There is a palpable sense of déjà vu surrounding Arsenal at the moment. Not only have both of the club's senior squads reached the semi‑final stage of the UEFA Champions League, but the women’s side are set to meet Olympique Lyonnais once again in the tournament’s final four, marking a second consecutive year of this high‑profile showdown.
The Gunners are on a quest for back‑to‑back European crowns after clinching the title in Lisbon last season, where they defeated Barcelona in a dramatic final. The decisive goal in that match was netted by Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius, a player who seems to thrive when the stakes are highest. Blackstenius has built a reputation for delivering in crucial moments.
In fact, she has featured in four Champions League finals for Arsenal and found the back of the net in three of those encounters, helping the club secure victory each time. "I really love to win with this team. I would do anything for that to happen," she told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview ahead of the first leg of the semi‑final at the Emirates Stadium. "As a striker, you always want to score goals and in these big games, there's something special about it." Under the guidance of head coach René Slegers, Arsenal have cultivated an impressive home record that fuels their confidence heading into the upcoming tie, even though they suffered a first‑leg defeat in the previous year’s semi‑final before overturning the result on French soil against the eight‑time European champions.
That comeback epitomised the narrative of Arsenal’s recent ascendancy: a squad that was once dismissed as underdogs now finds itself the team to beat. When asked whether holding the Champions League title had altered the team’s mindset, Blackstenius replied, "I wouldn't say it's changed anything.
We know we can achieve it and if we've done it once, we can certainly do it again. That is the confidence we have in this team, but I don't feel that we play with more pressure now than last season. We still try to work really hard to achieve this.
We know that we want to play in the final and that's the only goal we have." She added that the experience gained from last season’s triumph has been invaluable. "We have grown so much from what we achieved last year. We didn't always get the best result, but we came back against Real Madrid and OL Lyonne away as well, so that gave us a lot of confidence. When we play our best football, we're always a team to count on." Arsenal’s attacking firepower this campaign is further bolstered by Alessia Russo, who currently tops the Champions League scoring chart with eight goals in ten matches.
The partnership between Blackstenius and Russo has been a revelation, with both forwards delivering some of the finest football of their careers. Their synergy can be partly credited to the influence of assistant coach and former England striker Kelly Smith, whose expertise with attacking players has helped refine their interplay.
"She [Smith] has played a big part of it working with us forwards. We have so much time in training to work on the relationships and it works really well," Blackstenius explained. "We are different players, and we can give the team different things.
That's the quality we have in this team and that's what makes us really good as well because we all give something different, which can be good against different teams." She continued, "Alessia and I complement each other. I've always been a player that wants to run deep and try to stretch the line, make the runs in the box to create space for myself and for everyone around me. I see that as my role, and I'm more than happy with that.
Alessia has so many qualities in the way she plays as well, she's really good with the ball, really good with setting up players in good situations, so we can really help each other in that way and make it as hard as possible for the defensive line. I enjoy playing with her very much and want to see if we can keep improving even more." Recognising the value of this dynamic duo, Arsenal moved quickly to secure Blackstenius on a new contract earlier this week, emphasizing that having multiple attacking options is a strategic advantage for the squad.
"It's a really special club in so many ways," Blackstenius reflected. "Since I joined four and a half years ago, so much has happened.
It's such a fun league to play in and with the supporters we have, it's such a good group of girls, good staff and everything around this environment feels like home. We also want to go for silverware and compete in every competition we're in. I feel like we keep growing and that's a big part as well, that you can see where it's about to go." Looking ahead, the Gunners could soon find themselves travelling to Oslo, where the Champions League final is scheduled for 23 May. Given Blackstenius’s knack for stepping up when it matters most, it would not be surprising to see her play a pivotal role in guiding Arsenal to that stage.
Beyond the pitch, the excitement surrounding women’s football continues to rise, with broadcasters offering free highlights and streaming options that make the sport more accessible than ever. As Arsenal push forward, the blend of experience, talent, and unwavering belief positions them as a formidable contender for another historic European triumph.