How Arsenal's comeback queens achieved the unthinkable

Tears rolling down her face, remnants of golden and reddish confetti inactive disposable successful the background, Arsenal manager Renee Slegers could hardly judge what she had conscionable witnessed.

Moments earlier, her broadside lifted the Women's Champions League trophy for the archetypal clip successful 18 years, having won 1-0 successful Lisbon to stun European giants Barcelona.

It was an accomplishment that was hardly conceivable 9 months agone erstwhile Slegers was Arsenal's adjunct manager and they had mislaid the archetypal limb of their 2nd qualifying circular necktie with BK Hacken.

The glory was hard to comprehend and Slegers, usually truthful composed, could not forestall the outpouring of emotion.

Memories of Arsenal's historical triumph successful 2007 person dominated newspapers this week, portion Slegers' broadside joined members of that squad for luncheon to reminisce connected the peculiar occasion.

They defied the likelihood backmost past and knew it would instrumentality a near-miracle successful Portugal to assertion a 2nd title, seeking retired inspiration successful preparation.

Arsenal finished 3rd successful the Women's Super League past season, meaning they had to travel done 3 rounds of qualifying.

They are the archetypal squad successful Women's Champions League past to play 15 games earlier lifting the trophy.

Written off, titled the "underdogs" - adjacent Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati admitted she was "surprised" Arsenal had flooded Lyon successful the semi-finals - fewer truly gave Slegers' broadside a accidental against the defending champions.

With conscionable 1 triumph successful their opening 4 WSL matches of the season, their European hopes nether menace with decision by Bayern Munich and a increasing consciousness of unrest among the fanbase, erstwhile manager Jonas Eidevall had nary prime but to step down.

Players Katie McCabe and Leah Williamson person this week praised the Dutchwoman for "steadying the ship" astatine a clip erstwhile things were rocky.

The ambiance astatine Arsenal was acold from positive, players needed a assistance and Slegers had a large task up to crook things around. And crook things astir she did.

A 4-1 triumph implicit Valerenga got them started successful the radical stages and the results conscionable kept following.

Slegers took interim complaint successful October and it took the nine until mid-January to denote her arsenic manager connected a imperishable ground aft going unbeaten successful her archetypal 11 games successful complaint - winning 10 and drafting one.

As the play progressed, Arsenal's juggernaut gained momentum and the Gunners reached the knockout stages of the Champions League.

They took connected the mantle of 'comeback queens' aft falling to archetypal limb defeats against some Real Madrid and Lyon successful the 4th and semi-finals respectively, but against each likelihood they turned things astir to publication their spot successful Saturday's final.

Slegers and her broadside had already won successful immoderate ways - conscionable getting to the last had seemed retired of their scope and arsenic she stated successful her pre-final programme notes they had "done immoderate magical things" to get there.

Arsenal rolled retired the reddish carpet for the lawsuit arsenic co-owner Josh Kroenke flew successful from Denver and was alongside enforcement vice-chair Tim Lewis, managing manager Richard Garlick and manager of women's shot Clare Wheatley successful Lisbon.

Club legends were invited to articulation them, academy players sat successful the stands looking connected astatine their imaginable futures and astir 4,500 fans travelled from London.

Supporters had gathered connected Pink Street, a vibrant painted roadworthy adjacent Lisbon's harbour, decorated with colour and punctuated with noise.

Even England goalkeeper Mary Earps had flown in, sporting an Arsenal garment with her bully person Alessia Russo's sanction connected the back.

They were each present for a enactment but fewer had dared to imagination of victory.

Their task was to flooded a Barcelona broadside chasing a 3rd successive European title, a squad that has been wide branded arsenic the champion home broadside successful the satellite and boasted imaginable Ballon d'Or winners successful astir each position.

Barcelona rocked up afloat of assurance - understandably truthful - and went astir their concern arsenic usual. This was thing new, thing special, conscionable different final.

Arsenal however, had been increasing successful assurance nether Slegers.

Those astatine the nine talk of Slegers' calming influence, however she instilled a consciousness of empowerment and brought retired the champion of each of her players.

They person spoken astir feeling "free" and being capable to explicit themselves - astir of the pre-match media league comments from Russo and skipper Kim Little centred astir their "togetherness" and "belief".

Slegers is meticulous successful her planning. Little said they had tried to replicate Barcelona's movements successful grooming to enactment retired however to combat it. Several times they failed, until they recovered the solution.

"It was the cleanable execution of a gameplan which arsenic a footballer, is 1 of the champion things," said Little.

"It showed successful our performance. How we approached the crippled was precise controlled and past we had small pointers of content arsenic we knew we would request that."

Slegers did her homework. Earlier successful the week she spoke with Emma Hayes - the adjunct manager astatine Arsenal successful 2007 - idiosyncratic who has been to conflict with Barcelona connected galore occasions portion astatine Chelsea.

She had conversations with 2007-winning manager Vic Akers, portion her unit analysed each 3 of Barcelona's midfielders individually, moving retired the strengths and weaknesses of Bonmati, Alexia Putellas and Patri.

"There are not a batch of weaknesses astatine Barcelona. They are connected a precise precocious level. We looked astatine however we could exploit it successful the champion mode possible," said Slegers.

"We utilized each imaginable tools to disrupt them but enactment adjacent to what we wanted to do. The crippled absorption was cardinal to wherefore we won."

Despite each they person achieved against the likelihood this season, Slegers says the "scary thing" is that she believes determination is much to come.

"It means truthful overmuch for everyone who has built towards this but it besides means truthful overmuch for the future," she added.

"It motivates america and it shows what we are susceptible of. If you are portion of Arsenal you spell for trophies. That is what we privation to do."

Little admitted it whitethorn instrumentality days for their achievements to descend successful but the world of their occurrence could deed location connected Monday with the nine readying celebrations with fans extracurricular Emirates Stadium.

Their fanbase has developed importantly successful the 18 years it has taken Arsenal to replicate their European occurrence and it gives them a level to physique on.

With attendances averaging 29,000 astatine Emirates Stadium, the nine is readying for each their location Women's Super League matches to beryllium held determination adjacent season.

It would beryllium the adjacent measurement successful their maturation to grow women's shot with Arsenal's hierarchy hoping they tin usage it arsenic a gully to enlistee endowment successful the transportation window.

They person looked astatine their recruitment strategy - which has struggled astatine times to vie with WSL champions Chelsea's fiscal powerfulness - employing 4 pb scouts to screen much of the planetary endowment pool.

They identified a ace successful their pathway which has stunted the breakthrough of immoderate of their academy endowment and are present looking to usage the indebtedness strategy much efficiently.

But triumph successful Lisbon is simply a tangible illustration of what tin beryllium achieved erstwhile everything comes unneurotic - and Arsenal person nary intentions of lasting still.