Arsenal look set to face Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals after the Gunners eased to a 4-0 win at OH Leuven in their play-off first leg.
Frida Maanum scored either side of half-time for the holders, while Olivia Smith netted for the second time in three days and Alessia Russo scored a fourth from the bench.
Arsenal were two goals up within 30 minutes when they beat Leuven on the final day of the league phase in December, and on Wednesday they made another fast start in Belgium.
Maanum put the European champions ahead in the 22nd minute with a flicked header into the bottom corner from Caitlin Foord’s cross.
Following her match-winning performance against Manchester City on Sunday, Smith again showed her striking instincts by evading her marker and meeting a low Chloe Kelly cross with a first-time finish.
Both scorers spurned great opportunities before the break, but Maanum put the result beyond doubt seven minutes into the second half when she converted from another Foord cross with a side-foot finish.
Russo was introduced on the hour mark and smashed in Arsenal’s fourth after Leuven goalkeeper Lowiese Seynhaeve failed to deal with Smilla Holmberg’s cross.
Leuven’s gameplan was to hit Arsenal on the break by playing balls in behind the visitors’ high defensive line, but Alixe Bosteel’s long-range effort in the second half – tipped over the bar by Daphne van Domselaar – was the closest they came to a goal.
“The players executed everything exactly as I asked, and that is very rewarding as a coach. I believe in this team and in these players,” said Gunners boss Renee Slegers.
“We expected Leuven to adopt a more defensive approach and we prepared accordingly. Everyone understood their roles.
“Leuven performed well, playing more directly in comparison to the December game. They have strong dribblers and physical players, but it is still the same team we played last time and we knew what to expect.”
Smith was booked late on for time wasting and will serve a one-match suspension. Shortly afterwards she was replaced by Kim Little, who made her 400th appearance for the Gunners.
Remarkably, Arsenal had not won the first leg of any of their past eight Champions League knockout ties before Wednesday’s match.
Renee Slegers’ side will take a commanding aggregate lead into next week’s second leg in London (18 February, 20:00 GMT kick-off), with the winner of the tie to meet Chelsea in the quarters.
