Stina Blackstenius signs new Arsenal deal ahead of OL Lyonnes semi-final
Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius has signed a new contract ahead of Sunday’s Women’s Champions League semi-final first leg against OL Lyonnes at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners are aiming to secure back-to-back European titles after defeating Barcelona in last year’s final in Lisbon.
It was the Swedish international who scored the decisive winning goal on that famous night in Portugal.
The experienced attacker possesses a remarkable record in high-stakes matches, having scored in three of the four finals she has contested since joining the north London club.
“I really love to win with this team and I would do anything for that to happen,” the forward said.
“As a striker, you always want to score goals and in these big games, there’s something special about it.”
Confidence high despite underdog tag
Renee Slegers’ side enter the weekend with a formidable home record and unwavering belief.
They face a familiar foe in the eight-time European champions, having overcome a first-leg deficit to eliminate the French giants at the exact same stage last season.
The reigning champions are now viewed as the ultimate target for Europe’s elite, but their talismanic striker insists the squad feels no additional pressure.
“I wouldn’t say being the Champions League holders has changed anything,” she added.
“We know that we can achieve it and if we’ve done it once, we can for sure do it again.”
“When we play our best football, we’re always a team to count on.”
A blossoming attacking partnership
Central to Arsenal’s recent success has been the lethal combination of the Scandinavian star and her English team-mate Alessia Russo.
The Lionesses standout currently leads the competition’s scoring charts, having netted eight times in just 10 European appearances this term.
Their seamless tactical understanding has been nurtured by Arsenal assistant coach and legendary former striker Kelly Smith.
“She has played a big part of it working with us forwards,” the newly-retained attacker explained.
“We have so much time in training to work on the relationships and it works really well.”
