Thank you so much for joining me for the match this evening! Arsenal continue their unbeaten run in the competition thanks to two goals from Lina Hurtig and a screamer from Jordan Nobbs. If you want to re-live or recap any action read the report below. The Women’s Champions League will be back on November 23 where we shall cover Chelsea v Real Madrid. In the meantime keep an eye out for all our coverage including this weekend’s Women’s Super League matches. Until then, have a great week!
Have a look at Georgia Stanway’s stunning last gasp winner over Benfica:
GEORGIA STANWAY SCORES THE WINNER FOR BAYERN MUNICH AGAINST BENFICA 💥 #UWCL pic.twitter.com/g23OuiI0Be
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) October 27, 2022
The other match this evening has been a thriller! Bayern Munich come out 3-2 winners over Benfica with Georgia Stanway finding the winning in the 98th minute.
Miedema had a punt at the end which was only denied by a great save from Romero. The star had great work off the ball tonight though and maybe should have earned a penalty after being clattered by Romero – a selection headache for Eidevall for their clash against Manchester City this Sunday. Does he stick with Miedema or start Maanum?
Full-time: Arsenal 3-1 Zurich
It was not as clean cut as their match against Lyon last week but Arsenal won’t care as they sail to the top of their group as their flawless run in the tournament continues. Nobbs and Hurtig has the hosts 2-0 up at half-time but Piubel pulled one back. Hurtig sealed the win though at the Emirates.
90 + 9 min: Maanum loses possession and Romero clears. A long range shot from the visitors is wide but Piubel sends it back it, it’s cleared and Arsenal counter. Blackstenius has a great run after Miedema finds her with a pin point cross and she has a one-on-one with Romero but the resulting shot goes over the bar.
90 + 6 min: Arsenal running down the clock here as they play the ball in their own half.
90 + 4 min: Vetterlein and Blackstenius will stay on here. 5,397 fans at the Emirates this evening.
90 + 3 min: Vetterlein and Blackstenius seem to have clashed heads with the former down here. There is a break in play while medical staff see to them.
90 + 2 min: The crowd at the Emirates don’t agree with the amount of injury time but I think it is fair, representative of the time out. Riesen receives a yellow card for pulling Hurtig’s shirt.
90 min: There will be nine minutes added, there has been quite a few injuries in this half so it isn’t surprising.
89 min: Nobbs has been named Player of the Match after that stunning opener. Stierli has some ice on her head but will continue here. Zurich makes a change with Megroz off for Pando.
87 min: Hurtig makes a great run after her own ball, Miedema gets it in the area but it comes back out. Maanum wins a great corner after running a good line. Nobbs takes the kick but Hurtig’s header is wide, so close to the hat-trick! Stierli is now down and receiving treatment.
85 min: McCabe sends it in but Marku clears. Little wins back the ball, the captain amazing this match, and it is ran back to the defenders.
83 min: Piubel gives away a free kick with a foul on Miedema, McCabe takes the kick is cleared. Wos concedes a corner after cutting out a Nobbs cross. Corner to come from McCabe.
82 min: Zurich make another change as Pinther is off for Wos. Arsenal continue to play out the back, so confident when they know what Zurich could do.
80 min: That must be so frustrating for Zurich who were right back in this one. It is crazy to think the visitors are a part-time side, they have played so well this evening.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Zurich (Hurtig, 78)
That didn’t take long! Blackstenius’s shot is saved and Hurtig scores the rebound.
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GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Zurich (Piubel, 76')
Wow a great goal! The team have got the star in a huddle and it means so much to her! It was a superb finish
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75 min: Arsenal make another change as Iwabuchi is off for Blackstenius. Zurich have some great play around the box with Pinther crossing in but Little clears.
73 min: There’s an Arsenal corner as Vetterlein cuts out a cross from Maanum. McCabe takes the kick but Hurtig’s touch hits the side netting.
71 min: Miedema is back on the pitch and Eidevall’s reaction to no penalty being given was pure frustration. Arsenal playing out the back but Zurich wrestles back the ball. Marku’s shot is saved, the visitors coming to life.
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69 min: Some may have wanted Romero to see a card there, Miedema clearly got to the ball first and the keeper could have avoided the clash but the referee has decided against. There’s a big break in play as Miedema is treated. She has a clear bang on her nose but I think she will play on here.
