Arsenal qualify for the first-ever Women’s Champions Cup final
Arsenal are one game away from being crowned the best team in the world as they beat AS FAR 6-0 to reach the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final, where they will meet Brazil’s Corinthians.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
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Renee Slegers decided to rotate her team for the semi-final, as the tournament takes place in the middle of a very busy schedule with five different competitions played in this block. She chooses Borbe; Holmberg, Wubben-Moy, Codina, Hinds; Caldentey, Pelova; Mead, Maanum, Blackstenius, Smith.
AS FAR opted for a 5-4-1 defensive formation, but Arsenal scored early through Blackstenius after eight minutes, then added three more before halftime and killed the game.
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This is a very good result because the Gunners are in a very busy period playing eleven matches in 43 days in this block. Especially since there are still a few players unavailable like Williamson and van Domselaar.
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Arsenal’s physical superiority was evident against the African champions, but it will be a different game in the final on Sunday. The Corinthians are very strong and physical and do not hesitate to put their foot in the duels. This was abundantly clear to all during their semi-final against Gotham FC. They showed speed, energy and physical toughness for most of the match, as well as very noisy fans.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Arsenal played the perfect match against AS FAR in terms of storyline. This allowed them to rotate players, to give starts to those who had not had one until now like Holmberg, or not for a while like Codina. Substitutions were made at half-time and in the 60thth minute to distribute the load.
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It also meant welcoming Kelly back onto the field after a long injury break. The Brentford FC crowd were chanting her name loudly the whole time as she is quite local.
Overall, it was a strong performance and means Arsenal can make history on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium by becoming the first ever winners of the Women’s Champions Cup and taking the official title of ‘best team in the world’.