It took Alessia Russo just 14 minutes to show the rest of the world why she is one of the most in-demand strikers in women’s football.
Arsenal were trailing by two goals against Real Madrid going into the second leg of their quarter-final tie at the Emirates, and their hopes of lifting a first Champions League trophy in 18 years were gradually fading into the distance.
Forty-five seconds after the second-half whistle blew, Russo came out swinging. First, she raised a hand when she saw Chloe Kelly with the ball on the edge of the area. Kelly didn’t need asking twice, firing the ball into the box with a perfectly weighted pass for Russo to run onto and tap home first time.
Moments later, Russo paced it into the box and blocked off a Madrid defender, freeing up the space behind her for Mariona Caldentey to run into, and the Spanish World Cup winner converted.
Finally, Russo saved the best until last. Katie McCabe curled a free-kick into the box, and a ricochet off a Madrid player’s head diverted Russo’s way. Half-falling, half-stretching, Russo reached out, her boot connecting cleanly as she blasted the ball into the roof of the net. Finally, the 26-year-old allowed herself to celebrate.
Russo burst into the spotlight with the Lionesses during the 2022 Euros-winning campaign, coming on as an impact sub alongside her Manchester United team-mate Ella Toone, the two having a telepathic relationship both on and off the pitch. Russo has previously described how she felt firmly within her comfort zone at United – and the Arsenal move disrupted this.
Arsenal travel to Lyon on Sunday seeking to overturn their one-goal deficit in the semi-final
Alessia Russo made her name with the Lionesses during the 2022 Euros-winning campaign, coming on as an impact sub alongside her Man United team-mate Ella Toone
Russo has previously described how she felt firmly within her comfort zone at Man United
Despite a slow start to life in north London, there was always an underlying sense that the goals would come as she and the team took time to settle in and develop their connections on the pitch. She ended up delivering 12 goals in the top flight by the end of her first season with the Gunners, second behind only Manchester City’s prolific Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.
Since Renee Slegers took over from Jonas Eidevall in the early stages of this season, Russo’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric, as her all-round game improved, too. Her ability to hold up the ball enables her team to build their attacks quickly around her, and Arsenal have netted more goals than any other side in the WSL this season with Russo as their top scorer – a considerable feat given their early woes under Eidevall.
And a neat little partnership has begun to emerge with Chloe Kelly – who herself has come on leaps and bounds since making the swap from Manchester for London in January this year.
Those connected with the club say that Kelly’s friendships with Arsenal’s strong Lionesses contingent have helped her settle in and hit the ground running, and she has begun to bring out the best in her teammates around her, too – including with Russo.
When Russo withdrew from the England camp at the beginning of this month with an ankle injury, there was an immediate sense that Arsenal’s Champions League hopes had been severely damaged.
But it’s understood that Russo left club doctors impressed with how quickly she worked to get back in time for the first leg of their semi-final clash with Lyon – which they trail 1-0.
Away from the pitch, the word that follows Russo around is respect. Respect for her teammates, respect for the coaching staff. ‘Work hard’ is her mantra, and she shows this both on and off the pitch, with her tireless running and out-of-possession work rate contributing to Arsenal’s success under Slegers.
Regardless of what happens next, Arsenal can still be proud of the season they have had after their opening games, when they sat sixth in the WSL and had faced a heavy beating by Bayern Munich in the group stage – which was the final straw that broke the camel’s back in leading Eidevall to the door.
Russo has formed a neat little partnership with Chloe Kelly – who herself has come on leaps and bounds since making the swap from Manchester for London in January this year
Since Renee Slegers took over from Jonas Eidevall in October, Russo’s rise has been meteoric
Since then, they have clambered above both Manchester sides into second place and into a Champions League qualification spot and have put on a respectable run in Europe’s elite competition, making it to the semi-final with memorable wins in the reverse fixture against Bayern Munich, as well as that Real Madrid triumphant comeback.
Next, they set their sights on Lyon, who have successfully made it past their last 11 consecutive semi-finals. The Premiere League leaders did not look infallible in the first leg, though, with the emphasis being more on Arsenal’s wastefulness rather than their own dominance.
In terms of the stats, Arsenal did everything correct in the first half of their semi-final tie. They dominated possession, had more shots than Lyon with just as many on target, and almost twice the amount of touches inside their box.
And if Russo’s bar-clanging effort before the break had dipped a couple of inches, then the story could have looked very different going into Sunday’s match.
And with their largest-ever travelling contingent for a European away game – and Russo leading the line – the Gunners still have every reason to believe this could be their moment.