67 min: Good news from Becky at the Emirates who has her audio commentary back, she wants to give a shout-out to the team at the stadium for their great work! Humm is back to her feet and remaining on and as predicted the penalty has not been given. Arsenal still thumping away and Miedema almost scores. In her attempt she clashes heads with Romero, the star is receiving treatment.
65 min: Arsenal have another corner and with Mead off it is Maanum who will take the kick. It’s a good cross with Miedema collecting. Wubben-Moy sends it back in and McCabe is brought down in the box but Humm – who is still down. The Zurich player needing attention here but it is McCabe who wants the penalty, I don’t think it will be given.
63 min: Piubel almost pounces on a loose ball from Wubben-Moy but Arsenal come away with it. It’s slightly messy outside the Arsenal box and Zurich look to counter, Piubel has too much on her pass and Marckese can relieve the pressure.
61 min: Zurich make another change as Dubs is off for Pilgrim. McCabe puts a cross in but she is ruled offside.
59 min: Catley is coming off with McCabe on and Maanum is also on for Mead. Chants of ‘Meado’ ring around the Emirates. Play is back underway and Humm’s shot is wide.
57 min: Catley is down, she went down after a hit to the head but looked okay to continue. But she went down again when play went on. It is looking like she will be replaced by Maanum with McCabe also warming. Confirmation on that to come as there’s a break in play.
55 min: A great line from Wubben-Moy, she gets the ball to Mead who passes back to Wubben-Moy once more. The final shot is wide but that was a great bit of play. Becky has got in touch and said: “I wasn’t expecting to be checking the MBM whilst at the stadium but I’m visually impaired and the audio commentary team doesn’t appear to have come back from their halftime break yet (or my headset is broken, the lovely stewards are investigating) so currently I’m relying on you and the crowd noise!” I hope the audio commentary is working for you now Becky but if not I have got you covered!
53 min: Hurtig makes a great run, she gets the ball into Mead who can’t get it out from under her feet. Arsenal come forward once more but it is well defended once more.
51 min: Iwabuchi gets a shot away, Romero collects easily. This is Iwabuchi’s first start this season and she has proved her worth so far – making her case for more starts. She puts in a great cross but Reisen heads it away.
49 min: Hurtig is brought down in the box, the crowd want a penalty but none is given. A slow start after that early Zurich chance.
47 min: That was so close! Zurich come out firing and Piubel has a great chance but it goes wide. Arsenal now on the attack but it is stolen back. Possession exchanges hands with Arsenal now playing out the back.
Back underway! Arsenal 2-0 Zurich
The second half has begun, will Arsenal run away with this? Or can Zurich find a way back? We will soon find out. Zurich have made a change with Rey on for Bernauer.
The other match happening right now is 1-0 at half-time with Benfica leading Bayern Munich.
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Zurich player Kim Dubs was pulled for a half-time interview and told DAZN: “They are good at possession, if we get the ball we are okay. Yes for sure [we will challenge them in the second half].”
Harriet has entered our Starbursts debate and said: “Purple Starburst sound lovely but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen them my side of the pond. I love the red ones, and green and yellow are equally awful.” We should exchange Starbursts, I really want to try the red one. I am so happy we don’t have yellow Starbursts, I despise yellow sweets!
Have a look at the two goals from that half! Nobbs had a beauty of a strike:
ARSENAL TAKE THE LEAD WITH A JORDAN NOBBS GOAL 🔴⚪️#UWCL LIVE NOW ⬇️
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) October 27, 2022
🇬🇧 https://t.co/12VK9wTlOM
🇨🇭 https://t.co/wEEAuKu8rQ pic.twitter.com/vFnzJnG9CV
And Hurtig bagged her first for her new club:
Lina Hurtig scores her first-ever goal for Arsenal as they double their lead over FC Zürich 🔥#UWCL LIVE NOW ⬇️
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) October 27, 2022
🇬🇧 https://t.co/12VK9wTlOM
🇨🇭 https://t.co/wEEAuKu8rQ pic.twitter.com/KCfqT4TzR3
Half-time: Arsenal 2-0 Zurich
Despite great early defence from the visitors, it is Arsenal who come out the half the better with Jordan Nobbs and Lina Hurtig getting goals. All the play for but the Gunners are in full control.
