Arsenal 2-0 Bayern Munich: Aggregate win sees Gunners into last-four

Arsenal 2-0 Bayern Munich: Frida Maanum’s 20-yard STUNNER and Lina Blackstenius close-range header send Arsenal into semi-finals of Champions League after second leg comeback

• Arsenal’s Kim Little was taken off with an injury after just 12 minutes of action
• The Gunners are the only English side to ever win the women’s competition 
• Arsenal’s Leah Williamson is a Euros winner and now has the WORLD at her feet

Arsenal produced a scintillating performance to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 10 years with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich last night.

The Gunners had trailed 1-0 from the first leg but goals from Frida Maanum and Stina Blackstenius overturned the deficit in front of 21,307 fans at the Emirates – an English record for a European fixture.

Arsenal, who are the only English team to ever win the women’s competition, had fallen at the quarter-final stage for their last three campaigns but will now take on either Wolfsburg or Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final.

Jonas Eidevall had said before the game that, on their day, his team could beat anyone and they produced their best performance of the season here.

They did what they had failed to do at the Allianz last week – put the ball in the back of the net. Arsenal should have taken at least a draw from the first leg but wasted several gilt-edged chances.

Frida Maanum let fly from 20 yards with a first-time effort to hand Arsenal an early 1-0 lead

Stina Blackstenius then headed home from close range to double the lead inside 26 minutes

Arsenal completed a second leg turnaround and reach the last-four after beating Bayern Munich

While the score-line at the Emirates should have been bigger, they were clinical enough to progress.

The result could be season-defining for Arsenal, who face Manchester City in a crucial match at the top of the Women’s Super League this weekend.

The opening goal was Arsenal at their attacking best but it came after a moment that could have derailed their hopes. In the 12th minute, captain Kim Little was forced off with an injury.

Losing their captain would ordinarily have stilted Arsenal’s attacking threat. But the enforced substitution meant Lotte Wubben-Moy came on at centre back and Leah Williamson was shifted into midfield and it was her creativity that led to the Gunners taking the lead.

Bayern gave the ball away near their own box. Lia Walti passed to Williamson, who played a divine Johan Cruyff-esque flick into the path of Maanum, who curled a fantastic strike into the top left corner.

Lionesses star Georgia Stanway found her influence restricted at the Emirates Stadium

Leah Williamson inherited the armband after regular captain Kim Little was forced off injured

Arsenal were flying and a second goal came seven minutes later. Victoria Pelova’s cross-field pass found Katie McCabe and the left-back sent in a fantastic cross for Blackstenius to power home.

Williamson should have made it 3-0 when she ghosted in at the back-post to meet Caitlin Foord’s cross, but the defender could only head over the bar. Blackstenius then sent another effort wide as the Gunners tried to extend their lead.

Arsenal’s dominance should have provided a third goal before half-time, as Blackstenius and Maanum both saw close-range shots blocked in front of the goal-line.

More chances went begging as Maria Luisa Grohs made a fantastic save to keep out Blackstenius’ header before Wubben-Moy hit the bar with a cross.

Jonas Eidevall said ahead of the game that his side could beat any team on their day

MATCH FACTS

Arsenal (4-3-3): Zinsberger, Maritz, Williamson, Rafaelle, McCabe (Hurtig 89) Walti, Little (Wubben-Moy 12), Maanum, Pelova (Wienroither 77), Blackstenius (Beattie 89) Foord

Subs not used: D’Angelo, Marckese, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Hurtig, Kühl, Wienroither, Goldie, Agyemang, Reid.

Booked: Wubben-Moy, Rafaelle, Maritz, Eidevall

Goals: Maanum 19, Blackstenius 26

Manager: Jonas Eidevall

Bayern Munich (4-3-3): Grohs, Rall (Laurent 80), Viggosdottir, Kumagai, Hansen, Zadrazil (Lohmann 80), Magull (Rudelic 89), Stanway, Buhl, Schuller (Vilhjalmsdottir 89) Kett (Damnjanovic 64)

Subs not used: Benkarth, Runarsdottir, Bragstad,, Landenberger, Gloning, Rudelic

Booked: Kett, Damnjanovic, Stanway

Manager: Alexander Straus

Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza

Attendance: 21,307

It continued to be the hosts who created the better opportunities in the second half. First, McCabe fired wide from just inside the box.

Foord should then have wrapped up the game when she found herself 1v1 with Grohs, but the forward could only fire a shot over the bar.

There was some concern in the closing minutes as McCabe hobbled off with what looked like a leg injury, but it did not dampen the full-time celebrations of Eidevall and his team.

Chelsea will hope to follow in Arsenal’s footsteps when they take on reigning champions Lyon tomorrow night. The Blues hold a 1-0 lead from last week’s victory in France.

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