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Women's Champions League | Group Stage
Oct 16, 2024 at 8pm UK
Emirates Stadium

Arsenal
4 - 1
Valerenga

Fox (2'), Foord (29'), Caldentey (85'), Russo (90+3')
Foord (67'), Codina (84')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Tvedten (35')
Thorsnes (18')

Preview: Arsenal Women vs. Valerenga Women - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Women's Champions League clash between Arsenal Women and Valerenga Women, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

On Wednesday, Arsenal Women will welcome Valerenga Women to the Emirates Stadium for their second match of the Women's Champions League group stage.

Arsenal fell to a heavy defeat in their group opener against Bayern Munich, while Valerenga were edged out by Italian giants Juventus.


Match preview

Arsenal Women's Caitlin Foord in action on October 12, 2024© Imago

Arsenal will head into the midweek fixture without a permanent manager after Arsenal confirmed on Tuesday morning that Jonas Eidevall had resigned from his position.

Eidevall had seen his side struggle to find their best form, with Arsenal's first nine competitive games producing four wins, two draws and three defeats.

The pressure had grown on Eidevall with a three-game winless run which saw the Gunners play out a goalless WSL draw against Everton and suffer a demoralising 5-2 away defeat against Bayern Munich in the Women's Champions League.

The Gunners fell to another loss in Saturday's crucial league clash against Chelsea, with Caitlin Foord's strike proving fruitless in a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

That narrow defeat ultimately proved to be the final match of Eidevall's tenure which lasted over three years and included back-to-back Women's League Cup triumphs in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Eidevall's assistant Renee Slegers has been placed in interim charge, and she will hope to oversee a successful outing Wednesday as Arsenal look to beat Norwegian opposition for the first time this season after previously getting better of Rosenborg in qualifying.

Valerenga Women's Janni Thomsen on October 12, 2024© Imago

Valerenga are the second Norwegian team to feature in the Women's Champions League group stage after successfully negotiating their way through qualifying.

They ousted Farul Constanta in the first round of qualifying, before claiming a 5-1 aggregate win over Anderlecht to seal their place in the main draw.

Unfortunately for Valerenga, their first-ever group match ended in disappointment as they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat in last week's home meeting with Italian giants Juventus.

Valerenga bounced back to record a 3-0 win in Saturday's home game against Lyn, leaving them nine points clear at the top of the Toppserien with just four matches left to play.

Nils Lexerod's side have won 12 of their last 13 matches in all competitions, but they will have their work cut out to take maximum points from a tricky game against Arsenal.

Arsenal Women Women's Champions League form:


Arsenal Women form (all competitions):


Valerenga Women Women's Champions League form:


Valerenga Women form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W


Team News

Arsenal Women's Frida Maanum reacts on September 22, 2024© Imago

The hosts are unable to call upon Laura Wienroither, Amanda Ilestedt, Victoria Pelova and Lina Hurtig.

Spain international Laia Codina could return to the Arsenal backline after dropping down to the bench at the weekend.

Slegers could also be tempted to start Kyra Cooney-Cross and Frida Maanum in a bid to freshen up his side amid a busy schedule.

As for the visitors, they remain without the services of long-term absentee Mimmi Lofwenius, who is working her way back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Goalkeeper Jalen Tompkins and defender Selma Pettersen are also set to miss out due to their respective injury issues.

Thea Bjelde will have to be assessed after she was forced off in the 25th minute of Saturday's league victory over Lyn.


Arsenal Women possible starting lineup:
Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Codina, McCabe; Walti, Cooney-Cross, Caldentey, Maanum, Foord; Russo

Valerenga Women possible starting lineup:
Enblom; Horte, Thorsnes, Olsen; Thomsen, Brekken, Vickus, Heidarsdottir; Godo, Tvedten, Saevik


SM words green background

We say: Arsenal Women 3-1 Valerenga Women

Arsenal may be short of confidence after failing to win any of their last three matches in all competitions, but they will still be favourites to get the better of Valerenga, and we think that they will live up to that tag by claiming a relatively comfortable victory on Wednesday.



For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.




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Written by
Ben Sully

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Game History

How you voted: Arsenal vs Valerenga

Arsenal Women
80.9%
Draw
14.9%
Valerenga Women
4.3%
47
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Arsenal Women attacker Caitlin Foord pictured in May 2024
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