Pre-Match Report

Ladies: Arsenal v Kairat - Preview

Katie Chapman
Katie Chapman

Arsenal Ladies return to Meadow Park on Thursday with a six-goal cushion after their thumping 7-1 win over Kairat on Wednesday.

But despite having a place in the last 16 of the Champions League all but sealed, midfielder Katie Chapman insists there is still a job to be done.

“We've got to be professional because it's still a big game in Europe and they might have a different game plan,” Chapman told Arsenal.com.

 

"I’m glad that I got back on the pitch again because I was dying to play"

Katie Chapman

“They know how we play now so it might be a different game but we're prepared and we just want to go out there and score more goals.”

 

After a spell of frustrating draws that, along with a points deduction, denied the Gunners the Women's Super League title, Shelley Kerr’s team have re-discovered their scoring touch in recent weeks.

When the draw was made for the Champions League in early September, Arsenal were not paired against the toughest of opponents but, in terms of travelling, they were handed a physically and mentally demanding task.

“It was tough to deal with the time difference and we worked out it would be better to sleep on the plane,” said Chapman. “We had a sleep before kick-off but it was just about adapting to the situation, making sure we were prepared and getting the job done.”

Chapman scored the fourth of Arsenal’s seven goals in the first leg and was delighted to get back on track after coming back from maternity leave.

“I was really pleased to score, it had been a long time coming so I was delighted to get one before the season finishes for us.

“I think winning the Continental Cup has certainly given us more belief and added confidence. Lincoln just defended and made it really difficult for us to break them down. But to get those two late goals gave us a massive boost.

“But if you look at our form, we’ve lost one game all season so it’s not been a bad season by any means. We were gutted to miss out on the league but it’s been a positive reaction since then and that bodes well for these Champions League games."

Katie Chapman

Katie Chapman

The 31-year-old missed the first half of the 2013 campaign as she prepared to give birth to her third child, but says she was keen to return to football as soon as possible.

“It’s taken me a lot of time to get back into it," said Chapman. "I’m glad that I got back on the pitch again because I was dying to play. I’m ready and kicking to play these last games before we go into the break and then look forward to next season.”

Chapman has been playing at the base of a midfield trio with Kim Little and Jordan Nobbs and said she is happy to be playing with such technically-gifted players.

“They are two great players,” she said. “I’m obviously the eldest and most experienced of the three of us so I’m happy to sit in and give them more of a free rein.

“Kim [Little] and Jordan [Nobbs] are great talents because they are such good listeners and it’s a joy to play with them.”

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