Arsenal 4-1 Valerenga: Alessia Russo ends goal drought as Gunners secure big win in Women's Champions League | OneFootball

Renee Slegers oversees victory in first game as Gunners’ interim head coach

Arsenal have begun life without Jonas Eidevall with victory over Valerenga in the Women’s Champions League.

The Swede, who resigned from his post as head coach on Tuesday, was in charge of the Gunners's 5-2 loss at the hands of Bayern Munich last week, a result that left interim boss Renee Slegers needing to oversee a victory at the Emirates Stadium.

And the hosts got off to the perfect start when Emily Fox was in the right place at the right time to sweep the ball into the back of the net as early as the second minute. Replays showed the ball hitting Alessia Russo's hand, but with no VAR, the goal was allowed to stand.

Caitlin Foord doubled Arsenal's lead on the half hour mark as she fired the ball into the roof of the net after Beth Mead had been denied. However, there was to be no clean sheet for the Gunners to celebrate as Olaug Tvedten found the bottom corner following good work from Karina Sævik.

Sævik could, or perhaps should, have equalised early in the second half after a great solo run but strikes from Mariona Caldentey and Russo - netting for the first time in nine appearances to end her unwanted goal drought, in the final five minutes added gloss to the scoreline and ensure the Gunners are up and running in this season’s Women’s Champions League.

Arsenal move up the table to second, level on points with Juventus, whom they play home and away next month, by virtue of a superior goal difference. Bayern Munich lead the way in Group C with six points after a 2-0 win in Italy earlier in the evening and Valerenga stay bottom.