The class of 2006-07 was undoubtedly the finest side Vic Akers constructed during his time managing Arsenal. It was a side overflowing with goals, starting with Lianne Sanderson and Julie Fleeting, a strike partnership comparable to Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp in their prime. It had Rachel Yankey providing pace on the flanks, Jayne Ludlow with the dynamism in the engine room, Katie Chapman rock solid in midfield, Alex Scott bombing on from fullback, and the ever-reliable Emma Byrne in goal. And whilst the loss of Faye White may have been a critical one, Anita Asante, Ciara Grant and Mary Phillip had more than compensated for her absence. But the undoubted Jewel in the crown was Kelly Smith.

Now seen putting out the cones on matchday and in charge of coaching the likes of Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, in her prime, Kelly Smith was finest talent to grace the Arsenal Ladies, comparable with Marieanne Spacey and Vivianne Miedema. A potent goal-scorer from any position, 6-yard box or from range, a set piece specialist, pace, trickery, and an eye for a pass to set up her teammates, when it came to attacking talents, Kelly Smith possessed every tool in the Arsenal, so it came as no surprise that she could (and often did) win games on her own.

This was Kelly Smith’s second of three separate spells at the club. Originally signed from Wembley Ladies (now London Bees) in 1996 (after a friendly between the two sides had been arranged at the original stadium), Smith’s arrival helped see Arsenal’s title charge over the line, with a memorable brace at Highbury against Liverpool securing the Premier League Title.

Smith, however, did not linger, choosing to depart for America that summer to take up a college sports scholarship, the first English player to do so. But in 2005, she returned to Arsenal, helping to elevate a side already at the top of the game to hights far beyond their nearest competitors. Two unbeaten League Campaigns followed, as well as the FA and League Cups.

By the time of Arsenal’s 2006-07 season, Smith was at the peak of her powers. At a time when English Football was only just starting to elevate itself on the international stage (England had just qualified for their first World Cup since 1995), Smith had been voted the 5th Best Player in the World. Back home, Arsenal were unstoppable. The League was being steamrolled, with Arsenal’s winning run now surpassing a year. The League Cup was on track, and in Europe, they had reached the Semi Final stage once again, with Smith’s goals in both legs against Breiðablik key to their progression.

This time, it was a rematch with Brøndby that stood between them and their first ever European Final. The first leg would be played out in Denmark, and from the off, it looked like it would be another Kelly Smith masterclass that would be on the cards. Within the first ten minutes, a perfectly executed free kick gave Arsenal the lead and a crucial away goal. But after having suffered defeat in the group stage to their opponents, Brøndby were determined there would be no repeat today. Five minutes later, the scores were level thanks to a Maiken Pape header. Six minutes into the second half, and it was Smith again on the scoresheet, Arsenal’s lead restored, only for Lene Jensen to level the match with 30 minutes left to play. With 2-2 the score as the game entered the final stages, it appeared Arsenal had got themselves a fantastic result to take back to Meadow Park for the second leg. And then, the game took a disastrous turn.

This had been Kelly Smith’s game, and Brøndby’s attempts to negate her influence on proceedings had been overly physical. Frustrated by the lack of protection from the officials, when Smith was booked for a foul with 10 minutes left to play, she snapped.

Speaking with the BBC in 2023 ahead of Arsenal’s UWCL Semi Final with Wolfsburg, Smith recounted how the events transpired that day.

‘All I remember is just being quite angry at the referee,’ Smith recounted.

"My second foul was kind of near the halfway line and it was a little bit late, but I thought I got the ball. She didn't think so, so she gave me another yellow card."

Annoyed that she’d been booked for the foul, Smith took her protestations too far, and was shown a second yellow, and then a red. Smith was off and would be suspended for the return leg. But she wasn’t finished yet. Angered by what had happened to her, she stuck her middle finger up at the ref, responded to the taunts from the Brøndby fans with a two fingered gesture and kicked over a chair as she departed the pitch.

11th November 2006UEFA Cup Semi FinalArsenal 3-0 Brøndby IF??Rachel Yankey (33)??Karen Karney (53)??Julie Fleeting (90) pic.twitter.com/pdeeT6N0vJ

— The Arsenal Women Archive (@TheAWArchive) November 11, 2024

Smith may have been suspended, but Arsenal were able to overcome her absence in the second leg, and in some style. After the pain of their previous two semi-final exits, this was tantamount to a procession. Rachel Yankey nudged Arsenal ahead for the third time in the tie when her looping cross was missed by the keeper and rolled into the net. This time around, Brøndby had no response, and when Karen Carney converted Yankey’s low cross in the second half, it was all over. The final gloss came when Jayne Ludlow’s 25-yarder crashed off the bar, allowing Julie Fleeting to nod the rebound past the stranded keeper. Arsenal were through to their first ever European Final, but the cost had been high. In response to Smith’s transgressions in Denmark following her sending off, UEFA imposed a further two match ban onto her suspension.

David Dein wrote to UEFA, pleading her case to have the suspension negated, but unfortunately for Smith, they were intransigent on the matter. Arsenal would play in the UEFA Women’s Cup Final, the greatest game in their history, but would be forced to do so without their star player. Smith would be forced to watch on from the sidelines, as Arsenal attempted to overcome two-time winners Umeå, arguably the best team in Europe, without her magic. What was already a tall order now looked like Mission Impossible.