Mariona Caldentey converted a 93rd-minute penalty to give Arsenal a 1-0 win over HB Køge on Tuesday. The UWCL league-phase opener at Meadow Park looked headed for a draw before the late-match drama unfolded.
Arsenal Shakes Up Starting Roster Against HB Køge
Heading into the match, Arsenal coach Renée Slegers made eight starting lineup changes from Saturday's 1-1 Women's Super League draw with Manchester United.
Even so, the reshuffled side controlled the match from kickoff with Chloe Kelly appearing to break through in the 12th minute. But VAR wiped the goal after catching Stina Blackstenius offside during the buildup. From there, Arsenal kept pressing without reward. Frida Maanum alone made multiple efforts, but HB Køge keeper Alberte Vingum denied them all in regulation time.
Then, deep into added minutes, substitute Selina Cerci drew a foul from Yukina Sakabe inside the box. Caldentey stepped up and buried the spot kick to secure all three UEFA Women's Champions League points.
Gunners' Scoring Woes Continue in WSL & UWCL Action
Slegers credited her squad's "mentality and resilience" and praised her bench for making the difference.
Still, the hard-fought win only served to highlight the Gunners' current scoring struggles. In recent WSL matches against lower-ranked opponents, Arsenal's fought for goals despite dominating possession, and its latest UWCL outing was no different.
The 2024/25 UWCL champion will next face league titan Chelsea in WSL action on Sunday at 11:30 AM, before returning to Women's Champions League play against Paris FC.
