Frida Maanum scored a hat-trick as Arsenal stormed through to the Women's Champions League quarter-finals as Group C winners with a resounding 9-1 rout of Zurich.

Jonas Eidevall's side were already assured of a place in the knockout stages, but ran riot nevertheless at Wefox Arena to ensure they would be seeded in the last eight.

Along with Maanum's treble, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius both scored a brace, while further strikes from Kim Little and Mana Iwabuchi completed the scoring.

"We scored some really good goals, and I'm happy to have got my hat-trick," Maanum told UEFA.com. "It's easier when you're surrounded by really good players. This is a nice early Christmas present, for sure!"

Arsenal were joined in the quarter-finals by Lyon, who are through to the last eight for the 14th time in 16 seasons after snatching second place in Group C with a goalless draw against Juventus.

Elsewhere, Barcelona ensured they advanced to the knockout stages as Group D winners following a thumping 6-0 victory over Rosengard.

Though already guaranteed progression beyond the group phase, Barca were in no forgiving mood as Asisat Oshoala scored twice with Mapi Leon, Fridolina Rolfo, Marta Torrejon and Irene Paredes also on target.

That took their goal tally to 29 - the highest in any Women's Champions League group stage - and meant Bayern Munich had to settle for second place despite Klara Buhl's double in a 2-0 win over Benfica.

Arsenal secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League despite a 1-0 defeat to Lyon on Thursday, in a game overshadowed by Vivianne Miedema suffering a potentially serious knee injury.

Gunners defender Frida Maanum put through her own net on the stroke of half-time to hand the reigning champions victory at the Emirates Stadium, leaving both sides on 10 points in Group C.

Jonas Eidevall's team knew they would qualify with anything less than a four-goal loss after establishing a head-to-head advantage by hammering Lyon 5-1 away from home in October.

However, the sight of a distressed Miedema leaving the field on a stretcher after appearing to catch her studs in the turf will provide cause for concern.

Miedema – the Champions League's top goalscorer in the 2016-17 and 2019-20 campaigns – has hit the net twice in the competition this season.

In Group C's other fixture, a four-goal haul from Cristiana Girelli helped Juventus profit from Irina Pando's red card in a 5-0 win over Zurich, teeing up a winner-take-all meeting with Lyon next week.

Meanwhile, Barcelona and Bayern Munich both ensured qualification from Group D, with the Spanish champions doing so in emphatic fashion with a 6-2 rout of Benfica.

Bayern joined them in racking up the goals with a 4-0 win at Rosengard, as Georgia Stanway joined Tainara, Sydney Lohmann and Julia Landenberger on the scoresheet.

Arsenal moved closer to the Women's Champions League quarter-finals after edging Juventus in north London, while Bayern Munich trumped Barcelona in impressive fashion.

The Women's Super League outfit preserved their unbeaten record in Group C through Vivianne Miedema's lone finish, to take a 1-0 win over the Italian giants and cement their hold on the pool.

Defeat for Joe Montemurro's side means reigning champions Lyon have vaulted them into second place after another comfortably victory over Zurich.

Melvine Malard's double was sandwiched by goals for Lindsey Horan and Delphine Cascarino in a 4-0 win, to inject further life into a campaign that saw them go winless over their first two matches.

Last season's beaten finalists Barca were meanwhile handed a first loss of the tournament, as Bayern claimed revenge for their prior loss with a 3-1 triumph.

Both sides now sit atop Group D with nine points, three ahead of third-placed Benfica, who kept pace with a 3-1 win of their own over Rosengard.

Barcelona seized control of Group D in the Women's Champions League by thrashing Bayern Munich 3-0 in front of a crowd of 46,967 – a new group-stage record.

Second-half goals from Geyse, Aitana Bonmati and Claudia Pina helped Jonatan Giraldez's team maintain their perfect record in the competition on Thursday, as well as ending that of Bayern.

The Camp Nou crowd – which surpassed the competition's previous group-stage record of 18,341 by a considerable margin – had to remain patient for the opener, but the Blaugrana were good value for their win after Brazil international Geyse broke the deadlock.

The result moved Barca three points clear of their opponents as well as maintaining their six-point advantage over Benfica, who beat Rosengard 1-0 courtesy of Cloe Lacasse's goal.

Meanwhile, Arsenal maintained their narrow lead at the top of Group C with a 1-1 draw against Juventus, who remain two points behind the Gunners after surrendering a second-half lead.

