Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League knockout phase after a narrow but industrious victory over Twente thanks to Beth Mead’s first-half finish.
Arsenal’s inconsistent form in the Champions League this season – two wins and two defeats – had placed extra importance on their final two games of the league phase with elimination from the competition not out of the question ahead of the penultimate matchday. They will have been well aware of the threats posed by the visitors who earned a point off Chelsea in their opener. While Corina Dekker’s side have only secured two points in the competition, they boast a developing group of young players who have been catching the eye.
The Gunners came into this encounter on the back of a confidence-boosting win over Liverpool in the league. Renée Slegers freshened things up with two changes with Victoria Pelova and Katie McCabe coming in for Emily Fox and Frida Maanum.
Dekker, meanwhile, has opted to keep her squad stable in this competition, having only made one change across their four games to date. She did, however, make two on this occasion after alluding to the growing fatigue in her squad ahead of the winter break. Imre Van der Vegt came into the backline while exciting Dutch youngster Eva Oude Elberink replaced Charlotte Hulst.
