Arsenal overcame a spirited OH Leuven side and tricky conditions at Meadow Park to set up a Champions League quarter-final with Chelsea, thanks to a 3-1 win over the Belgian champions and 7-1 triumph on aggregate.
The Gunners are into the Champions League last eight for a joint-record 17th time and will go into a mouth-watering two-leg showdown with their London rivals full of belief they can continue their defence of the crown, given their latest big win in Europe and unbeaten record against Chelsea in the WSL this season.
Arsenal’s progress to that blockbuster clash was never in doubt on Wednesday given their 4-0 first-leg lead over Leuven – but it proved a trickier night than expected, with rain lashing down and wind gusting across a cut-up pitch.
Alessia Russo’s swivel and finish from inside the box after 23 minutes suggested another thrashing could be coming but Leuven forced Arsenal into some sloppy mistakes and levelled when Sara Pusztai’s close-range strike was given following a VAR intervention to overrule an offside call in the build-up.
Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar had earlier been forced into a sharp one-on-one stop to deny Jada Conijnenberg and was exposed on a couple more occasions before the break.
Mariona Caldentey scored a penalty to restore Arsenal’s lead on the night
But Arsenal, who could have added another in the first half through Frida Maanum’s point-blank header, were more assured in the second period, and Mariona Caldentey’s penalty finally knocked the stuffing out of their visitors.
Caitlin Foord won the spot-kick with one of her many dribbles down the left and she was one of several Arsenal players who went close before Russo slid in her second of the night in the final seconds, as Renee Slegers’ side finished well and truly on top.
More to follow.
