Arsenal have started their Champions League campaign for women with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Okzhetpes from Kazakhstan, with summer signings Mana Iwabuchi and Nikita Parris each marking their competitive debut for the Gunners with one goal.
This means that Arsenal have advanced to the final of their first qualifying tournament in Moscow and will now face either PSV Eindhoven or Lokomotiv Moscow for a place in the second qualifying round in early September.
Starting 2021/22 in the right way! ? #UWCL? pic.twitter.com/NtiGyaavUu
– Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) August 18, 2021
If they then win the second qualifying round, the Gunners will be in the Champions League group stage, which was recently created for the revised tournament this season.
As the new WSL campaign would not start until next month, this was Arsenal’s first competitive match of the 2021/22 season and they wasted some time getting started.
Iwabuchi equalized inside the opening 14 minutes for an early lead, which was then doubled by Kim Little from the penalty spot just minutes later.
Beth Mead made Arsenal’s third card of the hour, while Parris – a Champions League winner with Lyon 2019/20 – rounded off the score with a fourth unanswered 10 minutes later.
Arsenal last played in the Champions League 2019/20 and reached the quarter finals and have now returned to the elite continental competition by landing WSL’s third and final European place in the final stage of last season.
Into the next round – together! ✊ # UWCL? pic.twitter.com/z8UqmLT35J
– Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) August 18, 2021
New manager Jonas Eidevall guided the Swedish club Rosengard to the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season and is already aiming to lift the trophy with Arsenal.
“I think that is what attracts people to the club in a way, to compete for the biggest trophy that exists at the top level. That is one of the reasons why I came to Arsenal: that I want to see if we can win the Champions League with this club, he said before the Okzhetpes game.
“No one would say that we have no chance against any opponent in the Champions League. It will not be easy, but we will have a chance against any team in the world and we will do our best to take that chance in a given match. ”
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