Arsenal have been crowned champions of Europe once again after a stunning 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final on Saturday night. The win marks the Gunners’ first European title in 18 years, and caps a fairy-tale return to the top for defender Leah Williamson — who was just 10 years old and a mascot the last time the club lifted the trophy.
Facing a Barcelona side that had dominated the competition in recent years — including back-to-back titles and four wins in five seasons — Arsenal entered the match as firm underdogs. The Spanish giants had scored 44 goals on their path to the final and were appearing in their fifth straight decider.
“We knew that we were the underdogs and it’s rare that you get to play in a game when there’s so little pressure on you,” Williamson said after the match. “So we just went out and we said we were going to enjoy it.”
That fearless mindset paid off. Stina Blackstenius, introduced as a substitute in the second half, proved the match-winner in the 74th minute. The Swedish forward latched onto a reverse pass from Beth Mead, controlled the ball with a neat first touch, and buried a low shot across goal and into the net. It was her second dangerous chance in just minutes on the pitch, having earlier forced a save from Barcelona keeper Cata Coll.
Barcelona threw everything forward in response, firing 14 shots in the second half alone. But Arsenal’s defense, marshaled by Williamson and backed by a heroic performance from goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, held firm.
“It’s probably the hardest game we’ve played so far,” said Arsenal manager Renée Slegers. “With all the quality Barcelona has, with all their rotations and individual threats, the players had to make decisions every single second on the pitch.”
There was late drama when seven minutes of stoppage time were added, but Arsenal stood tall to see out the win in front of thousands of traveling supporters in Lisbon.
Barcelona had earlier thought they might have gone behind in the first half when Irene Paredes inadvertently knocked the ball into her own net. However, VAR intervened and the goal was chalked off for offside.
After the match, Barcelona midfielder and Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí admitted the team had not been at their best. “We weren’t at our level, but we gave all we had,” she said. “Sometimes football punishes you. We need to use this to come back stronger.”
For Arsenal, the victory is not just a triumph over Europe’s most dominant team, but also a celebration of patience, resilience, and belief — 18 years in the making.
