Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona: Stina Blackstenius fires Gunners to historic win in Women's Champions League final

Evening Standard

·24 May 2025

Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona: Stina Blackstenius fires Gunners to historic win in Women's Champions League final

Gunners hold on to win Europe’s biggest prize for the first time in 18 years

Stina Blackstenius scored the winner in the Women’s Champions League final

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Arsenal have been crowned champions of Europe after beating Barcelona in the 2025 Women’s Champions League final.

It is the Gunners’ first triumph in the competition since 2007 as they dethrone the holders and deny the dominant Spanish outfit from completing successive quadruples in the process.

The all-important moment came around 15 minutes from time as Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers saw her double substitution work wonders with Beth Mead playing a fantastic reverse pass for Stina Blackstenius to open the scoring.

As expected, Barcelona piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser but to no avail as they relinquished their hold on European football’s biggest prize which had been in their possession for two years.

It was goalless at the break, but not for the lack of attempts - particularly from Arsenal as captain Kim Little, Chloe Kelly and Caitlin Foord all sent efforts wide, whilst Frida Maanum saw a 35-yard shot tipped over the bar by Catalina Tomàs Coll.

Speaking of Maanum, she was at the heart of the move that put the Gunners ahead - or so they thought.

Having found herself in acres of space on the right wing, she sent in a dangerous low cross which was diverted into her own net by Barcelona defender Irene Paredes.

However, an offside check showed Maanum had gone too early and therefore the goal was correctly disallowed.

Barca were kept largely quiet in the first-half but improved in the second half with Clàudia Pina seeing a deflected effort loop onto the crossbar. Though for all their possession, they did not have enough to break down a resolute Arsenal defence,