Arsenal Women secured a seeded spot in the Women's Champions League knockout playoffs with a comfortable 3-0 victory away at OH Leuven. Goals from Olivia Smith, Beth Mead and a Saar Janssen own goal ensured Renée Slegers' side finished the league phase in fifth place.
Slegers praised her team's maturity in front of a raucous crowd at the Den Dreef. 'Bravery was important tonight and doing everything together,' she said. 'It's not an easy place to come. I'm really happy with how we maintained our intensity and quality.'
The Gunners took the lead in the 18th minute when Smith's initial effort was saved but rebounded back to her to rifle home. Mead doubled the advantage shortly after, sweeping a low finish into the far corner from Alessia Russo's pass. The third goal came in the second half when Caitlin Foord's cross was turned into her own net by Janssen, following a VAR check.
The victory mirrored Arsenal's previous European campaign, where they secured qualification with a game to spare before going on to win the trophy. The holders will discover their playoff opponents in Thursday's draw, facing either Atlético Madrid or Leuven again in February.
