Arsenal scrape 1-0 Champions League win over HB Køge with Caldentey stoppage-time penalty
Caldentey rescues Arsenal from profligate display
Mariona Caldentey’s 93rd-minute penalty delivered a win and a hefty dose of relief to fans behind the goal in the North Bank after the ball hit the back of the net, but Arsenal’s narrow defeat of HB Køge in their Champions League opener left more questions unanswered than answered for the struggling Gunners.
Manager Renée Slegers’ puffed cheeks said it all when the full-time whistle went. If it had been revealed on the final whistle that a forcefield surrounded the opposition goal at Meadow Park, many would have believed it, such was the extent of Arsenal’s ridiculous profligacy in front of goal in their league phase opener.
Slegers made eight changes from Sunday’s 1-1 Women’s Super League draw with Manchester United. Only centre-back pairing Leah Williamson and Steph Catley and forward Stina Blackstenius retained their place in the starting XI for the Champions League opener.
Arsenal dominated possession and pushed high, often playing with a back one of Catley or Williamson, but Danish champions HB Køge, marshalled superbly by goalkeeper Alberte Vingum, frustrated them throughout.
Chloe Kelly tested Vingum early on, cutting onto her right foot and forcing a fingertip save from the 21-year-old. Frida Maanum did the same two minutes later, latching on to a half clearance and lashing the ball goalwards only for Vingum to get her hands behind it.
The breakthrough looked to have arrived in the 13th minute when Caitlin Foord kept an attack alive before sending the ball to Taylor Hinds. The full-back fed Kyra Cooney-Cross and the Australian midfielder’s neat flick was turned in by Kelly on the volley with the outside of her leg. Video assistant referee intervened to penalise an offside Blackstenius for straying into the line of sight of Vingum.
Greek referee Eleni Antoniu was called to the monitor after Kelly beat Vingum in the 12th minute, but it was chalked off after it was determined Stina Blackstenius had been offside in the build-up.
Maanum drew another save in the 25th minute, with the game rarely venturing outside the visitors’ half until Macy Schultz’s deflected effort drifted towards the crossbar. A cross-shot from Maanum followed before a Kyra Cooney-Cross effort drifted wide.
Blackstenius was replaced by Alessia Russo at the break and Caldentey and new recruit Lisa Baum joined the battle just before the hour mark, but Arsenal still could not find a way through an extremely well-organised Køge backline.
A bursting run from Baum looked promising as she escaped her marker but a brilliant recovery tackle pickpocketed the forward and sent the ball out for a corner. Smilla Holmberg prevented danger with an alert clearance after Emelia Oskarsdottir’s cross fell loose.
As the clock edged towards full time, every effort placed high, wide or cut out was wildly celebrated by the Køge substitutes. They were silenced in the third of four minutes of stoppage time when Yukina Sakabe upended Selina Cerci in a rare blip from the visiting team and Caldentey buried the ball past Vingum from the spot.
Relief filled the stands, but with Chelsea up next, nerves of another wasteful season will not settle. Arsenal’s 21 attempts to Køge’s four told one story, the two attempts on target to one told another.