‘A magical high in rollercoaster Arsenal campaign’

How did Arsenal manage to win the Women’s Champions League semi-finals and what they needed to do special.

Perhaps the most significant outcome under manager Renee Slegers so far was the 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, which gave them a 3-2 aggregate lead.

Arsenal’s season looked set to be a huge disappointment six months ago when she took over as interim manager under Jonas Eidevall.

They are now among the elite, and they are gearing up to face legendary eight-time European champions Lyon, who are being led by former Arsenal boss Joe Montemurro, in a quest for a place in the final.

Slegers emphasized that it is crucial for both the club and the players. They join Arsenal because they want to advance in competitions, triumph, and compete on the biggest stage.

It’s therefore crucial to us. We are entering the semi-finals, and I’m very pleased with the outcome.

Alessia Russo scored twice and had two more goals for offside when the ball was in the sky at Emirates Stadium.

In a brutal second-half display that saw the Gunners score three goals in 13 minutes, England team-mate Chloe Kelly added two assists and Spain forward Mariona Caldentey added one more.

In the quarter-finals of the competition, Arsenal had previously overturned a two-goal deficit against Torres in 2004, where they had lost 2-0 away before winning 4-1 at home. This is only the second time a team has done so.

On BBC Radio 5 Live, Steph Houghton, a former England captain, stated, “It’s without a doubt that Arsenal team ran all over Real Madrid.”

As the players walked around the pitch receiving their deserved plaudits, the fans were dancing and waving scarves at full-time.

The Gunners’ entire performance had been a complete turnaround from their ebullient performance in Spain a week prior, when they lost with a 2-0 lead.

With Kelly’s teasing balls, Real Madrid’s defense was tested, and they could rely on Russo’s sharpness in front of goal.

Karen Bardsley, an ex-England goalkeeper, described the game plan on 5 Live as “electrifying; a masterful gameplan from Renee Slegers and well executed by the Arsenal players.” They had to make a decision.

They had a lot of opportunities in the first half, and they were able to capitalize on them in the second, they said. There was nothing left in Real Madrid.

At Emirates Stadium, there have been plenty of success stories for Arsenal. However, this was a fantastic high in a rollercoaster campaign, and it will be remembered as they advance to their eighth semi-final appearance.

Slegers’ first success as interim manager came in this competition when Arsenal defeated Valerenga 4-1. Eidevall left the day after taking over.

Then, after claiming their spot in the last four, Slegers acknowledged this was “probably the clearest” example of their character to fight back, which at the time seemed tiresome.

She continued, “We have done really good things before, coming back from bad losses and putting up strong performances against top teams.”

Russo could have been forgiven for feeling frustrated at full-time because he had just scored his first Arsenal hat-trick.

She had two goals scored for offside as a result of two video assistant referee (VAR) interventions, either side of a missed opportunity to play one-on-one with visiting goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez.

The England forward, however, expressed surprise at the breakup and claimed that the idea of joining the quartet had “not yet sunk in”.

Russo told BBC Sport, “It just doesn’t get old; the result, the fans, the Emirates.”

“We were disappointed when we arrived in Madrid, but we knew what we needed to do and the belief we shared. It quickly turned into fire as a result of the disappointment.

Her contribution, along with that of team-mate Kelly, was crucial to Arsenal’s brave comeback, according to Houghton, who attributed it to Russo’s “maturity.”

She now has her best goalscoring season to date, with six goals and 17 in all competitions. She is now the top scorer in the Champions League.

She received a lot of criticism at the start of the season, according to Houghton, who thought she was doing too much work for the team because she wasn’t selfish enough as a striker.

She displayed real maturity in her performance [at Real Madrid]]. Nearly everything she touched was hidden on the internet.