Arsenal thrashed African Women’s Champions League holders and Moroccan leading lights AS FAR 6-0 [Jay Patel/SPP]

ICE-COOL Mariona Caldentey is braced for “an uncomfortable” evening on Sunday when Arsenal take on Brazilian champions Corinthians in the final of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.

Caldentey was among the goalscorers on Wednesday night when the Gunners steamrollered African Women’s Champions League holders and Moroccan leading lights AS FAR 6-0 at Brentford Stadium.

The midfielder was composure personified as she sent the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot to add to early goals from Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum to kill off a mismatched semi-final as a contest. Olivia Smith added gloss to a dominant first-half display just before the break with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.

Alessia Russo was then summoned off the bench in the second half, and was soon celebrating a brace in front of England manager Sarina Wiegman, who was watching on from the stands.

Arsenal will now play Corinthians in Sunday’s final at the Emirates Stadium after they stunned US side Gotham, the only goal of the game coming late on courtesy of a bobbling finish from captain Gabi Zanotti.

Reflecting on the task of tackling sides that the Gunners have never faced before – and the uncertainty that comes with it – Caldentey said it was better for the north Londoners to just focus on their own game.

Mariona Caldentey scores from the penalty spot [Keeran Marquis/SPP]

She told the club’s official website: “That’s hard, right? Because you don’t really know a lot about them or how they are as a team. You try to analyse but it’s not the same when you watch on TV than when you actually feel it on the pitch, but I think we were just ready mentally and trying to focus on our game, so that was what worked for us.

“I feel like now we are building back momentum. We struggled a bit in the beginning of the year, so it feels nice now that we’ve changed it.”

Making it clear that Arsenal weren’t about to underestimate Corin­thians, Caldentey added: “We were watching their game for a bit, and you know what to expect with Brazilian teams, they are so uncomfortable to play against and then with the ball, you know that they are so talented.

“It’s a final, it’s one game. We want to win it, they want to win it, so it won’t be easy.”

Gunners boss Renée Slegers is also erring on the side of caution, even with what promises to be a raucous home crowd cheering on her squad.

“It’s one game and it’s, of course, the champions of the different continents. So it’s never going to be an easy game. I watched [their match] earlier today, but we’re going to prepare in detail.

“They did everything to get the win. They look like a very passionate, strong, disciplined and technically gifted team. So it’s going to be an exciting game.

“We’re happy that we’re at home in front of the Arsenal fans. The team is doing really well – and it’s not only what you see; the results are the result of what they’re doing in the background, how they’re investing and how we are together in everything at the moment.

“It’s a pleasure to work with the team and I’m really happy that they get the results and the wins. They deserve it.”