Arsenal won 3-0 against OH Leuven, but it wasn’t enough to secure a top-four spot and a direct route to the quarter-finals for the Champions League holders.
Coach René Sleger’s side had already secured a place in the play-offs heading into the final round, but there was still hope that a big win and results elsewhere would automatically clinch a place in the last eight.
The Gunners did their part with goals from Olivia Smith (18) and Beth Mead (27) to put them on track for victory, before Saar Jansen’s own goal capped off a productive night for the north London side.
With five consecutive wins in all competitions, Arsenal finished fifth in the Champions League and will be seeded in Thursday’s draw (12pm), which will decide whether they will face Atletico Madrid or Leuven again in February’s play-off round.
Smith inspires Gunners to victory in Belgium
On a comfortable night for Arsenal, Smith put his team ahead in the 18th minute, firing a shot past two defenders but being well saved before tucking in the rebound and scoring his first goal in the Champions League.
Leuven were struggling to cope with the pace of Arsenal’s attack and the second goal came in when Alessia Russo found Mead and slotted a curling shot into the goal.
As chances began to dwindle for the Gunners, Smith fired a meek shot from the edge of the area, but it faced stiff resistance from the Belgians.
A solid attempt by Smith, Arsenal’s most dangerous player, was then thwarted by goalkeeper Lowise Seinhev.
Arsenal’s third goal arrived in the 68th minute and was a stroke of luck as the Gunners took all three points in Belgium after Caitlin Ford’s cross was converted into his own net by Jansen.
“Arsenal are in a good position going forward.”
Arsenal star Beth Meade was pleased with the 3-0 win at OH Leuven despite it not being enough to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals directly
“We know that Leuven are a really difficult team to break down, so it was good to get two goals in the first half,” Meade told Disney Plus.
“I thought we played really well and created a lot of chances. We could have been a little more flexible, but I’m happy we got the three goals.”
“In a game like this you touch the ball a lot and personally, as a player, I love doing that. And the team loves touching the ball too, so it was a great game to be a part of.”
“I was happy with my performance. There were some frustrating moments, and you can see that. But I’m happy to score, I’m happy that I played well, and I’m happy that we won.”
“We’ve had a very successful Champions League campaign so far, finishing fifth, so I’d say we’re in a good position.”
All WSL quarter-finals approaching IF Arsenal and Man United face Chelsea in quarter-finals
The Women’s Champions League league match has ended!
Chelsea will secure a top-four finish and go straight to the quarter-finals.
Arsenal and Man United finished fifth and sixth respectively. They will play in the play-off rounds in February, facing Atletico Madrid on one side and OH Leuven on the other.
They will find out their respective opponents in Thursday’s (12 p.m.) draw.
One thing we do know is that if both Arsenal and Man United reach the last eight, one of them will face a huge all-WSL showdown with Chelsea. What an opportunity!
What will be the schedule for the remaining tournaments?
February 11-12: Playoffs first leg February 18-19: Playoffs second leg March 24-25: Quarter-final first leg April 1-2: Quarter-final second leg April 25-26: Semi-final first leg May 2-3: Semi-final first leg May 24: Final