Lineth Beerensteyn put the hosts ahead shortly after the break, but fellow Netherlands international Vivianne Miedema nodded home from a corner nine minutes later to keep the visitors top.

Reigning champions Lyon also remain in fierce contention for a quarter-final spot after cruising to a 3-0 win at Zurich, moving them to within a point of second-placed Juve.

Signe Bruun added two goals after Melvine Malard headed in an early opener, helping the eight-time champions to their first Champions League win of the season.

Lyon remain winless in their Women's Champions League defence after a 1-1 draw with Juventus, while Bayern Munich came from two goals down to defeat Benfica in injury time.

The French outfit seized a first-half lead through Lindsey Horan in Turin, before Melvine Malard's own goal seven minutes after the interval handed the hosts a share of the spoils.

After defeat to Arsenal in their opener, it leaves Sonia Bompastor's side on the outside in Group C after two matchweeks, and facing a tough road to the knockouts.

But there was more drama to be had in Group D, where Georgia Stanway's late double helped secure a remarkable turnaround for Bayern in a 3-2 comeback.

Having trailed heading into the final stages, the England international struck initially to level matters before sealing their resurgence victory with a 98th-minute finish.

Last season's finalists Barcelona joined them in preserving a perfect record, after braces for Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey saw them ease to a 4-1 victory against Rosengard.

Arsenal meanwhile cemented their hold on Group C with a 3-1 win over Zurich, aided by Lina Hurtig's double for Jonas Eidevall's side.

Women's Champions League holders Lyon were humbled by Arsenal as this season's competition began on Wednesday, while Barcelona won by an even greater margin in their opener.

The English side beat their hosts 5-1 at the Groupama Stadium, with Caitlin Foord and Frida Maanum handing Arsenal a 2-0 lead before Melvine Malard halved the deficit.

Foord scored again in between two goals from Ballon d'Or runner-up Beth Mead to give Jonas Eidevall's side an impressive opening victory in Group C.

Barca romped to a 9-0 success against Benfica in Group D thanks to seven different goalscorers.

Asisat Oshoala and Geyse scored two each, while goals also arrived from Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey, Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and Claudia Pina as last season's runners-up strolled to victory.

The other game in Group D saw Bayern Munich earn a tougher three points at home to Rosengard after Loreta Kullashi's opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Carolin Simon, before Linda Dallmann struck a second-half winner for the Germans.

Group C's other contest ended with Juventus claiming a 2-0 win at FC Zurich, with late goals from Valentina Cernoia and Barbara Bonansea earning Joe Montemurro's side three points.

Alexia Putellas pipped Beth Mead to the Ballon d'Or, and now the Women's Champions League is set to begin in earnest as the group stage gets under way.

This has already been a spectacular year for the women's game in Europe, with Euro 2022 a roaring success, but the club game is going from strength to strength, too.

The continent's biggest clubs are throwing their support behind women's teams, and although this means some early adopters are being squeezed out, the Champions League is growing in quality and professionalism year by year. This is the second year that has featured a group stage, another sign of progress.

Here, Stats Perform looks at the 2022-23 tournament and its rich promise, with 16 teams vying to reach the final at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven in June.

Before the rise of the Lionesses, there was Lyon... and they are the UWCL queens

French club Lyon have set a high bar with their support and investment in women's football, led by owner Jean-Michel Aulas.

Their first Champions League title came in 2010-11, and last season they landed the trophy for an eighth time with a 3-1 triumph against Barcelona in Turin.

Barcelona headed into that May showpiece in imperious form, but Lyon led 3-0 inside 33 minutes. Putellas pulled one goal back, but it was not to be her day, or Barcelona's.

Instead, Lyon were celebrating, and perhaps nobody more so than Ada Hegerberg, their star Norwegian striker. Battling her way back to full fitness after a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament kept her sidelined for over 18 months, Hegerberg had a goal and an assist in the final.

"I couldn't imagine winning the Champions League a year ago," Hegerberg said that night. "Coming back from injury and getting back to this level is extremely inspiring and I am very grateful."

Now Putellas faces a similar journey. The Barcelona and Spain star, recognised as the world's best player, sustained a major ACL injury on the eve of Euro 2022, and if she plays again this season it will not be until the closing weeks.

