Chloe Kelly revealed Arsenal legend Thierry Henry inspired the already iconic celebration that followed her decisive contribution in England’s nerve-shredding Euro 2025 semi-final win over Italy.
Sarina Wiegman’s escapology experts battled back from the brink again last night and rescued another impossible situation.
Underdogs Italy led until the 97th minute, courtesy of Barbara Bonansea’s first half strike, before teenage substitute Michelle Agyemang enhanced her burgeoning reputation with a dramatic equaliser.
After their astonishing penalty shootout win over Sweden in the previous round, the Lionesses looked certain to go the distance again with both teams showing major signs of fatigue in extra time.
But, after Emma Severini was penalised for grapping with Beth Mead, Kelly was afforded the chance to win the contest from the spot in the final minute of extra time.
The Arsenal forward, who was only one of three out of seven England players to convert from 12 yards against the Swedes, saw her effort saved by Laura Giuliani but displayed all of her natural goalscoring instincts to pounce on the rebound.
Kelly reacted by mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘calma’ celebration, before nonchalantly posing by the corner flag.
‘It was actually just more like chill out, I was going to score the tap-in,’ she said in her post match press conference.
‘I think I got a lot of people nervous with missing the penalty but chill it was OK. And then yeah, Thierry Henry inspired me with that second one.’
Kelly, who scored the winning goal three years ago in the final against Germany, has enjoyed a renaissance over the course of the last six months.
Having been frozen out by Manchester City last season, the 27-year-old contemplated quitting the sport before she returned to Arsenal on loan and rediscovered her love for the game after playing a part in the Gunners’ Champions League winning campaign.
Asked where she gets her confidence, Kelly said, ‘Myself.’
‘The moments when in January I felt like giving up football makes you so grateful for these moments here today, and this makes you enjoy every minute of that,” said Kelly, who did her trademark prancing penalty run-up.
‘I think confidence comes from within, but from around you as well. The players that we stand side by side with on the pitch give confidence in each other.’
Wiegman, meanwhile, predicted much more to come from ‘something special’Agyemang after the 19-year-old saved England from the brink of elimination for the second time in the competition.
Agyemang has scored three times in her first four appearances for the defending champions.
‘She has something special,’ Wiegman said of Agyemang, who levelled with less than two minutes remaining in second-half stoppage time.
‘She’s only 19-years-old, she’s very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do.
‘When you talk about little things that she picks up straight away, because she’s not only in the 18-yard box very dangerous but when we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well too.
‘Even when you saw her shot hit the crossbar, that was not just a shot, she was aiming for it. If she continues like this she has a very bright future.’
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