearly a week left in the WSL transfer window, which closes at 11pm on February 3, it would be surprising if Arsenal’s director of women’s football, Clare Wheatley, did not at least have an Excel spreadsheet open to understand the finances of potential signings.”
