The winger doubled the Gunners’ lead on the stroke of half time in their UWCL clash with Frauen-Bundesliga side Hoffenheim
U.S. women’s national team star Tobin Heath scored her first ever Arsenal goal, which was also her first ever Women’s Champions League goal, on Thursday in a win over Hoffenheim.
However, they were 4-0 victors on home soil against their German opponents, with Heath on the scoresheet for the first time for the club she supports.
A historic night for Heath
The USWNT winger was making just her third start for Arsenal in the game against Hoffenheim and it came almost eight years to the day since she last featured in a starting XI in the UWCL, for Paris Saint-Germain back in 2013.
Against a tricky opponent with plenty of attacking threats, the London side won a penalty midway through the first half as Beth Mead got a toe on the ball just ahead of defender Michaela Specht, which was coolly dispatched by captain Kim Little for her eighth goal of the season.
Arsenal started to grow into the game more from there and some fluid football gave them a two-goal cushion just before the break, as Heath swept home. A terrific cross from left-back Katie McCabe was met perfectly by striker Vivianne Miedema, who headed it right into the path of the Gunners’ No.77 to tuck away with her right foot.
It was her first goal for her new club, after she joined last month, and also her first in the European competition, with her playing twice for PSG in the 2013-14 edition of the competition, but not finding the back of the net.
Miedema added a third shortly after half time, pouncing on the rebound of Jordan Nobbs’ saved shot, before Leah Williamson headed in a McCabe corner to make it four.
McCabe ➡️ Miedema ➡️ Heath
Playing football the Arsenal way.
🎙🏴👉 https://t.co/3OcwH3n5DN
🎙🇩🇪👉 https://t.co/SfwkwDAnhV pic.twitter.com/bs5zUgQ2mf— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) October 14, 2021
How are Heath and Arsenal doing?
The Gunners have got off to a blistering start to their season, winning all but one of their first 12 games of the season.
They kicked things off with UWCL qualifying, beating Kazakhstan side Okzhetpes and PSV Eindhoven to set up a second round, two-legged tie against Slavia Prague, which they won to reach the group stages.
They’re yet to drop a point in the Women’s Super League, beating both Chelsea and Manchester City, likely to be their closest rivals for the title. They are in the semi-finals of the Women’s FA Cup too, hammering north London rivals Tottenham 5-1 in the competition which has been carried over from last season.
Heath made her debut in the 5-0 battering of Man City and provided an assist in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this month, teeing up another World Cup winner, Japan international Mana Iwabuchi, to score.
“She’s a great player, Tobin,” head coach Jonas Eidevall said this week. “I really feel like she’s settling in, both in the group and in the way that we want to play.”
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