Full time: Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona
Arsenal have done it. They have defied expectations, they have proved all of their doubters wrong. They have their hands on the Champions League trophy once again. What a moment.
Key events
“Not an Arsenal fan here but chuffed to bits to see them lift the WCL,” Sam says. “My twin 7yo girls idolise Beth Mead & Leah Williamson, so the joy for them was something to behold. Add to that my partner is an Aberdeen fan, so a Scottish Cup win to celebrate, too. Me: I’m a Blade… but two wins out of three ain’t bad, I suppose!”
Ah apologies for the loss for your team but, as you say not a bad record! A lovely moment for your girls too.
Arsenal manager Renée Slegers tells TNT Sports: “We knew it was going to be a game of momentum shifts. We spoke about the first 10-20 minutes we had to get through those. They came here very confident because they are a very good team. The resilience we showed was incredible.”
What it means:
It will be interesting to see the impact of this trophy win on English football. Everyone saw the uptick in crowds, sponsorships, broadcasting when England won the Euros. This is the first Champions League title won by an English side since then.
Renée Slegers is the youngest woman to win the Women’s Champions League as a manager. She did it just four months after becoming the permanent boss for the Gunners.
Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius, the goalscorer told TNT Sports: “I can’t believe it. It was such a team performance and I can’t believe we win the Champions League. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I am so happy. They said I should try and run in behind and try and stretch them but this is a team performance.”
Kelly Smith says she can’t believe it, adding: “I thought we had the better chances in the second half. What a squad this is. My nerves were awful in the last 10 minutes. I didn’t play the final in 2007 because of suspension and I had the same feelings today. We really believed we could win today if we were on our A game and we were.”
They are now belting out North London forever. The team are arm-in-arm facing a red wall of fans. So emotional. This moment is just what English women’s football needs.
It has been 18 years since Arsenal won the Women’s Champions League. They are the only English team to do so and remain the only one. It’s also special for their fans who have shown up time and time again for their team.
Tony has got in touch and shows what this means: “I’m sitting here with my wife, who I met through football, in tears. So happy. Well done Arsenal.”
Did you meet through the Gunners?
Kim Little grasps the trophy with a huge smile on her face. She and Leah Williamson hold it together as they lift it with golden confetti raining down and the Champions League anthem playing. Emotional. Significant. History.
Each Arsenal player is kissing the trophy as they go past the silverware. And captain Kim Little is at the back, someone who has been at the club off and on since 2008. What a moment it will be when she lifts this trophy.
Mariona Caldentey has also won the Champions League for the third season in a row. She won two in a row with Barcelona and then moved to Arsenal in the summer.
Here come the Gunners. Barca give them a guard of honour.
Barcelona now collect their runner-up medals, they look dejected but they will be back. They have produced some special, special moments in this tournament.
A reminder that Arsenal knocked out eight-time winners Lyon in the semis too. This is no fluke. Arsenal thoroughly deserve this win.
The refereeing team, who had a great game, now collect their medals.
Renée Slegers was not the manager of Arsenal at the start of the season. She took over after Jonas Eidevall resigned and the team have just gone from strength-to-strength. 18 years ago when Arsenal won the Champions League Slegers was an Arsenal academy player. Now she is a European winner as the manager. Mental.
Arsenal’s Leah Williamson told TNT Sports: “I don’t believe it. There has been a lot of this team who have been working to get to the next level. A lot of players have had the game of their lives. I am just so happy. We changed the game plan a little in the week and that paid off.”
Alessia Russo also said the club may be celebrating with fans at the Emirates on Monday, maybe a sneak peek into their plans.
Arsenal Katie McCabe adds: “Barcelona threw absolutely threw everything at it but we rode the storm. It was unbelievable to give this to our fans, the players who have given so much.”
Arsenal’s Alessia Russo, who is visibly emotional, told TNT Sports: “We worked so hard and it just feels amazing. We had to suffer a lot, they are a top side. We knew we would have to suffer and there would have to be content not having the ball. When Stina, Beth, Lina came on, everyone, the whole squad wanted this so much.
“It feels surreal. We knew we could win, we knew we had the capabilities and it was just about going and doing it.”
The Arsenal team hold hands and run over to the stands and jump in celebration for their fans. Huge. The stories in this team are also special. Chloe Kelly coming in on loan in the winter window. Beth Mead’s emotional off pitch journey. Stina Blackstenius’ struggles with minutes. These moments are why they play the game and it restores faith that the dominance of Barca can be crumbled.
Karen Carney has just called for a parade for this Arsenal team and I could not agree more. They thoroughly deserve it.
“Not an Arsenal fan, Liverpool for us,” Dom says. “But come on Gunners! It’s important for women’s football that Chelsea and Barcelona don’t win everything. And any win in Europe for and English team is something to celebrate!”
Absolutely. Some of Arsenal’s rivals may not want to celebrate but they will respect the astronomical performance by this Gunners team. It was unbelievable.
Bonmati is inconsolable. A huge player who was once again Barcelona’s best player tonight. A three-time Champions League winner who will be back in the final, there’s no doubt about that.
The Gunners bench rush onto the pitch and the majority go to Blackstenius, who scored the only goal on the game. The screams from the 5,000 Arsenal in the stands are clear. Williamson, the mascot 18 years ago, cannot stop smiling.