Contenders queueing up

Expect Lyon to be strong again of course, but they start with a major test against Arsenal, who have Euro 2022 Golden Ball winner and Ballon d'Or runner-up Beth Mead in their ranks.

Arsenal, of course, have a power couple on and off the pitch in Mead and the brilliant Vivianne Miedema, so Jonas Eidevall's side could push Lyon for top spot in Group C, which also includes Juventus and Zurich.

Of course, such star players may see this competition as a chance to stake a claim for next year's Ballon d'Or.

Barcelona are much changed from last season, with the likes of Jenni Hermoso, Lieke Martens and Melanie Serrano no longer a part of their team. Hermoso and Martens moved on, to Pachuca and Paris Saint-Germain respectively, while Serrano retired at the age of 32, having been a first-team regular since her late teens.

Brazil striker Geyse has joined from Madrid CFF, while Euro 2022 winners Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh arrived from Manchester City. The loss of Putellas is a big blow, and how Barcelona cope without her against Europe's elite will be a key narrative of the coming months. Bayern Munich, Rosenborg and Benfica are their Group D rivals.

Chelsea were runners-up in 2020-21 but last season saw Emma Hayes' team eliminated on goal difference at the group stage, after they and top two Wolfsburg and Juventus finished tied on 11 points. Hayes is taking time away after undergoing an emergency hysterectomy. The Blues, who have Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby, Millie Bright and Pernille Harder among a star-packed squad, face Real Madrid, PSG and Vllaznia in Group A.

Wolfsburg are hardy perennials of the Women's Champions League and won the trophy back to back in 2012-13 and 2013-14, also finishing runners-up three times. They face Slavia Prague, St Polten and Roma in Group B. With Alexandra Popp fighting fit after the injury that prevented her facing England in the Euro 2022 final, and Lena Oberdorf patrolling midfield, Wolfsburg may not be far away again this season.

Story so far

Manchester City and Real Madrid went head-to-head early in the qualifying stage, and it was City that were squeezed out, losing 1-0 thanks to a goal from Caroline Weir, a player who left the English club to move to the Spanish capital just weeks earlier.

Hopes of a Dutch team reaching the Eindhoven final have already been dashed, with Ajax and Twente eliminated in the preliminaries. Arsenal edged out Ajax 3-2 on aggregate, with Miedema getting the deciding goal, while Twente were ousted by Benfica.

The make-up of this competition has changed immensely over the course of the last 20 years, reflecting the rise of teams being backed by traditionally strong men's clubs.

In 2002-03, the quarter-final line-up consisted of Umea, Toulouse, HJK, Frankfurt, SK Trondheims-Orn, Fortuna Hjorring, CSK VVS Samara and Arsenal.

Swedish side Umea crushed Fortuna Hjorring 7-1 on aggregate in a two-leg final of what was then known as the UEFA Women's Cup.

In name and character, it emphatically belongs to the Champions League family of competitions now, many of the teams that defined its early days no longer a factor. Women's football has gone big-time, and this season's competition should underline that message.

Barcelona and Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas took home a second straight Ballon d'Or Feminin award on Monday to become the first two-time winner.

Putellas was recognised in 2021 after winning the Champions League with Barca, before returning to the final this year.

The Blaugrana this time came up short, losing to Lyon, but Putellas finished as the competition's top scorer and Player of the Season.

She was then denied the opportunity to feature at the Women's Euro 2022 after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament on the eve of the finals.

Despite missing the tournament, while three of her four fellow Ballon d'Or finalists featured, Putellas was named the world's best player by France Football again in Paris.

Beth Mead, who inspired England's Euros triumph, finished second, but Putellas was a popular winner and gave an emotional speech as she reflected on a tough period in her career.

"Thanks to France Football and the members of the jury," she said. "On April 5, I broke my knee and I believed that this [winning the Ballon d'Or] would not be possible, because I believed that the most recent European Championship would be remembered.

"My most sincere congratulations to the English FA for the organisation they had for the European Championship and how they are having that impact on women's football in that country. They are an example of how they are doing it.

"I hope that the next time I have to speak, it will be on the pitch again, and I hope that we will see each other again there."

Jorge Vilda insisted he has no plans to resign as head coach of the Spain women's team after a player rebellion forced him to name a massively under-strength squad on Friday.

