Champions League qualification hangs in the balance tonight as we head to Amsterdam, looking to beat Ajax Vrouwen and progress to the group stage of the competition.
The away goals rule has been scrapped in the competition this season, so both teams go into this match level pegging once more.
Watch our Champions League qualifier LIVE right here on Arsenal.com and the app
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, manager Jonas Eidevall and captain Kim Little both stressed the importance of this game, as Champions League football is a huge ambition for our club year-in, year-out.
Last time around
The first leg against Ajax ended in a frustrating draw under the lights at Meadow Park, as we conceded a controversial equaliser less than five minutes from time.
Our Dutch opponents flew out of the starting gate with an aggressive style and high-press, resulting in them taking the lead early in the first half through Romee Leuchter. While Stina Blackstenius' rocket fired us level just before half-time and Little's cool-as-you-like penalty made it 2-1, we were unable to completely nullify the opposition's threat. Leuchter was back on the scoresheet in the dying minutes to steal a draw for the visitors.
Our Gunners will be aiming to replicate and build on our more promising second-half display for this leg, as we were close to finding a third goal right up until Ajax drew level.
Since we last met
In the break between the two qualifier legs, we had the small matter of a historic north London derby to contend with.
Goals from Beth Mead, Rafaelle Souza and Vivianne Miedema allowed us to brush past Tottenham with ease in our second 4-0 WSL win in a row. Miedema’s brace on Saturday also broke her five-game goal drought for the Gunners.
Suzanne Bakker's Ajax have not played a competitive match since their trip to Meadow Park last week.
When asked about whether this extended rest would give the Dutch side an advantage, Eidevall gave a practical assessment: “For me, it's just a fact. It’s just a fact, where we have to say that we were playing against Tottenham - let's make the best of that occasion.
“They probably are going to look at it the other way and say ‘we get more time to train, we can be fresher with our legs going into the next game.’ That's their strategy and their football association’s strategy. We're just going to do the best with what we have. That's all that we can control.”
The boss' take
Eidevall on Ajax: "I thought they played with a lot of confidence when we played them last week, and I'm under no illusion that this game will be anything else. Like, it will be a hard game. We will need to be very good.
"Away games in Europe are tough, especially when we're playing against a good team like Ajax. So, we will need to be good in all aspects of the game. If we can be that, I believe we can go through. But it's up to us to reach that level." - read every word from Jonas' pre-Ajax presser
Our team news
Jonas Eidevall confirmed that the full squad travelled to Amsterdam for the match, injury-free.
How to watch
The match kicks off in Amsterdam at 6pm UK time. You can watch all the action live, wherever you are in the world, right here on Arsenal.com or via our app - find out more.
Further reading
Hear from Rafaelle about her journey from north-east Brazil to north London in an in-depth interview, while Mead gives her thoughts on an eventful 12 months for club, country and personally.
Meanwhile, Little. has also spoken pre-match about the threat posed by Ajax, as well as the ambitions of the squad this season.
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