Rosa Kafaji – back on the old home arena – set an Arsenal-like situation on the crossbar, Jennifer Falk saved another with her face.
And with less than a quarter of the Champions League match left, it was instead Häcken who scored the goal.
Anna Anvegård pulled off a brilliant pass out to the right flank, where Tabitha Tindell – who joined from Kristianstad last summer – finally got to score her first goal in the Häcken jersey.
The American rushed past her defender and then calmly slotted the ball past Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger to make it 1–0.
It's a very special first goal. The pass was absolutely perfect and I managed to get a pretty good touch and then it was just a matter of finishing, says Tindell to Aftonbladet.
It was memorable.
High pressure
The goal came as a cold shower for Arsenal, who had a significant advantage in play and created a lot without managing to outsmart Jennifer Falk.
The London club, third in the English Super League last season, applied high pressure in defense as usual. This led to many Häcken passes back and forth in the backline, but few excursions into Arsenal's half.
The pressure also forced some simple mistakes, such as when Josefine Rybrink gave the ball away to Rosa Kafaji after just over half an hour. The former Häcken player got a perfect shooting opportunity in the penalty area – but hit the crossbar.
Kafaji got the chance from the start in her return to Hisingen, but had to leave at halftime.
Dream start for Häcken
In the second half, Arsenal took over even more of the game.
The reward was lacking, however, despite a huge opportunity on a free kick early in the half and despite a huge opportunity for Beth Mead from close range that Jennifer Falk managed to save – with her face.
In added time, there was also another crossbar hit when Frida Maanum was close to equalizing.
Instead, Häcken – who shocked among others Real Madrid last season – got a dream start to the double meeting, which is the last hurdle to a new group stage in the Champions League.
Tough result, of course. We're super disappointed, at the same time we know it's only halftime yet, says Stina Blackstenius, who was substituted in for Arsenal in the second half, to Aftonbladet.
We have a match in London left to play (next week). I hope that one will look different.