The besieged boss left captain Irene Paredes and record scorer Jenni Hermoso out of his group for high-profile friendlies against Sweden and the United States, while 15 others last week wrote to the Spanish federation – the RFEF – to say they were unwilling to play for Vilda.

At the time, the group of players said by email the decision was taken for the sake of their "emotional state".

Vilda spoke at length about the crisis in a press conference, shortly after revealing his weakened squad list for the October 7 game against Sweden, and the USA match, which takes place four days later.

The reasoning behind the players' stance has yet to be crystallised. Vilda may by now have some sense of their concerns, after admitting he was initially "confused", but he would not detail any recent discussions.

His view is that he should be allowed to continue in his role, and when asked if he had at any stage considered quitting, his answer was unequivocal.

"At no time," he said. "Because of the unfairness and because of everything we have created in the past. Because of the energy and strength that I have to continue."

He urged the players who have opposed playing for him to front up, saying: "I would like them to say face to face why they have made that decision and why they disagree."

Vilda declined to speak about Hermoso and Paredes, saying he preferred to discuss the players he had selected. Hermoso came out in support of the rebels on Wednesday, while Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who is currently injured, has also backed the disenchanted players' stance.

Defender Paredes and playmaker Putellas are Barcelona players, while striker Hermoso is with Mexican club Pachuca.

Vilda would not say whether he had spoken to the rebel players but said he was always available to talk.

"It is clear that it is a complicated and difficult situation to deal with," he said. "I am suffering more for my family and they are more affected. I think it would be unfair to remove myself from the centre and it would not be the right thing to do."

He appealed for "time and respect" for the players he has summoned, who included teenage Barcelona forward Salma Paralluelo.

Shortly before the squad list was released, Barcelona announced Paralluelo had a thigh problem.

Vilda said: "If that injury is confirmed, everything will go through the official channels of the national team. The club informs our medical services and the doctor tells me."

Ana Alvarez, director of women's football at the RFEF, said last week that Vilda's position was "unquestionable". He has an agreement to remain as coach until 2024, and his team have qualified for next year's World Cup.

Barcelona succeeded in their push to sign Keira Walsh after using "really aggressive" transfer tactics, according to Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor.

The England midfielder, who shone for the Lionesses in their Euro 2022 trophy success, joined Barcelona on September 7.

The Catalan giants were reported to have paid a world-record fee of around £350,000 (€400,000) to secure Walsh's signature, although that has been cast into some doubt by subsequent comments from Barcelona.

Walsh left City a day before the Women's Super League transfer deadline, and Taylor said the timing was "down to Barcelona and nothing to do with us".

"I always believe that you want players who want to be here. Keira had given eight solid years of service and probably her last season developed into one of her best seasons for the club and on the international stage," Taylor said.

"When you have that and another project comes along, that was a real opportunity for her: a different league and a different country."

She pushed for the move, Taylor added. At that point City had little option but to negotiate the best possible deal.

"The last thing you want is a player who's going to stay because we made a decision to not take a world record fee and being really disgruntled; I don't think anyone really gains from that," Taylor said.

"We tried to support Keira the best we could while trying not to kill ourselves. Some of the earlier bids were of that mind where we weren't comfortable with that.

"But towards the end it was really aggressive bidding from them."

Taylor said the fee, which has not been officially disclosed, was high enough to show "we're doing something right here at the club".

He said signing a like-for-like replacement at close to Walsh's world-class level might cost City as much as they received for the 25-year-old, who has been reunited with England team-mate and former City colleague Lucy Bronze at Barcelona.

After a summer of big-name exits, with Bronze going to Barcelona and Georgia Stanway and Caroline Weir also departing to join Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively, and Ellen White retiring, it remains to be seen how City cope in the new WSL season, which gets under way this weekend.

On deadline day, City plugged a hole in their squad with the signing of Japan midfielder Yui Hasegawa from West Ham.

Taylor takes his team to Aston Villa on Sunday for their opener, after last week's programme of games was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Spanish top-flight women's football will resume this week after a deal was struck to end a referee's strike, handing professional status to the country's female officials.  

The new Primera Division Femenina season was due to get under way last weekend, but a dispute between the Professional Women's Football League (LPFF) and the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) led to strike action from officials.

After the RFEF announced the officials' "unanimous decision not to direct any match of the First Division National Championship", the full set of matchday one fixtures was postponed.

On Thursday, however, the RFEF announced the relevant parties had reached an agreement, paving the way for the Primera Division's resumption.

