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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Tom Garry

From Linköping to Lisbon: retracing Blackstenius’ steps to Arsenal hero status

Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius with the Women's Champions League trophy
Stina Blackstenius scored Arsenal’s winner in the Women’s Champions League final. She also scored in the winner in their 2024 League Cup final victory. Photograph: Armando França/AP

Of the many enduring images of Arsenal’s celebrations after their Women’s Champions League triumph against Barcelona, one in particular emphasised the magnitude and rarity of the contribution made by their goalscorer, Stina Blackstenius. The Arsenal striker was photographed holding the trophy aloft alongside Alex Scott, scorer of the only goal in their previous European final 18 years earlier. As the pair posed together, it hit home that Blackstenius had scored one of the two biggest goals in the club’s history.

The 29-year-old Sweden striker’s name will now be immortalised in Arsenal Women folklore and, despite predominantly playing as a substitute in the past two seasons, she has developed a knack for producing in the biggest moments, scoring the winning goal in both the 2023 and 2024 League Cup finals.

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