Arsenal Women’s resurgence continues with rout of Juventus in Champions League

Renee Slegers, the interim head coach of Arsenal Women, strengthened her case for the permanent position with a convincing 4-0 win against Juventus in the Women’s Champions League in Turin.

The previous assistant to Jonas Eidevall, who stepped down right before their last European match, has now managed the team to four victories and one draw in just under a month.

She stuck with the same starting 10 players who triumphed over Brighton 5-0 on Friday, and they delivered once again with a flurry of goals, including three scored in the final 15 minutes of the match.

Nevertheless, they had earned it, as they dominated play for the majority of the match.

Frida Maanam set the tone with a strong team effort that resulted in the first goal during the first half. Stina Blackstenius then increased their advantage with an impressive solo run, followed by Mariona Caldentey, who found the net for the third consecutive match in Europe. Caitlin Foord capped off the performance by scoring the fourth goal with a simple finish.

Arsenal's win puts them in second place in Group C, giving them a three-point lead over Juventus as they head into next week's rematch.

Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, the only change Arsenal made from the last match, had to make two quick saves from Sofia Cantore and Valentina Bergamaschi early on. However, she had a relatively calm game as her teammates dominated the play.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin made a great save by pushing Katie McCabe's free-kick over the bar, and she followed that up by stopping two shots from Alessio Russo.

However, her objective was achieved in a striking manner just seven minutes before the end of the first half. Center-back Leah Williamson, positioned 10 yards into the Juventus half, sent a powerful pass to Maanum. Maanum then cleverly redirected it to Kim Little, who spotted Foord making a run in from the left.

Foord, facing away from the goal and positioned at the edge of the penalty area, skillfully delivered a pass to Maanum, who had kept her run going. Maanum then managed to nudge the ball past the approaching goalkeeper at an angle.

Arsenal maintained their strong performance after halftime, with Peyraud-Magnin making a save on Williamson's header. Meanwhile, Emily Fox's attempted chip hit the crossbar and bounced back.

However, the visitors scored their second goal in the 75th minute when Blackstenius sprinted down the left side, then cut inside to slide the ball past the goalkeeper at her near post.

Caldentey netted her usual goal in Europe by capitalizing on a poor clearance following Lina Hurtig's cross. Shortly after, Foord finished from close range, thanks to a pass from Kyra Cooney-Cross.

### Match Highlights: Juventus Women vs. Arsenal Women **Juventus Women:** The lineup featured Peyraud-Magnin in goal, with Lenzini and Calligaris (substituted by Kullberg in the 69th minute) in defense. The midfield included Cascarino, Bergamaschi (replaced by Krumbiegel in the 61st minute), Caruso, Schatzer (who was substituted by Bennison in the 69th minute), and Boattin (who came off for Thomas in the 81st minute). Up front were Cantore, Vangsgaard, and Beccari (who was substituted for Bonansea in the 61st minute). Schatzer received a yellow card, and the following players were not used: Capelletti, Proulx, Lehmann, Penzo, Girelli, Bragonzi, and Gallo. **Arsenal Women:** The team started with Van Domselaar in goal, supported by Fox (who was replaced by Codina in the 85th minute), Williamson, Catley, McCabe, and Walti (substituted by Cooney-Cross in the 85th minute). The midfield featured Little, Mead (who came off for Caldentey in the 60th minute), Maanum (replaced by Blackstenius in the 60th minute), and up front were Foord and Russo (who was substituted by Hurtig in the 77th minute). Catley received a yellow card during the match. Goals were scored by Maanum (38th minute), Blackstenius (75th minute), Caldentey (80th minute), and Foord (87th minute). The following substitutes were unused: Zinsberger, Williams, Wubben-Moy, Kafaji, Kuhl, Wienroither, and Reid. The match was officiated by referee Jelena Cvetkovic from Serbia.