Arsenal Women head coach Renée Slegers labelled herself “very proud and very happy for so many people,” that her side have overcome a difficult journey to reach the Champions League final.

The Gunners will face Barcelona on Saturday in Lisbon, with the 4-1 semi-final second leg win over Lyon seeing Arsenal become the first team to play 14 games en route to a Champions League final, having begun their campaign in the first round of qualifying.

“I’ve only been at the club for one and a half or two years now but taking the club to the Champions League final is so much work, and that work has been done over time,” Slegers reflected ahead of the final.

“So I think a lot of people should be proud but I am proud as well, because of what we have done as a team. We started the mini-tournament early in the season, which didn’t start easy, and then we take ourselves into the group stage and there were some challenging games there as well. 

“For me, I think the key moment was the [final group game] at home against Bayern, where we showed so much as a team. I think we’ve always known, and the players know themselves as well, they are a very good football team and that was for me a key moment where I saw we could win games in different ways. It was a special moment.

“I think from there on the team has shown so much investment and engagement. Everything you see coming together against Lyon, to take the second leg as an example, to get past them in that game- that is a lot of work and investment from the players. 

“It’s all about what they do in the training week. It’s not about coming in, going out on the pitch, going and getting a shower and going home, there’s so much more they do. And that’s why the players are here at this stage right now.”

The Gunners have a fully fit squad to choose from with the exception of Rosa Kafaji, who is out with a foot injury. Daphne van Domselaar is available after being sidelined from the end of the league season with an ankle issue.