Arsenal’s route to the Women’s Champions League final

Arsenal have travelled a long road to get to this weekend’s Women’s Champions League final against Barcelona, starting in the first qualifying round in early September.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the Gunners’ route to Saturday’s showdown with the holders in Lisbon.

Qualifying

Having finished third in the 2023-24 Women’s Super League table, Arsenal had to get through two qualifying rounds, playing three teams, to make it into the Champions League group stage.

The first saw them thrash Rangers 6-0, with Caitlin Foord netting four times, and beat Rosenborg 1-0 courtesy of a Frida Maanum finish. That took them to a second-round, two-legged tie against Hacken and after losing 1-0 in Sweden, they won leg two 4-0 to advance.

Group stage

Things started badly for Arsenal in Group C, with them being thumped 5-2 at Bayern Munich in their opener, six days after which, in the wake of a 2-1 home loss to Chelsea, boss Jonas Eidevall resigned.

But with Renee Slegers taking charge from there, the team won each of their remaining five pool fixtures, defeating Valerenga and Juventus home and away before coming from behind to beat Bayern 3-2 as they claimed top spot.

Quarter-finals

Slegers’ side took on Real Madrid in the last eight and were 2-0 down after a first leg played at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium in wet conditions on a pitch branded a “disgrace” by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright.

They subsequently turned the tie around back at the Emirates Stadium, where an Alessia Russo brace and Mariona Caldentey goal saw them triumph 3-0, 3-2 on aggregate. Chloe Kelly, signed on loan from Manchester City in January, provided two assists.

Semi-finals

Arsenal again produced a second-leg fightback after a first-leg defeat, this time suffered at the Emirates as Lyon, managed by ex-Gunners boss Joe Montemurro, won 2-1 thanks to a late Melchie Dumornay effort.

Slegers saw her team bounce back with a hugely impressive performance in France, ruthlessly punishing their out-of-sorts opponents to triumph 4-1 on the day, 5-3 on aggregate, and set up the clash with Barca.

The tie was level after five minutes via a Christiane Endler own goal, Caldentey put Arsenal in front with a stunning strike in first-half stoppage time, and they then made the most of Lyon sloppiness after the break as Russo and Foord added finishes before Dumornay pulled a goal back for the hosts.