Foord fires as Arsenal hammer Juventus

November 12, 2024 journo

Arsenal have taken a huge step towards progressing to the quarterfinals of the Champions League with Caitlin Foord continuing her goalscoring form in the premier women’s club competition.

The striker, one of three Matildas in the Gunners’ squad, played the perfect angled pass to Frida Maanum for Arsenal’s opening goal.

She then finished off an impressive 4-0 win at Juventus, arriving to meet a low cross from Australian teammate Kyra Cooney-Cross in the 87th minute.

That was her sixth goal this season in the European campaign.

With both sides having lost to German giants Bayern Munich and beaten Norwegian minnows Valerenga, this had quickly shaped up as the key fixture in Group C.

Arsenal withstood early pressure before gradually taking control, being rewarded when Foord slipped in Maanum for the opener after 38 minutes after a neat build-up.

Besides Foord, Stina Blackstenius and Mariona Caldentey also scored in the closing 15 minutes to secure a victory in Biella, 80km north-east of their opponents’ traditional Turin base.

Along with Foord and Cooney-Cross, who came on as a late substitute, Steph Catley also played for the WSL side.

The result moved the Gunners momentarily level with Bayern, who beat Valerenga 3-0 later on Tuesday night to go back to the top of Group C, but more crucially three points ahead of Juventus, who have yet to go to London.

In Group D, two-time defending champions Barcelona beat St. Poelten of Austria 7-0 to draw level with Manchester City ahead of the English club’s home match with Sweden’s Hammarby.

However City, who had two more Matildas in Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy in their starting XI, re-established their three-point advantage with a 2-0 victory over the Swedes.

Fowler provided the assist for City’s opening goal, scored by English midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown just after half-time, before Japanese striker Aoba Fujino made sure of the win to maintain City’s unbeaten start.

AAP/ABC