Renée Slegers’ side showed they can adapt against elite opposition, with London City Lionesses and OL Lyonnes next up in a demanding run.
Arsenal came back from the Camp Nou with an excellent 1-1 draw, having put so much energy into the battle. They showed real solidarity on the pitch, defending together as a team against wave after wave of Barcelona attacks.
Much has been said about the poor results in the WSL, and the table does not lie. So, this was a big test of the team’s credibility, a chance to see where they really stand against an elite side such as Barcelona, just as next week’s home game against OL Lyonnes will be.
Even if they rode their luck defensively at times, it was a mammoth defensive performance from the 11 players on the pitch.
Surprise starter Frida Maanum showed why she was selected at No 10. She is excellent at pressing and defending from the front.
Unlike in the vast majority of their WSL games, Arsenal did not dominate possession and instead relied on the counter-attack as their main threat.
As a result, there was a huge amount of running required to defend as a team. I can imagine the players’ GPS data went through the roof last night, and there will be plenty of tired legs today.
Rest is now a priority before the home game against London City Lionesses, which could decide whether Arsenal are still in the race for third place.
You could see why Caitlin Foord and Emily Fox were paired on the right wing on Thursday night. Both are monsters physically, with the engines to get up and down the pitch all game.
Fox was almost marking Esmee Brugts one-on-one during defensive phases, often very high up the pitch. Both were excellent.
On the left, however, the combination of Taylor Hinds and Lisa Baum did not work as well.
As a result, Caroline Graham Hansen was able to deliver plenty of crosses, make repeated runs and ultimately score Barcelona’s equaliser.
Arsenal never quite found the right balance on that side and it caused them a lot of problems.
In goal, Misa Rodriguez was excellent and was named player of the match. She also enjoyed a little luck, but that is part and parcel of football.
We also saw Alessia Russo back at No 9, paired with Maanum, who was making only her second start of the season, both of them in the Champions League.
There was no goal for Russo, but there was a huge amount of work and plenty of clever play as she tried to hold the ball up and give Arsenal a platform.
Kim Little and Georgia Stanway marshalled the midfield well, trying to maintain the team’s balance and plug holes as they appeared.
Leah Williamson and Steph Catley were solid defensively, even if their passing was occasionally a little iffy and caused a few scares.
They were under pressure throughout the game and delivered.
What is clear is that this team can compete with the very best in a one-off game, particularly when the match demands a different game plan from the usual one. There was no low block from Barcelona to break down.
I would not be surprised if Arsenal can raise their level again against OL Lyonnes in a week’s time.
The bigger question is whether they can do it consistently in the WSL against different tactics.
If they can maintain the same speed and intensity against low blocks, they should give themselves a much better chance of returning to winning ways.
Psychologically, this result should also be a huge boost for the team’s confidence.
The right tactics and the right amount of rotation will be needed against an ambitious London City Lionesses side who will certainly pose a serious threat with their attacking talent.
Arsenal will need to be at their best to take the three points.
They have just shown at Camp Nou that they are capable of it.
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