Champions League progression incredibly important for Arsenal says Little ahead of Ajax tie | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Kim Little says that UEFA Women’s Champions League progression is incredibly important for the club.

The Gunners take on Dutch side Ajax in the second leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 2 tie in Amsterdam on Wednesday evening. The first leg ended 2-2 and both clubs will now give it their all to get the required result in the second leg.

The winners of the tie will progress to the competition’s lucrative group stage and Arsenal midfielder Little has emphasised the importance of qualification for her side.

“It’s incredibly important,” Little said when speaking in the pre-match press conference. “I think our ambitions as a club are always to be in the Champions League and to progress through it and obviously to be a part of the group stage, which we were a part of last year.

“We know the importance of the game and our responsibility as players is to make sure we put on a performance tomorrow and to make sure we get the win that we need to progress.”

Given Arsenal’s stature in the game, the club are expected to feature in the latter stages of European football’s premier club competition. Little went on to say that The Gunners are not feeling any added pressure going into their latest UEFA Women’s Champions League tie.

She said “I think generally we switch off from that (added pressure). We know that we have the capability to progress to the next stage and we need to make sure that we do all we can to prepare. If we take care of that then we will progress, so first and foremost, that’s what we as players look at.

“For me, it adds excitement, it adds pressure which is part of what we do and is what makes it so exciting and enjoyable to play in. You have this group stage now – it’s a similar format to what the men’s (game) has had in the past – and it’s such a great competition to be a part of, so we obviously want to do everything we can to make sure we progress to that stage.”

Arsenal’s UEFA Women’s Champions League Round 2, second leg tie against Ajax kicks-off at 6pm on Wednesday evening.