Alessia Russo wrote her name into the record books on Wednesday night, scoring a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Benfica 3-0 at Meadow Park to become the highest-scoring English player in UEFA Women's Champions League history.
The England striker opened the scoring in the 39th minute, taking Caitlin Foord's pass with a neat first touch and firing low in off the far post to equal Fran Kirby's record of 21 European goals. Her second, a glancing header from Steph Catley's corner midway through the second half, took her clear on 22 — and when Foord was fouled by Catarina Amado, Russo hammered home the penalty in the 79th minute to complete her hat-trick and move to 23 goals in the competition. Sky Sports and Arsenal's official match report both confirmed the record on a landmark night for the Gunners' number 23 — who, fittingly, reached 23 goals wearing the number 23 shirt.
A record with an asterisk — and a warning
There is one footnote worth stating plainly. Opta's analysts note that three of Russo's 23 goals came in qualifying rounds, leaving her on 20 in the competition proper — one behind Kirby's 21, all of which came in the main competition. But the direction of travel is unmistakable: Kirby needed 47 games to reach her total; Russo has played just 26 times in the Champions League. On any count, the outright record is a matter of when, not if. It was also Russo's first hat-trick in the competition and Arsenal's first in the UWCL since Frida Maanum's treble against Zürich in December 2022 — a four-year wait ended by the player who captained the side on the night, with England head coach Sarina Wiegman watching from the stands.
"She is everything" — Slegers runs out of words
Arsenal manager Renée Slegers was effusive afterwards. "She is everything. It's hard to know where to start," she said. "To have a player that's world-class in the way she plays, the way she attacks, the way she defends, does everything for the team and being this person, it's amazing. Working with her is a privilege." The win gives Arsenal seven points from their three league-phase games — following the opening win over HB Køge that we covered in our report of the Køge opener and a 2-2 draw at Paris FC — and keeps their European campaign firmly on track.
So what — Arsenal's season runs through Russo
The wider context makes her form priceless. Arsenal sit 10 points behind Women's Super League leaders Chelsea, and their league campaign has been stop-start — Europe is where this team has purred. A blockbuster trip to face holders Barcelona on November 12 now looms, the same Barcelona side Russo's England team-mates know so well, after the WSL meeting with Aston Villa on Sunday. Russo finished ninth in the recent Ballon d'Or voting (see the full list of winners) — nights like Wednesday are how she climbs that list next year. Ada Hegerberg's all-time competition record of 69 goals remains distant, but among English players, the crown is now Russo's.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: records built on qualifying-round goals will always carry a footnote, but 23 goals in 26 European appearances is elite by any measure — and Russo is only 27. She is no longer chasing Fran Kirby; she is chasing the European greats. Can Russo fire Arsenal to back-to-back European titles this season? Have your say in the comments.
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