Akers urges respect for Umeå

This weekend Arsenal LFC will aim to succeed where their male counterparts fell short eleven months ago as they take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of the UEFA Women's Cup final against Umeå IK.

Goal advantage
FC Barcelona fought back from a goal down to defeat Arsène Wenger's side in last season's UEFA Champions League final and the club's women's side are determined not to suffer the same fate as they defend a 1-0 advantage against two-time UEFA Women's Cup winners Umeå. "We are pleased to be going into the game with a one-goal lead," said Arsenal manager Vik Akers. "It was a nice surprise but one we thoroughly deserved. The game was probably more of a 0-0 but in the end we snatched a goal."

'Well prepared'
That goal, which was scored by Alex Scott at the Gammliavallen last Saturday, has put the Gunners in a strong position but Akers is taking nothing for granted ahead of the return leg at Borehamwood. "The players realise that this is a good team they're playing and that they aren't going to lie down," he said of a team that has scored 29 goals en route to the final. "They'll be well prepared and they'll obviously know more about us now. We have to give them great respect because we know their qualities. They went away [to Kolbotn IL] in Norway and got five goals in the semi-finals so we know this tie is far from over."

No celebrations
Arsenal clinched their fourth successive English league title earlier this week, one of four trophies they could win this season, but there was no time for celebrations. "It was quite strange to win the championship and for everything to be low key," Akers explained. "Even during the game I felt that the girls' minds were on the match this weekend, so it was a strange situation." Playing in a European final is new for Arsenal whose opponents, conversely, have been here three times before. Umeå coach Andrée Jeglertz said: "We have a lot of players who have played in finals and internationals, these kind of big games, and that will be a big plus for us."

Umeå wary
The Swedish outfit were considered favourites prior to the first leg but insist they did not take their opponents lightly. "There is absolutely no way that we underestimated Arsenal because we knew they must be very good to reach a European cup final," added Jeglertz. "That would have been a big mistake. We know that if we play as we did in the first 60 minutes of the first match and maybe score some goals we can turn this into our favour but we have to be focused for 90 minutes – we weren't last Saturday."

Fitness concerns
Umeå go into the game with slight doubts over strikers Hanna Ljungberg and Madelaine Edlund although both are expected to recover in time. Arsenal have no new injury worries and their captain Faye White should once again start on the bench in her recovery from a long-term knee problem.