All square between Arsenal and Linköping

A superb Linda Sällström goal was cancelled out by an equally classy Ellen White strike as Linköpings FC came away from their UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final first leg at Arsenal LFC with a draw.

Sällström's individual effort broke the deadlock just past the quarter-hour and Arsenal were struggling to make their possession count until White's dipping shot midway through the second half. That gives the 2007 winners hope for next Wednesday's return in Sweden.

Linköping were playing their first competitive game of 2011 and were making what seemed a slow start when they struck on 16 minutes, Sällström racing from the halfway line and beating Emma Byrne with a superb looping shot. Not long after, Byrne did well to deny European debutant Kathryn Gill, performing well alongside Sällström.

Arsenal, missing injured Jayne Ludlow and the suspended Gilly Flaherty, were having most the play, but the Linköping defence was allowing few chances. Sällström nearly made a second when she cut in from the byline and squared to Gill, only for Byrne to save at close range.

After ten minutes of fruitless second-half toil, Arsenal manager Laura Harvey introduced 17-year-old forward Danielle Carter as she switched to 4-3-3. Linköping remained dangerous on the counter, though, and after Gill slipped Sällström through, Byrne was again in the way.

That proved crucial as on 66 minutes, White was sent clear down the right and her angled half-volley gave Sofia Lundgren no chance. It could have been 2-1 to Arsenal but substitute Julie Fleeting turned a late corner over the crossbar.

Gunners captain Faye White said: "In the first half we were a shadow of ourselves really, no one was looking to get on it, we were reacting second all the time, we looked quite pedestrian and right we got a bit of a rocket at half-time. We could have been two or three goals down but Emma made some good saves.

"Second half was better though not as good as we know we can be, it was a better reaction. We had some good chances and it was more a case of dealing with the long ball at the back. A better second half but we need to play even better than that in the second leg."

Visiting coach Jörgen Petersson added: "I think we had a great first half with a lot of chances to score more than one goal. Then Arsenal came back a new team in the second half and we had to work very hard, but we did that, there is huge heart in the team, a great spirit."