Report: Arsenal 1-0 Rosenborg BK Kvinner (inc goal)

Arsenal: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Codina, McCabe; Cooney-Cross (Wälti 82′), Little; Foord (Mead 82′), Maanum (Blackstenius 70′), Mariona; Russo
Substitutes: Van Domselaar, Williams, Wubben-Moy, Kafaji, Kühl, Wienroither, Godfrey, Agyemang, Reid

Arsenal are through to the second round of Champions League qualifying, as Frida Maanum’s 19th minute goal was enough to see off Rosenborg.

Jonas Eidevall named an unchanged lineup, with Beth Mead returning to the squad.

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First Half

Mariona had the first chance, with her right footed shot curling just wide.

Alessia Russo then had a sighter. Williamson played the ball into Russo, who looked to turn her defender and shoot, but she was held up and thus her shot was wide of the near post.

Arsenal took the lead on 19 minutes. Williamson, Fox, and Foord patiently played on the right, before Williamson set up Foord for a cross. The cross was palmed by Ruylte, and Harviken clearance came to Maanum, who finished calmly. 1-0.

7 minutes later, Foord ought to have made it 2-0. Arsenal again played patiently, but rather than working the ball wide, played through the middle, with Mariona combining to slip Foord in. From an inside right position, her shot went over the bar.

A minute later, Foord, collecting a switch of play from Cooney-Cross, played an early cross to Russo in the center, whose header went off the top of the bar.

Little then burst forward, but dragged her shot, as Arsenal pushed for the second.

Ruylte then denied Maanum. Fox played a brilliant through ball from the edge of the box for Maanum, whose shot was hard but straight at the goalkeeper, who palmed over.

Maanum went close again after more patient Arsenal play. Little slipped the ball to the Norweigian, and from the edge of the area her curling shot went just over the corner of post and bar. Moments later, Mariona’s left footed shot from the D would go over. While Arsenal hadn’t yet found a second, the pressure was sustained and constant.

Second Half

Rosenborg started the half with a breakaway down the left, but Cooney-Cross got back and made a crunching challenge to stop the attack, with McCabe having joined the attack.

Russo had Arsenal’s first chance of the half. Foord collected the switch of play from McCabe, checked back and played a left footed cross for Russo, whose header was tipped wide.

Arsenal should’ve made it 2-0 on 49 minutes. Maanum collected possession and surged, and had McCabe in acres of space. The pass was delayed, though, so McCabe had to cut back. Her cross found Russo, who had the shot put behind for a corner. From the corner, Williamson was bundled over. The referee, though, was unmoved, and Mariona had a shot go over.

Rosenborg were beginning to commit some numbers forward, with Dahl having their first shot of the game on 62 minutes. The shot didn’t trouble Zinsberger, but was a reminder of the need for Arsenal to get a second goal. Marcussen would then have a shot after Rosenborg attacked down their left.

Arsenal were still in control but were finding it hard to move the Rosenborg players once the ball was in the final third. Cooney-Cross did well to run with the ball across the thirds, but the attack petered out as Rosenborg got players back.

Fox would then shoot with her left foot from the edge of the box, but the shot was comfortable for Rulyte, who parried away.

On 70 minutes, Eidevall made Arsenal’s first substitution, with Stina Blackstenius replacing Maanum.

Arsenal would then hit the bar twice in 30 seconds. First, Russo picked up a clearance, and from the edge of the box, her shot deflected onto a bar. Then, Cooney-Cross would strike from outside the box, hitting the same part of the bar.

Foord then intelligently slipped Little with a reverse pass, and from the corner of the box Little fired across the 6 yard box, with Russo a step away.

From a corner, Williamson’s header was cleared off the line, with the centre-back claiming a handball.

On 82 minutes, Arsenal made a double change, with Beth Mead and Lia Wälti replacing Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross.

On 87 minutes the otherwise excellent Codina and Little got in each other’s way, allowing for a Rosenborg counter, with Zinsberger claiming the cross. Mead then gave the ball away, but Little recovered.

Mead then should’ve finished the tie a minute later. Mariona played the ball for Russo into the wide channel. Russo held the ball up, then found Mariona, whose cutback found Mead in the middle, but her shot went over the bar.

As the match entered 3 minutes of stoppage time, Rulyte flapped at a McCabe corner, but Rosenborg were able to clear behind. Williamson would pick out Blackstenius with a long ball, but the striker headed over.

Rosenborg won a free kick in the 92nd minute, but the free kick sailed over every player and Williamson saw it out for a goal kick. The ball would come into the box again, Wälti would fail to clear convincingly, but Codina cleared for a throw in, and the referee would blow for full time.