45 + 4 min: She is back to her feet and seems okay to continue.
45 + 3 min: Beattie is down here, she got to her feet but goes straight back down. There’s a break in play while she receives treatment.
45 + 2 min: There are four minutes added here! Hurtig looked really happy with that, ending her wait for an Arsenal goal. Romero came out to get the ball but it was Hurtig who claimed! Zurich now trying to weather the storm and stem the scoring.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Zurich (Hurtig, 45')
Lina Hurtig has her first for Arsenal after Iwabuchi wrestles the ball back in the box who pops the ball in and Hurtig’s header is in.
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43 min: Nobbs pops the ball in but Stierli clears, Miedema has a shot but it is blocked and then Catley runs the ball out of play. She believes that should have been a corner but it’s a goal kick. Iwabuchi wins them the corner just moments later, Mead takes it short but eventually punts it in but it’s out of play.
40 min: The screaming celebration from Nobbs just shows how much that means to her! After injury issues saw her miss out on the Euros this summer, a Champions League goal feels well deserved. Arsenal on the attack once more with build-up play.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Zurich (Nobbs, 38')
It’s Jordan Nobbs with an absolute stunner! Romero thought she had it covered but it’s a classic one touch finish.
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36 min: Mead makes a great run but Zurich are able to smother the attack. The visitors are giving away little to no space right now. Iwabuchi gets caught and wins a free kick with Bernauer getting a yellow card for the challenge.
34 min: Arsenal come forward again with Hurtig doing some great work around the box. They just aren’t able to pull the trigger into the box.
32 min: Arsenal are playing a lot in their own half at the moment and when they do get a chance it’s the final pass not coming off. Mead does really well to get away from two defenders but the cross is blocked. Corner to come and Wubben-Moy’s resulting header is wide.
30 min: The crowd are loud at the Emirates as they get behind their team. There’s a great ball to feed Mead but the England star is ruled offside.
29 min: Pinther does really well to get away from two defenders and Dubs has a shot, Marckese is able to collect.
27 min: Martiz has the thrown in but Nobbs hits it out of play, Romero clears but Arsenal are quickly back into the box. Hurtig has a shot but it just curves wide.
25 min: Vetterlein does well to dispossess Hurtig in the box and Reisen makes a great break. Beattie blocks and Arsenal wrestle back possession but this is proving to be tricky for the hosts to get chances to stick so far.
23 min: Iwabuchi wins a free kick on halfway and it’s taken short, they choose a build-up and Little wins Arsenal another free kick. They decide to run it back to Marckese but quickly get it through the players. Riesen blocks and concedes a corner. Mead takes the kick but it is headed away.
21 min: Iwabuchi makes a good break but Mead’s play through to the star has too much on it and Romero clears. Zurich confidently play from the back and their defence does not look shaken at all.
19 min: Romero is staying on after some concern, she is Zurich’s second choice keeper with their first choice injured. Play is back underway.
16 min: Mead is fouled by Bernauer and Arsenal have a free kick. Catley takes the kick with Beattie coming forward, Romero comes out and the two clash. The goalkeeper is down, I think she has been winded. There’s a break in play as she receives treatment.
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14 min: Little does well in the midfield to wrestle back possession, the captain is a irreplaceable in this team! Romero does well again to catch a resulting chance. Arsenal are dominating possession but they haven’t got a hold of this match yet.
12 min: Joseph has got in touch via email and entered the Starbursts debate, saying: “This talk of purple and green ones caught me off guard, but a quick search taught me that (a) y’all have purple (blackcurrant) and green (lemon/lime) instead of the red (cherry) and yellow (lemon) ones we have in the u.s., (b) yours are vegan, and (c) your wrappers are apparently edible. Mind: blown. Have you tried the u.s. ones? I like them well enough, but apparently they’re nothing near as good as u.k. ones.” I have never tried the US Starbursts but I want to! The cherry one sounds incredible! Back to the match, Stierli did really well to close down Miedema and stall another Arsenal attack.
10 min: Catley crosses in but Romero calmly collects. Zurich are doing well to quell any Arsenal chance at the moment, the visitors did manage to hold Juventus for 70 minutes last week – their defence is a tricky one to out manoeuvre.
