Arsenal begin their 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign at home to Danish side HB Køge on Tuesday night, looking to turn their domestic dominance in possession and chances into goals.
Renée Slegers’ side have taken five points from their opening three WSL matches, but have scored only twice. Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United was another game in which Arsenal created opportunities without making enough of them.
HB Køge arrive at Meadow Park having already negotiated two rounds of Champions League qualifying and will be hoping to make Arsenal work for their opening points of the league phase.
Match information Arsenal vs HB Køge Women
Competition: UEFA Women’s Champions League – League Phase
Date: Tuesday 22 September 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 BST / 21:00 CEST
Venue: Meadow Park, Borehamwood
How to watch Arsenal vs HB Køge
The match will be available live on Disney+ in the UK and across Europe as part of the platform’s coverage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Kick-off is at 20:00 BST in the UK and 21:00 CEST in Central Europe.
Arsenal team news
Slegers has suggested changes could be made for the Champions League opener following Saturday’s draw with Manchester United. Arsenal have had a busy opening to the season and the depth of the squad gives Slegers several options if she decides to rotate at Meadow Park.
The Gunners started with Misa Rodríguez in goal against Manchester United, while Leah Williamson, Emily Fox, Ona Batlle and several of Arsenal’s established attacking players were also involved.
Selina Cerci made her Arsenal debut from the bench against United, while Caitlin Foord, Kim Little, Chloe Kelly and Smilla Holmberg were also introduced during the second half.
Arsenal will be expected to control much of the possession against HB Køge, but converting that control into goals will be the priority.
HB Køge team news
HB Køge have not published a detailed player availability update ahead of Tuesday’s match. The Danish side have already played four Champions League qualifying matches this season to reach the league phase.
They defeated Riga 4-1 before beating Hearts 2-1 in the second qualifying round. A much tighter contest followed against PSV Eindhoven, with HB Køge winning 1-0 in the Netherlands before a 1-1 draw at home secured a 2-1 aggregate victory.
That run means HB Køge have now lost only one of their last nine European matches and have scored in each of their last ten UEFA fixtures.
Arsenal searching for more goals
Arsenal’s opening three WSL matches have produced one win and two draws. They began with a 1-0 victory over Brighton before being held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace. Manchester United then came close to inflicting Arsenal’s first defeat of the season on Saturday.
Julia Zigiotti gave United the lead after Arsenal lost possession in a dangerous area, but Holmberg rescued a point with a 95th-minute equaliser. The concern for Slegers has not necessarily been Arsenal’s ability to create opportunities. Turning those opportunities into goals has been the bigger issue.
A home Champions League match against HB Køge provides another opportunity for Arsenal’s attack to find its rhythm.
Previous meetings
Arsenal and HB Køge have met twice before in the Women’s Champions League. Both meetings came during the 2021/22 group stage, when Arsenal won 5-1 in Denmark before recording a 3-0 victory in England.
Foord scored in both matches, while Steph Catley and Wubben-Moy were also among Arsenal’s goalscorers. HB Køge’s two defeats against Arsenal remain their only previous matches against English opposition.
Predicted line-ups Arsenal vs HB Køge
Arsenal predicted XI:
Rodríguez; Fox, Williamson, Catley, Holmberg; Little, Stanway; Kelly, Caldentey, Foord; Russo.
HB Køge predicted XI:
Kozal; Flick, Sørensen, Nielsen Schultz; Gejl, Hermann, Jereko; Oyama, Carusa, Óskarsdóttir.
What to expect
Arsenal should have most of the ball and spend significant periods around the HB Køge penalty area. The question is whether they can make that dominance count.
HB Køge’s European results suggest Arsenal cannot simply assume the goals will come. The Danish side went away to PSV and won 1-0 before successfully protecting their advantage in the return leg, demonstrating that they are capable of managing difficult European ties.
Arsenal nevertheless possess considerably more attacking quality and depth. Russo is particularly worth watching. With 19 Champions League goals, she is already joint-second among English players in the competition’s history and sits only two behind Fran Kirby.
Slegers may also use the match to give minutes to players pushing for a larger role, particularly with Arsenal navigating domestic and European fixtures in quick succession.
After scoring only twice across their first three WSL matches, a convincing attacking performance would be particularly welcome before the schedule becomes more demanding.
Prediction
Arsenal 3-0 HB Køge
HB Køge’s qualifying campaign deserves respect and their recent European record suggests they can be difficult to break down. Arsenal should still have too much quality at Meadow Park.
The biggest question is how quickly the Gunners can turn their expected territorial dominance into goals. An early breakthrough could make this a much more comfortable European opener.
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