How Blackstenius and Russo delivered perfect performances to down Chelsea
The Arsenal duo were critical to Gunners' 3-1 victory in Champions League quarter-final first leg
Arsenal have struck the first blow in this season’s all-London Champions League quarter-final tie, beating Chelsea 3-1 at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
In a game that provided a great advert for what the WSL can offer, and a not-so-great advert for Uefa’s officiating, it was Arsenal’s centre-forward duo of Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius that stole the show on the pitch.
After a dominant start to the match from Chelsea, Arsenal’s first real moment of danger came from Russo displaying the sort of link-up play for which she is famed. In the 15th minute, with Keira Walsh out of position following a turnover in possession, Russo is in space to receive on the turn, carrying the ball into the final third and playing the pass to Beth Mead.
In this situation, we see Blackstenius displaying the ying to Russo’s yang, with the Swede playing on the shoulder of Kadeisha Buchanan and stealing a march on her marker. On this occasion, Arsenal have to settle for a corner thanks to a sharp intervention from Veerle Buurman, but the manner in which the distinct qualities of Blackstenius and Russo caused Chelsea problems would be a sign of what was to come.
Arsenal have struck the first blow in this season’s all-London Champions League quarter-final tie, beating Chelsea 3-1 at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
In a game that provided a great advert for what the WSL can offer, and a not-so-great advert for Uefa’s officiating, it was Arsenal’s centre-forward duo of Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius that stole the show on the pitch.
After a dominant start to the match from Chelsea, Arsenal’s first real moment of danger came from Russo displaying the sort of link-up play for which she is famed. In the 15th minute, with Keira Walsh out of position following a turnover in possession, Russo is in space to receive on the turn, carrying the ball into the final third and playing the pass to Beth Mead.
In this situation, we see Blackstenius displaying the ying to Russo’s yang, with the Swede playing on the shoulder of Kadeisha Buchanan and stealing a march on her marker. On this occasion, Arsenal have to settle for a corner thanks to a sharp intervention from Veerle Buurman, but the manner in which the distinct qualities of Blackstenius and Russo caused Chelsea problems would be a sign of what was to come.
The move above was an example of Russo and Blackstenius playing the sort of roles you would typically expect from them, but something that really elevated the performances of both players was the technical and tactical diversity displayed by both. An underrated development in Blackstenius’ game this season has been her ability to hold the ball up, and this was on display on Tuesday night.
In the image below, we can see her control the ball well after Lotte Wubben-Moy fizzes in a pass between the lines, holding off Buchanan in the process. From there, she prods the ball between the legs of Walsh, who was tasked with plugging the sort of gaps in the Chelsea midfield that Arsenal had exploited so well in their WSL win at Stamford Bridge in January. She then plays the ball to Mead who is once again playing the role of ‘wide receiver’.
Mead returns the ball to Blackstenius, and the move eventually ends when Buchanan picks up a fortunate foul called on her just as the Swede is bearing down on Hannah Hampton’s goal.
After the match, Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor referenced the period between the 20th and 30th minute as the only stage of the match where she felt Arsenal were in control of proceedings, and it is no coincidence that Blackstenius and Russo were at the heart of so much of Arsenal’s play during this time, not least when the former heads home the opening goal of the night on 22 minutes .
Below, we see Blackstenius taking the ball down and once again getting the better of Buchanan, before carrying the ball centrally and eventually drawing a foul that sees Lauren James booked. Ahead of her, it’s Russo that fills the Stina-shaped hole in the No 9 position by making a forward run.
From the resulting free kick, Blackstenius once again shows her all-round qualities, stretching the Chelsea backline, bringing the ball down, and laying the ball off for Mead in a move that eventually results in a Mariona Caldentey shot inside the box.
A couple of minutes later, we see Blackstenius and Russo dovetailing once again. The Swede blends strength and technique, holding off Naomi Girma and flicking the ball to Russo. Russo then plays the ball to Emily Fox before moving into the right channel; receiving the ball back from her right-back and driving a low cross into the box, which Blackstenius is able to get on the end of, forcing a save from Hampton.
What we see in the build-up to Arsenal’s second goal will be more familiar to Gunners fans, with Russo displaying some trademark link-up play. Receiving the ball in the centre of pitch, Russo gets the better of Walsh, outmuscling her and turning away from pressure, before driving a pass out to Mead on the right as Arsenal look to hit Chelsea on the break. The rest of the goal is all about Chloe Kelly, who rifles the ball in from distance with the sort of long-range strike we have come to expect from the player, but the value of Russo in buildup here is clear to see.
After this two goal salvo, Chelsea enjoyed a better spell in the match, and were controversially denied a goal to reduce the deficit before the break. The second half was generally more controlled from the Gunners, with a moment of pure brilliance from James required to break down a resolute central defensive pairing of Wubben-Moy and the deputising Katie McCabe, who both put in stellar performances in the heart of the Arsenal defence. With James having reduced the arrears to leave the tie on a knife-edge, Arsenal’s blonde ponytail centre-forward duo once again came to the rescue.
In keeping with her general performance on the night, Blackstenius can be found doing the dirty work in the build-up to the goal. Latching onto a ball between the lines following a smart bit of improvisation from the prone McCabe, the Swede shows great composure to pause, get her head up, and play a through-ball to Russo.
From here, the England international still has a lot to do. With Lucy Bronze closing in, Arsenal’s number 23 flicks the ball up with the outside of her right boot, before firing in a low, driven snapshot along the greasy playing surface before Hampton can fully react. It is this combination of quick-thinking and technical excellence that shows just why Russo is such a highly-regarded player, and she now has another iconic Champions League goal to add to her catalogue.
There is no doubt that Arsenal are now in the driving seat of the tie, with a two-goal lead to take to Stamford Bridge next Wednesday, but there is no room for complacency. This match was ultimately defined by Arsenal maximising their best moments in an otherwise even contest.
Before the two sides lock horns again, Arsenal have the small matter of a north London derby to attend to, where they will face an improving Tottenham side who frustrated them in the reverse fixture’s goalless draw. The Gunners’ end of season run-in is starting to take a positive shape, but the overall picture will become a lot clearer in eight days time.
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