Arsenal are firmly answerable for their Champions League group as a Lina Hurtig brace noticed the Gunners to a 3-1 victory over Zurich on the Emirates on Thursday night.
Jordan Nobbs marked her first begin of the season with a surprising solo strike and Hurtig opened her Arsenal account with a header, earlier than Seraina Piubel netted with 14 minutes remaining to make issues attention-grabbing.
However, Hurtig put the sport past doubt minutes later to depart the Gunners as the one facet in Group C with most factors, after Juventus and Lyon drew 1-1 earlier on Thursday night.
Having shocked reigning champions Lyon final trip in Europe, Jonas Eidevall closely shuffled his pack towards the Swiss outfit with seven modifications, handing first begins of the season to 4 gamers. It was one in every of stated seven modifications who broke the impasse within the thirty eighth minute after a gap half hour of few clear-cut probabilities – and in some fashion.
Steph Catley supplied the arcing cross from the left, and Nobbs despatched a luxurious facet footed volley into the web off the underside of the bar.
Arsenal doubled their benefit on the stroke of half time – and it was all about Mana Iwabuchi. The effervescent midfielder carved open the chance for herself, profitable the ball again within the Zurich field and giving her marker the slip with some fabulous ft. Her dinked cross was glanced house by Hurtig.
Piubel ought to have halved the deficit within the first minute of the second half after a stretching Lotte Wubben-Moy had failed to chop out the by means of ball and Jen Beattie had come out second finest in a 50:50, however the Zurich ahead may solely drag her effort extensive.
Arsenal noticed two penalty shouts waved away within the second half after Katie McCabe and Vivianne Miedema have been introduced down inside a matter of minutes of each other – the latter was unintentionally punched within the face by Zurich goalkeeper Romero Grzondiel.
Despite the Gunners seeing the lion’s share of possession, Zurich pulled one again to make it attention-grabbing with quarter-hour remaining. Piubel emphatically thundered house a volley after being magnificently being picked out by Eleni Markou, triggering scenes of mass delirium from the guests.
However, hopes of a Zurich comeback have been halted simply two minutes later as Hurtig netted her second. The winger was quickest to react to faucet house from shut vary after Stina Blackstenius’ strike had been palmed into her path to place the sport past doubt.
GK: Kaylan Marckese – 6/10 – Spilled a cross within the opening exchanges, held onto a low effort on the cusp of half time.
RB: Noelle Maritz – 6/10 – Got ahead steadily, providing the widest possibility as Mead or Hurtig drifted inside. Rarely examined defensively as Arsenal dominated.
CB: Lotte Wubben-Moy – 6/10 – Swept up rather well on the again, however sliced open by Zurich within the first minute of the second half and was fortunate her facet did not concede. Almost obtained on the scoresheet following an adventurous foray ahead within the second half. Lost the run of Piubel for Zurich’s aim.
CB: Jen Beattie – 6/10 – Drew an early save from Romero Grzondiel with a header. Fortunate to not be punished after dropping out in a problem to Piubel to permit the Zurich ahead by means of on aim. Otherwise largely untested.
LB: Steph Catley (59′ for McCabe) – 7/10 – Back at left again having operated at centre again for Arsenal’s final three. Provided the looping supply for Arsenal’s opening aim.
CM: Jordan Nobbs – 9/10 – Making her first begin of the season and opened the scoring in some fashion, watching Catley’s cross from the left come down and sending an incredible side-footed volley in off the underside of the bar. Drove Arsenal ahead along with her relentless vitality.
CM: Kim Little – 8/10 – Operating within the deepest midfield position instead of Lia Walti. Was efficient at breaking apart play and effortlessly good on the ball.
CM: Mana Iwabuchi (74′ for Blackstenius) – 9/10 – Making her maiden begin of the season, confirmed why she is simply such a beautiful participant to observe; wriggled out of the tightest of areas on a number of events, immaculate technical skill and displayed her fabulous ft for Arsenal’s second, profitable the ball again within the Zurich field, sending two gamers the unsuitable manner and dinking in a cross for Hurtig to go house.
RW: Beth Mead (59′ for Maanum) – 6/10 – Teed up Miedema with a cheeky again heel within the second half and linked up properly with Maritz.
ST: Vivianne Miedema – 6/10 – Saw a goal-bound effort blocked within the second half and unlucky to not be awarded a penalty after beating Grzondiel to the ball and showing to be unintentionally punched by the Zurich goalkeeper. Beaten by Markou within the construct as much as the Zurich aim.
LW: Lina Hurtig – 8/10 – Bent an effort from the sting of the field narrowly over the bar having labored the house for herself with some fabulous footwork. Netted Arsenal’s second with a deft header, beating Grzondiel within the air, and was quickest to react to stab house her facet’s third.
SUB: Frida Maanum (59′ for Mead) – 6/10
SUB: Katie McCabe (59′ for Catley) – 6/10
SUB: Stina Blackstenius (74′ for Iwabuchi) – 6/10