Arsenal's struggles continued as they suffered a 1-0 loss away to BK Hacken in the first leg of their Champions League Round 2 clash. Tabitha Tindell's second-half strike proved to be the decisive moment in a match that saw few clear-cut opportunities. Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall was left to lament his team's lack of creativity, with just four shots on target throughout the game. "It's always concerning in football when you're not efficient with your goalscoring chances," he noted. "If we take a broader view, it's a fair assessment of our inability to capitalize on opportunities. It's a mix of excellent goalkeeping and finishing that was on very thin margins... I'm confident that if we keep creating chances, we will score goals."
As the sun set over the Bravida Stadium in Gothenburg, Arsenal aimed to make significant progress towards returning to the Champions League Group Stage. Last season's Round 1 exit was a major disappointment, and they found themselves back in Sweden, the same country where they had suffered a disheartening defeat to Paris FC a year earlier. Eidevall's side had shown promise in the competition's opening round, scoring six goals without reply against Rangers before narrowly advancing 1-0 against Norway's Rosenborg. However, BK Hacken proved to be a formidable opponent, one that no team can afford to underestimate.
Eidevall described Hacken as "a brave team" who have demonstrated their ability to play their style of football against top sides. Last year, Hacken impressed in Europe, reaching the quarterfinals where they were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain, and currently sit second in the Damallsvenskan. Arsenal made three changes to the lineup that had featured at Meadow Park two weeks prior. Rosa Kafaji made her first start for the Gunners at her former home ground. The 21-year-old moved to London over the summer after spending two seasons with the Gothenburg-based side. Lotte Wubben-Moy joined central defense, while Beth Mead returned following a preseason injury.
Arsenal's recurring issue of failing to break down compact defenses and make the most of their possession was evident once again. The first half was lackluster in attack and inefficient, with little indication that a solution had been found. Meanwhile, 950 miles away in Paris, Vivianne Miedema was making her mark for her new club, scoring on her debut for Manchester City. Her former side could certainly have used her creative talents as they struggled to create any meaningful chances. Tame efforts from Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey were easily dealt with by Hacken's well-organized defense, who stuck to their game plan and caused problems through Clarissa Larisey on the counterattack. Kafaji came closest to breaking the deadlock, hitting the crossbar from an unmarked position, but Arsenal went into halftime with much work to do.
The second half saw Eidevall introduce attacking reinforcements in the form of Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, and Caitlin Foord, but the visitors continued to struggle with creativity. As the game progressed, Hacken's confidence grew, their speed on the counterattack causing Arsenal's backline significant concern. Larisey had a chance to score but fired into the side-netting. Ten minutes later, Tindell capitalized on an opportunity, clinically finishing past Manuela Zinsberger to the delight of the home fans. Hacken's resolute defense ensured they took a deserved first-leg lead, despite Arsenal hitting the crossbar again.
Arsenal now face a challenging period ahead of the return leg, with Eidevall emphasizing the need to move on. "This game is halftime," he stated. "Nothing was decided tonight. We take it back to London in front of our fans, and it's a different game. But now we need to park this match. We need to recover, refresh, and look forward to the game against Man City." He and his team recognize that improvement is essential if they are to compete on multiple fronts this year.
