Arsenal reach Champions League group stage as Beth Mead inspires Häcken’s defeat | Women’s Champions League

After the first leg it seemed far from certain, but Arsenal ensured for the first time that there will be three Women’s Super League teams in the group stage of the Champions League with a comfortable victory over Häcken.

With Chelsea having secured their place as WSL champions and Manchester City completing an 8-0 aggregate victory over Paris FC, the pressure was on Arsenal to deliver results, with Jonas Eidevall’s side trailing 1-0 in the second qualifying round had to be canceled. .

Eidevall had said twice beforehand that Arsenal should be in the group stages, adding that it would be a failure if they failed to qualify. Arsenal need the group stage if they are to continue their progress on and off the pitch, with the club committed to playing all such matches at the Emirates Stadium, but the head coach needed it too. Had his team not qualified, it would have been inevitable that his future would have been in doubt.

These are the small margins within which coaches have to operate. But instead of talking about heads rolling, there were four goals, happy fans and now packed Champions League nights under the lights to look forward to. Arsenal will start the draw on Friday afternoon at 12 noon.

Eidevall made three changes to the team that earned a point in a 2-2 draw against Manchester City on Sunday, with Lia Wälti, Alessia Russo and Beth Mead returning to the starting line-up in place of Frida Maanum, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross . . Arsenal had been profligate against City, dropping missed chances and two missed points after taking an early lead. There could be no room for the same waste at Meadow Park during Häcken’s visit. The Swedish team had already punished Arsenal for making that mistake against a resilient low block in Gothenburg.

Mak Lind made one change to the side that secured a huge 1-0 home win in the first leg, with Hikaru Kitagawa replacing striker Alice Bergström.

Eidevall had called the trip to Gothenburg a “step backwards”. At Meadow Park, Häcken was keen to turn that move into a slide, attacking early with the intensity with which they had closed the opening game.

Arsenal had their first big chance in the eighth minute, but Mead’s effort went straight to Jennifer Falk, who then prevented the striker from jumping on the rebound. Häcken should have increased the lead in the tie minutes later when they squeezed the ball in from the right, but Anna Anvegård’s effort after it was pulled back to her slid wide of the far post.

The visitors had plenty of fun on Arsenal’s left, with Katie McCabe’s advanced position leaving space, but it was Arsenal who scored the goal that leveled the score rather than Häcken extending their lead, with Wälti’s first strike from distance. in the 23rd minute he came in off the crossbar and off the back of Falk.

The goal seemed to relax the shoulders of the players in red, who were working hard in the persistent rain, and the momentum definitely started to swing their way.

The goal that gave them the lead was messy but well deserved. Mead’s effort was blocked, Häcken drove free, but only as far as Mariona Caldentey, who arrived from the left and her shot was beaten over Falk by the foot of Emma Östlund.

Häcken tested Arsenal immediately after the break after Caldentey gifted the ball to Tabitha Tindell, who cut past Lotte Wubben-Moy, but her shot did not trouble Manuela Zinsberger.

The goal that gave Arsenal breathing space came moments later. McCabe’s cross was headed back to her by Emily Fox and the Republic of Ireland captain put the ball in the middle for Mead, who chipped the ball over a defender and sent a vicious strike in as she spun.

With the tie stretching beyond them, Häcken had to go for it, leaving space for Arsenal to maneuver in the final third. The home team had the ball in the back of the net again, but Stina Blackstenius was ruled out for offside in the build-up.

Arsenal’s fourth goal came after the substitutions, when substitutes Foord and Maanum came together, with the former sending in the cross that the Norwegian striker turned home.

In the end it was a routine win, but Arsenal must do better to take the pressure off much sooner.