Mariona Caldentey rescues wasteful Arsenal as Gunners edge past HB Koge in Women's Champions League opener

The Gunners were almost frustrated throughout the contest by Koge's resolute defensive block despite dictating possession from the outset. The hosts thought they had made the breakthrough when Chloe Kelly found the net, only for the strike to be chalked off as Stina Blackstenius was deemed offside and obstructing the goalkeeper's eyeline. Arsenal's relentless pressure finally paid off deep into stoppage time when a foul on Selina Cerci allowed Caldentey to convert a clinical penalty.

The dramatic victory highlighted just how demanding it was to breach the disciplined Danish outfit on the European stage.

Reflecting on her side's late persistence, Arsenal defender Steph Catley told Disney+: "It was a pretty crazy five minutes. It's football sometimes and we left it late. It's tough at the moment and in the Champions League there are no easy games. They defended great, we didn't score early and it didn't come until the end.

"In the Champions League you never think it's an easy day. I was expecting a tough game and it became really difficult but credit to the girls, they did everything and Mariona [Caldentey] was very calm in that moment."

Highlighting Cerci's decisive contribution in winning the spot-kick, Catley added: "I'm never in doubt when she is on the ball. You always felt she [Caldentey] was going to score. Selina [Cerci] made a big impact dribbling into the box."

The narrow scoreline underlines Arsenal's recurring problems in front of goal, having previously laboured to frustrating stalemates against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

Addressing their continuing lack of cutting edge despite territorial dominance, Catley expanded to Disney+: "It's hard to put your finger on it [what is going wrong], it is a bit of a slog and the goals are not coming as freely as they have in the past. It's not a lack of trying, we're doing everything we can to put the ball into the back of the net.

"Sometimes it does not feel easy and that's where we are at but we're working hard every day trying to fix it. We have great history in this competition and it's important we are in it every year and challenging to win. We have a real belief that we can go on and win it. It's a long season and we're working really hard so to get the wins early on is very important."

Renee Slegers must quickly address her side's wastefulness before facing London rivals Chelsea in the Women's Super League this weekend. Their European path also becomes significantly steeper, with a testing trip to Camp Nou against Barcelona and an encounter with French giants Lyon on the horizon. Sharpening their efficiency in the final third remains essential if Arsenal are to stay competitive on all fronts.