Arsenal Women 6–0 Rangers Women
by Layth Yousif
at Meadow Park

IT IS NOT often a forward can hit four goals and still be upstaged somewhat, but that is what happened to Caitlin Foord, when shaded by outstanding colleague Mariona Caldentey, during Arsenal Women’s comprehensive Champions League 6-0 rout of Rangers. 

Despite the popular Australian notching four strikes, as Jonas Eidevall’s side moved one step closer to their goal of qualifying for the tournament’s group stages on Tuesday evening, Caldentey, Arsenal’s Majorca-born attacker, excelled in red and white. 

After the abject failure of last season, when suffering a knock-out at this stage, the Gunners were far more accomplished this time around, and powered by Caldentey’s astute promptings, Eidevall’s side eased past their Scottish opponents in front of 3,487 at a sold-out Meadow Park. 

With the memory of last season’s travails lingering, the home side started positively, dominating the early stages, with Caldentey looking particularly lively.

With Eidevall controversially discarding the legendary Viv Miedema, Caldentey, who signed on a free transfer in July following a trophy-laden decade at Barca, was superb as an influential playmaker, while providing so much more besides, including reassuring tenacity in heart of battle. 

Powerful, dogged and determined off the ball, stylish and creative with it, the 2023 World Cup winner provided an inch-perfect ball into the box for Foord to open the scoring, by nodding home at the near post to put the Gunners ahead on 16 minutes to make it 1-0, and puncture any incipient tension. 

The rampant home side could have doubled their lead when the vastly experienced former Barcelona forward sent the ball towards Kim Little in the box, but the ball was cleared.

Speaking after the match, Eidevall praised Caldentey, saying: “She went out wide. She hit some good crosses. she had some really good one v one situations,” adding: “That flexibility makes her a really difficult player to defend [against].

“We experienced that first hand when we were playing against Barcelona in the Champions League. 

“It sometimes felt like you were playing against 12 players because she keeps popping up and overloading areas. 

“It was nice to have that for us.”

The home side continued their relentless attacking after the break, when Little powered into the box, only for Olivia McLoughlin to block. 

However, the Gunners’ superiority was emphasised when Foord grabbed her second of the evening on 59 minutes, past the despairing dive of Victoria Esson in the Gers goal to make it 2-0. 

Worse was to come for the Glaswegians, when Alessia Russo made it 3-0 just sixty seconds later, when firing home from distance.

There was still time for Foord’s superb strike with 20 minutes remaining, with an outstanding effort to notch an excellent treble when firing a superb effort that underlined astonishing technique, prior to Little making it 5-0 from the penalty spot with five minutes remaining.

To the delight of the crowd, there was still time for Foord to grab her fourth, as the Gunners sealed the tie in style to make it half a dozen against their outgunned opponents.  

Eidevall said of four goal hero Foord: “A first goal is always nice because it gets us off to a great start. But her third goal and our fourth goal of the game — what a technical execution that is. 

“A stunning volley, and really nice football goal.”

Arsenal will now face Rosenborg back at Boreham Wood tomorrow, with the Norwegians surely noting the ominous form of Caldentey and Foord.