Arsenal vs Vålerenga




A battle of the titans
The Emirates Stadium was packed to the rafters on Wednesday night as Arsenal Women welcomed Vålerenga to north London in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
For Arsenal, it was a chance to get their Group C campaign back on track after a disappointing defeat to Lyon in their opening match.
Vålerenga, meanwhile, were looking to cause an upset and claim their first points in the competition.
The match started at a frantic pace, with both teams creating chances. Arsenal took the lead in the second minute through Emily Fox, but Vålerenga equalized just 10 minutes later through Olaug Tvedten.
The Gunners continued to press for a winner, and they were eventually rewarded in the 29th minute when Caitlin Foord fired them back into the lead.
Arsenal continued to dominate the game in the second half, and they extended their lead in the 85th minute through Mariona Caldentey.
Alessia Russo then added a fourth in the 90th minute to seal a comfortable victory for the home side.
Player ratings
Arsenal:
* Manuela Zinsberger: 7/10
* Noelle Maritz: 7/10
* Lotte Wubben-Moy: 7/10
* Rafaelle Souza: 7/10
* Katie McCabe: 7/10
* Lia Wälti: 8/10
* Frida Maanum: 7/10
* Caitlin Foord: 8/10
* Vivianne Miedema: 7/10
* Mariona Caldentey: 8/10
* Emily Fox: 7/10
Substitutes:
* Mana Iwabuchi: 6/10
* Alessia Russo: 7/10
* Giovana: 6/10
Vålerenga:
* Guro Pettersen: 6/10
* Synne Skinnes Hansen: 6/10
* Sara Hørte: 6/10
* Mari Olsvik: 6/10
* Anna Signeul: 6/10
* Dejana Stefanovic: 6/10
* Rikke Nygard: 6/10
* Elise Thorsnes: 6/10
* Sigrid Heien Hansen: 6/10
* Olaug Tvedten: 7/10
* Synne Jensen: 6/10
Substitutes:
* Hannah Bonde: 6/10
* Camilla Huse: 6/10
* Ingrid Syrstad Engen: 6/10
Reaction
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall: "I'm very pleased with the performance. We created a lot of chances and we were clinical in front of goal. It was a good win and it gives us a good platform to build on."
Vålerenga manager Monica Knudsen: "We're disappointed with the result, but we're proud of the performance. We showed that we can compete with the best teams in Europe."
What's next?
Arsenal will travel to Lyon for their next Champions League match on October 26. Vålerenga will host Juventus on the same day.