Arsenal 3 Zurich 1: Nobbs scores a stunner and Hurtig nets her first Gunners brace as WSL leaders thwart Zurich
JORDAN NOBBS belted in a wondergoal and capped her first Champions League start of the season in style as Arsenal survived a Zurich fightback.
Lina Hurtig bagged a brace as the Gunners marked their 100th game in the contest with a 3-0 victory at the Emirates.
Arsenal are now two points clear at the top of Group C after two wins in two games and a convincing victory watched by a 5,397-strong crowd.
They have been beaten just once in their last 14 games played at home with their last loss occurring against Chelsea in the FA Cup in April.
Meanwhile, former Gunners boss Joe Montemurro steered Juventus to a 1-1 draw with Lyon with the French giants third with just a point from two outings.
Jonas Eidevall made seven changes to the Arsenal side that hammered the tournament record winners 5-1 with Vivianne Miedema returning to his first 11.
The Gunners gaffer, whose team have played three games in eight days, gave starts to Nobbs, Mana Iwabuchi, and Hurtig who shone in her first start for the club.
Eidevall said: “I thought with us coming off a pretty tight playing schedule it was important for us to change the squad at this moment.
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“I expected Zurich to be a little bit lower but we had to work a little more to break them down.
“Jordan’s first goal was a prime example of her finding the right moment to go forward to attack.
“This game really came at a moment where we needed to trust the whole squad.
“It’s the Champions League so everything is at stake and I hope the players feel that and that trust in them.
“When you put players on in a Champions League game it’s because you trust them.
“I’ve been really happy with how people have been training and how the spirit has been.”
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Arsenal’s game took place hours after Gunners’ Prem centre-back Pablo Mari was flown to hospital after being stabbed at a supermarket in Milan.
The defender, 29, on loan at Serie A side Monza, is one of five people reported to have been attacked around 6:30 pm local time this evening.
Eidevall added: “He is at the hospital and is alright under very sad conditions.
“I hope he and all the other victims are as good as possible following this event.
“I hope they can all feel the love from the Arsenal family. No person should go through things like that.”
Germany legend Inka Grings, who with Beth Mead holds the record for the most goals scored at a Euros, said her Zurich side would do all they could to stress the in-form Gunners.
The last match between the clubs saw the Swiss side thrashed 7-2 by the WSL leaders in 2008 with Kim Little netting a hat-trick.
The Swiss outfit sought to frustrate their opponents from the get-go.
And for the first 36 minutes, they held out congesting space in the final third whilst intercepting and blocking passes when they could.
But their resistance was finally broken when Nobbs struck a stunning 37th-minute volleyed goal following a superb cross from Steph Catley.
Eidevall’s, aces who face West Ham next, doubled their advantage close to halftime with Iwabuchi teeing up Hurtig’s headed effort following some delightful footwork.
The second half saw Zurich look to pull one back quickly with Seraina Piubel firing wide after evading Jen Beattie.
And the forward, who has found the net five times so far this term eventually got her wish with 13 minutes of normal time remaining.
Her shot past keeper Kaylan Marckese sparked Zurich players’ celebrations on the touchline.
But their joy was shortlived as the hosts restored their two-goal advantage with Stina Blackstenius’ cross turned home by Hurtig.
And the Arsenal striker fired an injury-time effort over the bar before her side saw out the win.