We reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League courtesy of Lina Hurtig's 89th-minute winner against Juventus on Thursday night.
With our sixth win in the last seven games in all competitions, we're through to the knockout stages with two group matches remaining.
What happened
In a first half of few chances, it took until the 24th minute for either side to register a shot on target, when Aruba Caruso’s corner came out to Eva Schatzer, who shot low and straight at Daphne van Domselaar.
At the other end, Frida Maanum then fired over the bar from a narrow angle after winning the ball high up the pitch.
Katie McCabe saw a cross from the left fly onto the roof of the net before Mariona Caldentey lifted the ball over to Caitlin Foord, who went down under pressure in the 18-yard box, but the referee didn’t see enough to award a penalty.
Juventus countered and Sofia Cantore’s shot was deflected straight into van Domselaar’s gloves.
The second half livened up when Lia Walti found Foord in space, who put it across goal, but no-one was there to finish.
Sections of the crowd at Arsenal Stadium thought we’d found the opener when Mariona played a clever one-two with McCabe before the former crossed for Maanum, but her first-time effort went just wide of the post.
There was a goalmouth scramble following a McCabe corner and somehow the ball didn’t go in, before Renee Slegers made her first two changes of personnel as Foord and Maanum made way for Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius, the latter making her 100th appearance for us in all competitions.
But it was Leah Williamson who headed over the bar from a McCabe corner as we continued to push for a goal that would break the deadlock.
Caruso came closest with time and space in the area to pick out the bottom right corner, but van Domselaar got down to parry it past the post for a corner.
Alessia Russo was replaced by Lina Hurtig with just over 10 minutes to go and she almost made an instant impact, heading into the side netting from a Williamson delivery.
Kim Little fizzed a ball in for Hurtig to have another header but, with the goal at her mercy, she placed it over the bar.
Rosa Kafaji became our fourth second-half substitute in the 88th minute with Little making way.
Then, there was bedlam as Blackstenius' cross was bundled in by Hurtig with just one minute left to play. Kafaji then put Blackstenius through on goal in added time but she was denied by Pauline Peyraud Magnin, before the full-time whistle was blown at a jubilant Arsenal Stadium.
What it means
We remain second in Group C of the Champions League with nine points from four games, enough to take us through to the quarter-finals.
What's next
After the international break, we're back in Barclays Women's Super League action against Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium at 2pm on Sunday, December 8. As for the Champions League, we will then travel to Valerenga for a 5.45pm kick-off on Thursday, December 12.
Line-ups
Arsenal XI: van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Mariona, Little (C) (Kafaji 88), McCabe, Maanum (Blackstenius 66), Walti, Foord (Mead 66), Russo (Hurtig 80)
Substitutes (not used): Zinsberger, Williams, Wubben-Moy, Codina, Wienroither, Reid, Cooney-Cross, Kuhl
Juventus XI: Peyraud Magnin, Lenzini, Calligaris, Cascarino, Bergamaschi (Bonansea 66), Schatzer, Bennison (Boattin 66), Krumbiegel (Thomas 82), Caruso, Cantore (Beccari 74), Vangsgaard (Girelli 74)
Substitutes (not used): Kullberg, Lehmann, Rosucci, Bragonzi, Capelletti, Gallo, Proulx
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