In a cruel twist of fate, Arsenal’s Champions League dreams came to an abrupt end when Wolfsburg’s Pauline Bremer slotted the ball home in the dying minutes of extra time.
Going head-to-head right until the death of the game showed immense character and grit from the Gunners. Stina Blackstenius put the home side 1-0 up early doors but had to fight to get back into the game when Jill Roord and Alexandra Popp took the 2-1 lead for Wolfsburg at the hour mark. Jen Beattie’s header made it equal once more until Bremer’s late winner caused Arsenal heartbreak at the Emirates.
Jonas Eidevall said: “It's tough, no doubt about it. I think we’re allowed to hurt tonight, we’re allowed to feel empty but we’re also allowed to feel proud of the performance and for location and supporters. There are a lot of emotions right now.
“You can always make up a narrative when you know the results. I prefer not to do that. I think it’s really really small margins. It has to be very tight offside on our 2-1 goal. It's a very very close situation on the opportunity over time of course it hits the crossbar in the second half of overtime - it's small margins but that’s sports.
“We as a group, we came to the Champions League semi-finals and we’ve made it to the tiniest of margins with all the injuries we have, with all the challenges we have, and that is actually incredible. And I'm so proud of the players and the staff that they’re able to do that.
“It's a very even game so I think we did as good as we could.”
An early call for a penalty almost went against Lotte Wubben-Moy but luckily VAR ruled it out and the defender went out to have a blinding game, unphased. Until, with minutes left of the clock Wubben-Moy was caught out in possession, which led to Wolfsburg's winning goal, Eidevall said: “I told her to keep her head high, I told her there's no need to apologise, mistakes happen in football.
"We win as a team, we lose as a team, we're there for each other, we learn. It's part of the game, and she was absolutely fantastic if you look at tonight's total performance and lately as well and we’re there for each other when we get success but also when we get pain.”
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