Arsenal Analysed: How we won the Champions League

The Women's Champions League final in Lisbon saw us overcome the odds and beat two-time holders Barcelona to add a second European triumph to our honours board.

Stina Blackstenius' goal might have been the moment that catapulted us to glory, but what were the other key reasons for our side's success in the showpiece?

Adrian Clarke has cast his expert eye over all 90 minutes and delved into the stats to find out the secrets behind our success:

A no-fear approach

Renee Slegers’ side may have been overwhelming underdogs, but during an assertive first-half display, they showed Barcelona they had come to Lisbon to win this final. In a 4-4-2 mid-block, everyone worked incessantly hard to apply pressure to the player in possession of the ball. 

As soon as the ball was shifted, it was the trigger for the next red and white shirt to make a movement towards the closest Barcelona star, closing down their space. Our refusal to sit back and allow the holders to dictate was a ploy which disrupted their usual flow.  

We enjoyed 35.7% possession up until half-time which may not sound a lot, but when we had the ball, we moved it around with confidence. Our back four and midfielders Mariona Caldentey and Kim Little were all excellent in possession, as we targeted space behind the Barcelona full-backs.

Two of our best first-half opportunities came from in-to-out runs down the wide channels. Early on, Caitlin Foord took up an infield position with a view to running into space down the left, with Katie McCabe sliding a good pass down the line. From her run and cross, Chloe Kelly volleyed over from inside the box:

Then not long after, as we moved the ball wide to Emily Fox, Frida Maanum made a clever arced run down the side of the central defender that was hard to stop:

And from her delivery we netted via an own goal that was unfortunately disallowed for a narrow offside call on Maanum:

These positive, attacking moves were a signal of intent that showed the holders we were not there to just sit back and soak up pressure.

Inspired interventions

To prevail against a Barcelona side that averaged 4.4 goals per game en route to the final, Slegers’ players knew they would have to produce defensive heroics. Afterwards, many discussed how they ‘suffered’ as a collective, but at key junctures when put under pressure, everyone stepped up to cover a teammate.

Here are three standout moments where our players made vital interventions when it looked as if Barcelona were sure to find the back of the net. In the 12th minute Kelly sprinted across the box to block a goal-bound strike from Balon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati:

Late in the half, winger Foord made up over five yards to cut out a cross from the byline after Fox had been dragged out of position. It was very diligent cover work from the Australian, showcasing her desire:

And later in the game, the Spanish giants flashed a ball across the face of goal with two players attacking the cross, but Steph Catley somehow got to it first, sliding in to make a fabulous clearance:

Protect the spine

Our decision-making without the ball was nothing short of brilliant in Lisbon. Keeping calm heads, our players rarely put a step out of line and despite having just 32.2% of possession, we made only four fouls in the entire match compared to 10 from Barcelona.

Even more impressive from a discipline perspective is the fact that no Arsenal defender made a single foul in the final.

Recovering the ball 14.25 times per foul committed, with our opponents averaging 4.7 per foul, Slegers’ side regained possession with great efficiency, rarely giving away free-kicks in dangerous areas.

A key part of Slegers’ superb gameplan was to protect central areas, forcing the defending champions to go wide. They attempted 28 crosses in total, but less than a handful found a teammate.

This example indicates how we crowded them out down the middle of the pitch, ensuring their clever pass and move football did not open us up centrally. One player would always jump out to get tight when necessary (here it was Fox) but our 4-5-1 shape out of possession was incredibly robust. Substitute Stina Blackstenius was left up field as our out-ball:

We had defensive heroes all over the pitch, with Fox making a team-high three interceptions. Little was arguably our most impactful player out of possession though, making an impressive 10 ball recoveries, with Fox (8) and Foord (6) just behind.

As shown here, we limited a phenomenal attacking side to just 0.87 expected goals, with most of their efforts from mid to long range. We nullified an extraordinary attacking side extremely well.

Game changers

In the 68th minute, our head coach brought on Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius for Maanum and Kelly. Both players had been outstanding, but fresh energy was needed as well as a new dynamic for Barcelona to think about.

The switch came at a time when we were struggling to relieve pressure, but Blackstenius’ pace suddenly gave us an outlet inside the opposition half, making runs beyond the last defender. Leah Williamson, inspirational on the big stage once again, made eight successful long passes, and several of those came late on when she had the Swede to aim for.

This move below, began with a Williamson pass into Alessia Russo, who had dropped in as a No.10. Her sound lay-off to Fox allowed the American to clip an excellent long pass in behind for Blackstenius to chase. This pattern of play not only relieved pressure, but it also won us the corner that we scored the winning goal from. Without Slegers’ timely changes, the move would not have been possible.

By the time the final whistle blew, Blackstenius had racked up the most shots (3), the most shots on target (2) and the most touches in the Barcelona box (5) of any Arsenal player. It was the right change, at the right time.

A classy winner

Mariona has been fantastic all season, so it was fitting that she played a key role in our winner. Refusing to be hurried on the ball from a recycled corner, she waited patiently for another game changer from the bench, Mead, to make an astute piece of movement on the edge of the box.

Sensing where the space was, the England forward showed for the pass at the perfect moment, catching Barcelona sleeping:

Mead then had the presence of mind to know there was a gap to the left of our opponents' backline, producing a sublime reverse pass to find Blackstenius:

Creating history for the club, our Swedish striker made no mistake with a crisp, angled finish!

Not every player has been mentioned in this analysis, but they all played a huge part in this incredible victory, it really was a very special team performance.

The tactics were flawless, and the players executed Slegers’ gameplan to perfection. They deserved to become champions of Europe.