8 min: Stierli takes a free kick after Wubben-Moy fouls but the resulting kick goes straight out of play. Arsenal now in possession and are being patient on the ball.
6 min: Hurtig works the ball well around the area but her cross is blocked. Little then fouls and gives away a free kick in Zurich’s half. But the kick is poor and Mead cuts out the pass. Arsenal are unable to capitalise on the play though, Miedema spending too much time on the ball when she should have taken the shot.
4 min: Arsenal win a free kick after Mead is fouled, it is in a great position too. Catley takes the kick and Beattie’s header is collected by Romero.
2 min: Zurich have been in possession and there’s an early chance! Marckese spills the ball but Maritz manages to clear. Arsenal with the ball now to try and settle in.
Kick-off! Arsenal 0-0 Zurich
Here we go! Can Arsenal continue their unbeaten run? They have not been defeated in 11 matches.
Becky has got in touch via email and she has said: “I’m at the Emirates tonight, looking forward to watching the women play and hoping the men bounce back on Sunday, as I’m coming to the game against Nottingham Forest too. Regarding Starbursts, I’m now confused - are you suggesting there are people who don’t think purple is the best and green the worst???” I know right! I am yet to meet someone who thinks green are the best, is there anyone out there who does?
It will be interesting to see how many people attend tonight’s match, the Women’s Super League’s attendance record was broken at the Emirates last month!
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Players are warming up at the Emirates! Just over 10 minutes to kick-off:
Barcelona’s match ended 4-1 against Rosengard with Lyon and Juventus finishing up 1-1. As well as Arsenal’s clash against Zurich, Benfica v Bayern Munich will also kick-off this evening.
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Jonas Eidevall is hoping to produce the same result they came up with against Lyon. He said: “We go game by game on how to apply ourselves as well as possible for every game to make things really simple. What potential and what ceilings do we have? We will have to find out. But if we do 100% in both preparation and execution, then we don’t have to regret anything. I think if you do that, then nights like that can happen in Lyon. It’s not a guarantee but it can happen.”
Chelsea continued their unbeaten run in the Women’s Champions League last night and they crushed Vllaznia 8-0. Sam Kerr became the first player in the tournament to score four goals in the group stage. To catch up on all the action, read here:
Arsenal player Frida Maanum, who starts from the bench this evening, says the club are up for the challenge against Zurich: “Every game now is important and we know what we did in Lyon. Then we have to build from there and it’s a completely different game tomorrow against Zurich and yeah, we just have to go out there and play our game. We know what we’re meeting tomorrow.”
So last night we discussed Jaffa Cakes and tonight I am digging into Starbursts. Which are your favourites? Purple are mine and the green ones are the absolute worst. Let me know via Twitter and email!
Two other matches kicked off earlier today in the tournament with Barcelona leading 2-1 against Rosengard thanks to two goals from Aitana Bonmati. Meanwhile in the other game in Arsenal’s group Lyon are drawing 1-1 Juventus, Lindsey Horan scored for Lyon and Melvine Malard’s own goal saw the Italian club equalise. Both are into the second half.
The team news is out! Star goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger is benched in favour of Kaylan Marckese, who makes her debut, and Vivianne Miedema gets her first start since Arsenal played Reading in the WSL.
Arsenal staring XI: Marckese, Maritz, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Catley, Nobbs, Little, Iwabuchi, Mead, Miedema, Hurtig.
Zurich have also revealed their starting squad.
Zurich starting XI: Romero, Riesen, Stierli, Vetterlein, Megroz, Dubs, Piubel, Bemauer, Pinther, Markou, Humm.
Preamble
Welcome back to our Women’s Champions League coverage and tonight we have Arsenal hosting Zurich!
The Gunners will look to continue their perfect record in the tournament as Arsenal demolished Lyon 5-1 last week! Arsenal will also become the second club ever to reach 100 appearances in the Women’s Champions League this evening.
Zurich, meanwhile, lost 2-0 to Juventus and so they will be seeking to cause an upset at the Emirates. There should be a big crowd with over 20,000 tickets sold for the fixture and team news will be out shortly.
Stay tuned for the updates with kick-off coming at 8pm.
