Sometimes the result is the least important thing. A roaring wall of red erupted behind the goal and players and staff on the bench spilled down the sidelines as Arsenal scored late into extra time to retain their Continental League Cup title with a win against Chelsea. But it was the news that the midfielder Frida Maanum was conscious, stable and talking to the medical staff that really mattered.
Maanum’s off-the-ball collapse deep in injury time as the game stood at 0-0, the player seemingly unresponsive and requiring oxygen, was hugely concerning. The record crowd of 21,462 fans for the final were worried for the almost 10 minutes during which she was being treated. She exited on a stretcher, news arrived that she was stable, and Arsenal charged forward, grabbing a 116th-minute winner through Stina Blackstenius.