A statement from the RFEF read: "There have been a succession of conversations between the CSD [the National Sports Council] and the RFEF that have borne fruit in a historic agreement for the professionalisation of the refereeing establishment in women's football.

"CSD and RFEF reinforce their commitment to women's football through the consolidation of some budget items that have resulted in a pioneering agreement that will allow the start of the First Division of Women's Football."

Defending champions Barcelona, who won all 30 of their league matches last season, are due to host Granadilla Tenerife on Saturday. 

Spain's female referees have carried out strike action on the opening weekend of the Primera Division season, causing the postponement of fixtures.

The Professional Women's Football League (LPFF), which oversees the Primera Division, has been in dispute with the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) over several issues, including the registration of non-EU players and the league calendar, in the build-up to the new season.

On Thursday, the RFEF issued a statement on behalf of female officials, announcing their "unanimous decision not to direct any match of the First Division National Championship", due to concerns over their "employment and economic situation".

Although the LPFF claimed to be locked in negotiations regarding officials' conditions on Friday, the strike action went ahead the following day.

Atletico Madrid, who won three consecutive titles between 2016-17 and 2018-19, announced their meeting with Real Sociedad had been postponed "due to the non-appearance of the refereeing team".

Champions League runners-up Barcelona dominated the division last term, winning all 30 of their games and scoring 159 goals. 

They are scheduled to go to Levante Las Planas for their first outing of the campaign on Sunday, though the officials' strike has thrown that fixture into doubt.

Barcelona have completed the signing of Keira Walsh from Manchester City for a world record fee for a female footballer reported to be in the region of £350,000.

Walsh made six appearances as England won the 2022 Women's Euros in July.

The 25-year-old has spent her entire senior career with City, winning one Women's Super League title, three FA Cups and four EFL Cups.

Three-time reigning Spanish champions Barca have now prized her away from Manchester in a deal that far supersedes the previous record, set when Chelsea paid Wolfsburg over £250,000 for Pernille Harder in 2020.

Walsh will link up with her old City team-mate and fellow Lioness Lucy Bronze at Barca, with the defender having made the same move in June.

Georgia Stanway, another City player to star at the Euros, departed for Bayern Munich.

England manager Sarina Wiegman has carried off the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year award after leading the Lionesses to victory at the European Championship.

Wiegman steered England to what was only the nation's second-ever major international honour, the other being the men's victory in the 1966 World Cup final. It saw her win the Euros for the second tournament in a row – previously steering her native Netherlands to glory.

Fresh from naming her first England squad on Wednesday since the Euro 2022 victory, Wiegman was unable to attend the event where she pipped Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and Lyon's Sonia Bompastor to the honour.

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas took the UEFA Women's Player of the Year honour for the second season in a row – becoming the first to do so.

Putellas missed the European Championship due to a knee injury but played a key part in Barcelona's success in 2021-22, securing a domestic double and reaching the final of the Champions League.

The midfielder netted a league-high 18 goals and also finished as top scorer in Europe with 11 goals, though her team lost to Lyon in the final.

Barcelona star Alexia Putellas insists she is "getting better every day" after being ruled out for 10-12 months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, as she thanked fans for their support.

Putellas suffered the injury during training just three days before Spain's opening match of the Women's European Championship last month, and was subsequently ruled out for up to a year after undergoing surgery.

Spain were understandably hampered by the Ballon d'Or-winning attacker's absence, exiting the competition after a quarter-final loss to eventual winners England.

Putellas, who top-scored with 11 goals in the Women's Champions League last season, has now spoken out on her injury for the first time, expressing gratitude for the support offered to her.

"I feel fine given the circumstances. I'm fine, getting better every day," she told Barcelona's website. "I have to work through each stage as it comes, luckily I haven't been through anything like this before, and it will be step-by-step, but most importantly, let's keep supporting the team.

"I fully believe [in the team], as do all the fans and everyone else. This is a new season and we have to target everything.

"I want to say thank you because I have felt tremendous support since what happened, with so many demonstrations of warmth. 

"I can't answer everyone individually, so I'll take this opportunity to say thanks. It's been tough and feeling so many people's warmth helps you deal with it a bit better."

Putellas, who has 27 goals in 100 appearances for Spain, was influential as Barca won all 30 of their domestic league games last season, also scoring a consolation goal in their 3-1 Champions League final loss to Lyon.