Full time: Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona
Arsenal have done it. They have defied expectations, they have proved all of their doubters wrong. They have their hands on the Champions League trophy once again. What a moment.
90 + 7 min: The free kick is well managed as Mead takes it to the corner but it then goes out for a goal kick. Barcelona have limited chances now.
90 + 6 min: Barcelona have another corner and they whip it into the box again. It’s headed clear but Barca initially keep it alive but Arsenal win it back and then win a free kick. Caldentey – who will win the Champions League for a third season in a row if Arsenal see this out – with excellent game management.
90 + 4 min: The corner comes in but Arsenal do well again to clear it, they just have Barcelona’s number today. Stunning performance.
90 + 3 min: Barcelona just looking less and less like themselves as this final rolls on. But Arsenal need to stay switched on, Williamson doing just that as she concedes a corner.
90 + 2 min: Russo is coming off for Wubben-Moy, good game management from Arsenal.
90 + 1 min: There will be seven minutes added. A big chunk of time.
90 min: Kari, I’m presuming an Arsenal fan, writes: “I’m only able to watch the game if I make sure I don’t actually look at the score in the corner. I don’t want to believe just yet, because I couldn’t take the heartbreak.”
Only a few minutes to go.
89 min: Arsenal fans, how are you feeling? Some nervous moments towards the end of this game. Another water break now.
88 min: Barca are starting to throw everything at Arsenal but it feels like it too, slightly desperate passing. If they can get a touch of their clinicism they will be right back in this. And as I type that, they win a corner. It’s defended well though and it’s away.
86 min: Barcelona fans want a free kick on the edge of the box from a foul on Graham Hansen from McCabe but it isn’t given. Arsenal make a change and it’s Hurtig off for Foord. A lovely touch for Hurtig as it is her final game for Arsenal, her game against Juventus crucial to the Gunners topping their group.
84 min: Bonmati takes the set piece and she sends it in. Williamson heads it clear but Barca keep it moving. Putellas pops it into the box but Van Domselaar claims it.
83 min: Bonmati has a shot and it takes a deflection, it’s out for a corner.
82 min: Barca come so close to levelling but a great bit of defence from Williamson sees it clear. Barcelona fans rain down boos as Arsenal players look to wind down the clock here.
81 min: Remember Barca won their quarter-final 10-2 on aggregate and their semi-final 8-2 on aggregate. This is such a heroic performance from Arsenal if they see this out. The underdogs are on track for the win.
80 min: Brugts is on for Rolfo and Engen is on too, unsure who for I will track that down! Foord also was down for a while but she is now back to her feet.
78 min: Barca get a corner and this time they go long but it’s straight out. Arsenal really need to control this game now. Just over 10 minutes left, game management will be key.
77 min: Apologies I initially credited Russo with that goal but it was Blackstenius, who had been on the pitch for just eight minutes, who slots it home. Huge.
The corner was initially repelled but the Gunners kept it alive. Mead popped a lovely ball through to Blackstenius and rolls it past Coll. The goalkeeper doesn’t even move. Oh my word.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona (Blackstenius, 75)
Oh my word.
74 min: Blackstenius is proving a real thorn in Barcelona’s side, another great run from her forces Paredes to concede a corner.
73 min: Blackstenius wins the ball high up and she goes on a fantastic run, takes the shot but a great save from Coll stops the effort. The Arsenal star could have laid it off to Mead but she went alone. Barca then break and Pajor’s effort is over the bar. The game is starting to break up more now we’re into the final 20.
71 min: Corner is short again but it comes into the box, Arsenal stick to the Barca players like glue though and they don’t have enough space to shoot. The Gunners clear. Denis has also got back to me and confirmed he was a pro skier, what a baller.
70 min: McCabe had a bit of treatment there too but she is okay to continue, just a slightly painful shin. Barcelona get some passes together and they are oh so close to the opener. Pajor’s shot is deflected by Catley for a corner.
68 min: Arsenal make a double change with Mead and Blackstenius on for Maanum and Kelly.
67 min: Kelly is shown a yellow card for a shove on Putellas, an unnecessary foul to give away. There is a slight break in play for a water break, it remains around 27 degress in Lisbon.
65 min: McCabe goes down in the box but no penalty is given, the Arsenal players did not protest so seems the right decision. The star is okay to continue.
64 min: Paralluelo straight into the action as Barca looks for the opener. Again it comes to Batlle and she takes a shot from a far out position. She must have been slotting them for fun in training because she just keeps trying the move. Van Domselaar saves once again.
62 min: Leon takes the corner short again, the move has not worked yet will it now? No but it was close. It is passed to Batlle at long range and it’s just over. Barca now make their first change with Paralluelo on for Pina.
61 min: The corner is taken short again but it come in, Maanum watches it closely and clears. Barca keep their momentum going and Bonmati rifles off a shot. Van Domselaar makes another good save but concedes a corner.
60 min: A good ball into the box comes from Williamson but no one was tracking the move and Coll is able to clear. Barcelona counter but Foord – again – does really well to muscle the chance out of the box, the Australian is a star for the Gunners so far. Barca win it back and win a corner.
58 min: “I was ski racing back then,” says Denis of his 2007 antics. “Not very successful but wickedly good fun.”
Just as a hobby Denis or were you an aspiring professional?