There will have been a sense of deja vu among the Gunners' players and the travelling fans as they repeated a trip they made less than two months ago for the final matchday of the league phase. On that occasion, Arsenal comfortably dispatched of their hosts in a 3-0 win and it was a similar story this time around, with an even better scoreline.
Great work from an extremely lively Caitlin Foord helped the visitors go ahead with 22 minutes played, as her cross was headed home by Maanum, and then it was good play from Chloe Kelly on the opposite wing that created the second. The England international was making her first start for club or country since limping off in the Lionesses win over Ghana in early December, but she looked sharp here, picking out Smith with a terrific cross before the Canadian matched it with an expert finish for 2-0.
There were plenty of chances for Arsenal to make it three before Maanum finally did early in the second half, after Foord again ran the Leuven defence ragged, and then Alessia Russo came off the bench to get in on the act, pouncing on Smilla Holmberg's deflected delivery to give the Gunners a four-goal advantage that no one will expect them to surrender in the second leg, to be played at home next Wednesday.
It means an all-English Champions League quarter-final is all-but-confirmed, with the first leg between Arsenal and Chelsea to take place in north London in late March.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Den Dreef...



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