ARSENAL SLIPPED to a frustrating 1-0 defeat at Hacken in their Champions League second-round match.
Following a cagey start, the Gunners had two notable first-half chances through former Hacken forward Rosa Kafaji, including a great strike which rattled the crossbar.
They continued to be thwarted by some solid defending after the break, but Hacken took their chance in the 77th minute when Tabitha Tindell fired them ahead.
Ireland international Katie McCabe completed 90 minutes but could not inspire a comeback.
Victory means the Swedish side take a slender advantage into the second leg at Meadow Park next week.
Arsenal grew into the game with some neat moves around the box and Jennifer Falk made her first save of the evening when she caught Alessia Russo’s looping header from a corner.
Russo threatened again moments later after making a smart turn from Kyra Cooney-Cross’s pass through the middle but she could only shoot just wide of the post. The Gunners came close again when Kafaji fired over the bar.
The hosts then scrambled the ball away in the area when Mariona Caldentey was played through the centre and Kafaji had another great chance when a cross from the right bobbled through to her on the edge of the box, but the forward was dispossessed.
Hacken threatened on the break when Clarissa Larisey’s heavy touch was saved by Manuela Zinsberger and the same player had a shot blocked minutes later.
Arsenal’s best chance of the half came in the 33rd minute after a mistake at the back allowed an unmarked Kafaji to break through, but her shot smashed off the crossbar before being hastily cleared.
Hacken conceded an indirect free-kick early in the second half, but the Gunners were unable to bundle Beth Mead’s low cross into the net.
They continued to be frustrated when a cross came into an unmarked Mead in the six-yard area but her header smashed off Falk’s face at point-blank range and Russo then had a header easily taken by the goalkeeper.
The hosts had another good chance in the 65th minute when a brilliant pass from Johanna Fossdalsa allowed Larisey to burst through the Arsenal back line, but she blasted her shot into the side-netting.
Hacken found the breakthrough in the 77th minute after Anna Anvegard’s superb cross-field pass found Tindell on the right flank and she charged forward before coolly slotting the ball past Zinsberger and into the bottom corner.
Arsenal continued to press in the final stages and came incredibly close in stoppage time when Falk tipped Frida Maanum’s powerful low effort wide before the Norway international had a header bounce off the bar in the final seconds.
Meanwhile, Vivianne Miedema netted a debut goal and Jess Park scored twice as Manchester City brushed off Khadija Shaw’s unintended absence to thrash Paris FC 5-0 in their season-opening Champions League qualifier.
It was a memorable night for Ireland U17 international Eve O’Carroll, who made the bench for City.
City’s hopes of reaching the group stage for the first time in four seasons got off to a rocky start when it emerged that Shaw had not obtained the necessary visa to travel for the first leg — reportedly due to a late application — but things went more smoothly on the field.
Miedema, a huge summer signing from rivals Arsenal, took just 36 minutes to open her account for Gareth Taylor’s side and Park added a second two minutes later.
Mary Fowler continued the scoring after half-time, Park grabbed her second just before the hour mark and Chloe Kelly stepped off the bench to render the second leg moot.
The PA news agency understands no further hiccups are expected when it comes to Shaw’s visa situation for away games and last year’s WSL player of the season will now begin her partnership with Miedema against the latter’s former club on Sunday.
City were slightly slow to get started, with a couple of loose touches allowing the lively Clara Mateo into the game. But Mateo was also short of sharpness, giving new City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita an easy save early on before seeing Alex Greenwood shut down her second chance.
The opening half-hour was short on inspiration despite City looking comfortable but, once the deadlock was finally broken, City ran in two goals back-to-back.
Miedema had made little impression but seized her first opportunity, sniffing out Park’s pass and slamming home on the half-volley to begin her three-year deal in style.
Park went from creator to finisher moments later, popping up at close range from the corner of another debutant, Aoba Fujino, to double the lead. It could have been three before the break but Fujino only had herself to blame after being teed up in return by Miedema.
Taylor sniped a third four minutes after the restart, dispossessing goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and converting unchallenged, and Park was just as alert when Lauren Hemp’s effort was parried back into her path.
Miedema was among a handful of substitutions as Taylor shuffled his deck in the closing stages and one of the replacements, Kelly, completed the rout by latching on when Hemp’s shot cannoned off the post.
Next week’s return fixture can already be chalked up as a near formality, allowing the club to begin making plans for a full European campaign.
