Four goals from Caitlin Foord, an impressive competitive debut for Mariona Caldentey and progression in Champions League qualifying secured: Arsenal’s 6-0 defeat of Rangers opened their 2024-25 campaign confidently.
It was an entirely dominant performance in the end, but Rangers made their hosts work for the lead and for their second, but then they shoved the door open, with Alessia Russo scoring Arsenal’s third, before Foord completed her hat-trick, Kim Little converted from the spot and Foord added a fourth.
Arsenal will play Rosenborg in the second stage of qualifying round one on Saturday evening after the Norwegian side pulled off a shock defeat of Atlético Madrid on penalties earlier in the day, with the game level at 2-2 after extra time. Defeat Rosenborg, and Jonas Eidevall’s side will progress to qualifying round two, where they play one team over two legs with the victor earning a place in the coveted group stage.
Leah Williamson had said Arsenal were left regretting their Champions League qualifying round one exit last year for the rest of the season. “I think last year was a hurtful situation,” she said. “Everyone knows what it feels like to lose, and nobody wants to feel that again.”
Arsenal’s energy in the first half demonstrated their desire to not let their efforts go to waste. Two seasons ago, Arsenal thrived in the group stage and built towards a battling semi-final exit at a sold-out Emirates Stadium. Not making the group stage last year, losing out on a chance to build on that momentum, was a big blow.
Arsenal were dominant here, camped in the Rangers half for much of the first half, rare forays forward by their opponents snuffed out by an organised back line of Emily Fox, Williamson, Laia Codina and Katie McCabe.
An opening goal from the home team was inevitable but, for all their dominance in possession, they had to wait for the 16th minute. It was the new recruit, the Ballon d’Or-nominated Caldentey, who provided the impetus, swinging in a cross from the left that was nodded in by Foord.
That would, surprisingly, be the only goal of the half, Arsenal’s 10 attempts and five corners yielding nothing more. They should have doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark, with McCabe’s low cross creeping towards the back post, but Foord could not escape pressure from the Rangers goalkeeper Victoria Esson.
The second half began with a rare spell in the home team’s half, but it was short-lived. At the other end, Williamson’s ball from the right was scuffed by Frida Maanum at full stretch at the far post to reassert Arsenal’s pressure. Taking the game by the scruff of the neck, Little drove into the box before striking goalward but her effort took a deflection.
after newsletter promotion
The second goal, quashing any fears of Rangers spoiling things, finally arrived just before the hour mark, Little doing well to poke the ball through towards Foord for the Australian forward to coolly sweep past Esson.
Their resolve broken, the Scottish side were dealt another blow one minute later, with Russo collecting the ball on the edge of the box and powering in. By the 70th minute it was four, with Foord securing her hat-trick in style, firing in McCabe’s cross on the volley. McCabe was felled in the box by Nicola Docherty with five minutes remaining and Little converted to add the fifth before Foord fired in late on to add her fourth.
Job done, but there can be no complacency. Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat of Linköping at the same stage last season was undone by their loss on penalties to Paris FC three days later. The difference? This time Arsenal have had two weeks together to prepare rather than mere days that the post-World Cup period afforded them last season.