Mariona Caldentey’s 93rd-minute penalty earns Arsenal late win over HB Køge at Meadow Park
Mariona Caldentey’s 93rd-minute penalty delivered a win for Arsenal against HB Køge at Meadow Park in their Champions League opener on Tuesday night, providing visible relief among fans behind the goal.
Arsenal made eight changes from the side that salvaged a point against Manchester United deep into added time on Saturday, with only Leah Williamson, Steph Catley and Stina Blackstenius retaining their places for the European opener. Manager Renée Slegers’ puffed cheeks at full-time reflected the tension following another game in which Arsenal struggled to convert chances, and the team head into a trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday with questions over their finishing. Arsenal have five points from three WSL games after consecutive draws with Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
The match began with early tests for Køge goalkeeper Alberte Vingum, as Chloe Kelly cut onto her right foot and forced a fingertip save, and Frida Maanum lashed a shot two minutes later that Vingum pushed behind. From the bench Slegers shouted “pressure!” as Blackstenius harried a Køge centre-back, and Arsenal thought they had broken the deadlock in the 13th minute when Caitlin Foord set Taylor Hinds away and Kyra Cooney-Cross’ flick was turned in by Kelly; the video assistant referee intervened to penalise an offside Blackstenius for obstructing Vingum’s line of sight.
Køge arrived having progressed through qualifying with a 4-1 win over Riga, a 2-1 victory over Hearts in the second round and a 2-1 aggregate triumph over PSV Eindhoven to reach the league phase, and their progress was reflected in their half-time demeanour. Their coaching staff celebrated loudly at the break, and manager Kristian Mørch Rasmussen bellowed “good job in here” before tripping on a railing, drawing boos from the home fans; he then walked toward the dressing room with a finger to his lips to shush the crowd.
Stina Blackstenius was replaced by Alessia Russo at half-time, and Mariona Caldentey and new signing Lisa Baum entered just before the hour mark as Arsenal pushed for a breakthrough. Baum produced a promising bursting run that ended with a recovery tackle which forced a corner, and Arsenal finished the contest with 21 attempts to Køge’s four but only two efforts on target to the visitors’ one. Coverage of the match on Disney+ drew criticism from viewers at home for a bored studio dog and an unusual advert break while the game continued on the pitch.
The decisive moment came when Yukina Sakabe upended Selina Cerci in stoppage time and Caldentey stepped up to convert the spot-kick, ending the goalless stalemate and prompting relief in the stands. The late penalty proved to be the only successful finish for Arsenal after a match in which they dominated possession but repeatedly failed to find the net.
The narrow victory left more questions unanswered for Arsenal, and with Chelsea up next, nerves of another wasteful season will not settle.
