On a cold Tuesday night in Italy, at the somewhat isolated Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora, Arsenal had one of their greatest European nights, running out 4-0 winners against Juventus in Italy. Both sides started the night on three points after losing to Bayern Munich and beating Vålerenga, with Arsenal ahead of their group rivals by virtue of goal difference.
Arsenal traveled from North London after a confidence boosting victory on the weekend beating Brighton 5-0. Arsenal made one change from the side that beat the Seagulls, and that was between the sticks as Daphne van Domselaar came into the line up in place of Manuela Zinsberger. Mariona Caldentey, who was missing from the squad on Friday night, was able to make the bench.
Juventus were coming off the back of a 3-0 victory at home to rivals AC Milan in the league, where they remain unbeaten. The Turin giants rang in the changes on Tuesday night. All in all, Juve made six changes from that team, with Emma Kullberg, Lindsey Thomas, Hanna Bennison and Paulina Krumbiegel, Barbara Bonansea and Christiana Girelli all dropping out of the starting XI. In their place came Viola Calligaris, Valentina Bergamaschi, Eva Schatzer, Lisa Boattin, Chiara Beccaria and Amalie Vangsgaard.
The Lineups
JUV: Peyraud Magnin, Bergamaschi, Lenzini, Calligaris, Cascarino, Boattin, Caruso, Schatzer, Cantore, Vangsgaard, Beccari
ARS: van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe, Wälti, Little, Maanum, Mead, Foord, Russo
The Action
Within two minutes, Juventus top scorer Sofia Cantore was played in on goal, but her shot was brilliantly blocked by van Domselaar and out for a corner. As Arsenal looked to advance up the pitch themselves, Estelle Cascarino lost her footing and prevented Arsenal from taking advantage with her hands on the ball. Katie McCabe and Beth Mead stood over the resulting free-kick from just outside the box. McCabe lining the goal up in her sights, blasted the ball on goal stinging the palms of Pauline Peyraud Magnin, her former team mate at Arsenal, who pushed the ball over the bar.
The game was already looking stretched after eight minutes. Bergamaschi was played in on the right hand side, but she could only fire the ball straight at the Dutchwoman in goal for Arsenal, who gratefully collected. Emily Fox was lively for Arsenal in the early exchanges, shrugging off a challenge from Arianna Caruso. The rightback found her way inside and attempted to play the ball into Alessia Russo, but the striker was just beaten by Peyraud Magnin.
Arsenal were beginning to purr, and some wonderful interplay down the right almost gave the Gunners the lead. A beautiful flicked pass from Frida Maanum found Fox, whose ball fizzed across the box to no avail. Fox’s direct running continued to cause issues for Juventus, and after 15 minutes of play, Arsenal were exerting a level of control over proceedings.
Russo would have another chance as the clock ticked down towards the 20 minute mark, after a poor touch from Swiss centre-back Viola Calligaris in attempting to deal with a Caitlin Foord cross, Russo pounced. Taking the ball away from Calligaris in the box, Russo fired it low and Peyraud Magnin got down quickly to make a smart save. Peyraud Magnin was required again mere minutes later and Fox, once again causing issues with her direct running found space on her left foot to let fly from outside the box with Peyraud Magnin forced into another impressive save. After an end to end start the match settled with both sides probing eachother’s defences.
Before half time Arsenal would have the break through, with a goal of the tournament contender. After patient buildup play, Arsenal began to move up the pitch one touch at a time, Lia Wälti found Leah Williamson, who played it to Maanum with a touch to Little, to Foord, back to Maanum to deliver the ball to its final destination: the back of the net. Arsenal had a vital away lead, a lead that they and their magnificent travelling support deserved.
When the second half kicked off, Arsenal looked to control possession, as well as the pace and intensity of the game. The visitors nearly doubled their lead when approaching the hour mark, when McCabe’s corner was met by the head of Williamson. Arsenal continued to push their hosts, and came extremely close after Foord’s brilliant run and cut back found Fox on the edge of the box. The American’s effort beat Peyraud Magnin but bounced off the underside of the crossbar and out. Arsenal then made two changes in attack with both Caldentey and Stina Blackstenius entering the fray with half an hour to play.
Arsenal continued to threaten, another exquisite McCabe free-kick to the back post was nodded back across the six yard box for Williamson by Foord, but the England captain was unable to keep her header down. Juventus reminded the Gunners they were still a threat moments later as Vangsgaard found herself clean through, but her meek effort was stopped by van Domselaar. With just over 15 minutes left to play, Arsenal doubled their lead.
Blackstenius, picking up the ball alone in Arsenal colours in the Juventus half, took on her defender Emma Kullberg, who gave her far too much space. The striker ran inside the box, before cutting onto her left foot and cracking the ball powerfully into the back of the net.
Arsenal would make it three just moments later, as another North London Swede drove at the Juventus defence, meeting the byeline and cutting the ball back. Cascarino cleared but only as far as Caldentey, who made no mistake in smashing the ball into the roof of the net to put the game beyond doubt.
The goals continued to rain down from the visitors as the game got away from Juventus. It was an all Australian icing on the cake as substitute Kyra Cooney-Cross set up Foord in the six-yard box for the simplest of finishes to make it 4-0 to Arsenal and cap off a famous European night.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Emily Fox
Arsenal’s fearless Fox set the tone, her confidence and ability ensured the Gunners recovered after a shaky start. Her direct running caught Juventus out on a number of occasions. She almost topped her performance on with a well deserved goal but was denied by the crossbar.
