Match Review: Arsenal Women beat FC Zurich 3-1 in Champions League clash By Michelle
Arsenal Women continued their winning streak last night at Emirates Stadium, in the second match of their 2022/23 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign. They remain Group C leaders after a 3-1 win over FC Zurich. In the Gunners first Champions League match last week, they produced a spectacular 5-1 away win over reigning champions Lyon.
In my Confirmed Team Report pre-match last night I wrote:
A good few of the players that started on the bench against Liverpool at the weekend will surely be starters tonight, which includes Marckese, Williams*, Beattie, Maritz, Reid*, Nobbs, Miedema. Iwabuchi and Agyemang*
* Arsenal Women youth teams
Jonas Eidevall started all 5 of the first-team subs and made seven changes in total to the side that faced Liverpool, with Kaylan Marckese, Jordan Nobbs, Mana Iwabuchi, and Jen Beattie earning their first starts this season. The boss´ team selection was soon vindicated after a first-half super strike from Nobbs and Lina Hurtig’s first two goals for Arsenal, secured our win.
Apart from a bit of wobble in the first minute, where Zurich went down the left and made Arsenal´s defence and debutante Marckese scrap to clear the ball from the box, Arsenal pretty much dominated the first half with the majority of possession in Zurich’s half.
Centre-backs Beattie and Wubben-Moy both got a shot in on target, with Beattie heading a Steph Catley free kick in on target but it was an easy save for Zurich and Wubben-Moy getting a strike on target from open play.
One of the Gunners best chances of the half came in the first half hour of play, as Lina Hurtig turned in the box and unleashed a shot that skimmed over the crossbar.
Jordan Nobbs, gave a great performance from start to finish and earned the Player of the Match award for her efforts. A fantastic accolade for her on her first start of the season.
Nobbs opened the scoresheet for Arsenal with her terrific first-time volley, which came off the inside of the crossbar and bounced over the line.
Iwabuchi, another first start of the season, showed superb skill allowing her free rein in the box to chip the ball delicately to Lina Hurtig, who headed it straight home for her first goal in an Arsenal shirt. The score is 2-0 at half-time.
Zurich managed some good possession in the second half, which Arsenal defence managed well until the 77th minute. Zurich momentarily stunned Arsenal with an excellent goal from Seraina Piubel. The excited celebration with her teammates, substitutes, and coaching staff by the side of the pitch was quite something, showing just how much the game and the competition means to them too.
Arsenal regained composure and responded immediately, with a second goal from Hurtig as she picked up a rebound from a shot on target by substitute Stina Blackstenius. Final score 3-1.
Starting XI: Marckese, Maritz, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Catley (’58), Little (C), Nobbs, Iwabuchi (’74), Hurtig, Miedema, Mead (’58)
Substitutes: Zinsberger, Reid, McCabe (’58), Walti, Maanum (’58), Earl, Foord, Blackstenius (’74), Agyemang
Video Highlights – Arsenal 3-1 FC Zurich Women – Nobbs with a worldie and a Hurtig double
We have a while to wait now before the Gunners are back in European action, as Arsenal Women head to Italy to face Juventus on November 24th. I´m sure Jonas and his squad will be welcome a break in the relentless game action and be glad to step the pace down slightly over the next few weeks, with only one WSL match per week as opposed to a game every 3 or 4 days.
In the meantime focus will be solely back on the Arsenal´s Women´s Super League campaign. A packed Meadow Park awaits for Arsenal´s next WSL clash, against West Ham. Arsenal will be pushing for a win to continue their winning streak and maybe beat a record or two along the way..
Michelle Maxwell
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