Arsenal vs Lyon LIVE: Gunners edged out in thrilling Women’s Champions League semi-final first leg
Arsenal 1-2 Lyon: A thrilling first leg saw both teams throw caution to the wind but goals from Kadi Diani and Melchie Dumornay bested Mariona Caldentey’s penalty, leaving the Gunners with everything to do in France next week
Melchie Dumornay scored an 82nd-minute winner as Lyon stunned Arsenal to win the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final 2-1 at the Emirates.
Mariona Caldentey had equalised for the home side four minutes prior to the eventual winner after Arsenal, who struggled to replicate the form shown in their midweek 5-1 win over Leicester, had fallen behind to Kadidiatou Diani's goal.
But after Calendtey's penalty, Lyon's front three caused further issues for Arsenal's backline and Dumornay was on hand to steal the win on foreign soil ahead of the return leg next week.
Relive all the action from the semi-final first leg with our live blog below:
Arsenal 0-0 Lyon, 4 mins
Boos around the Emirates as the ageless Kim Little is penalised for a foul in midfield. Her crime appeared to be using her strength to keep her opposite number away from the ball. Should have been a free-kick the other way, if anything. The crowd are really into this early on
Arsenal 0-0 Lyon, 2 mins
Arsenal boss Renee Slegers talked about wanting to “grab this game by throat”, so it will be interesting to see what their approach is.
They’ve dominated possession in the early going and they have the first shot of the day as Frida Maanum takes aim but it’s straight at the normally impenetrable Christiane Endler.
KICK-OFF! Arsenal 0-0 Lyon
Decent atmosphere at the Emirates and it’s glorious weather. Can Arsenal find a way to take an advantage against the most successful team in Women’s Champions League history back to Lyon for the second leg?
Arsenal v Lyon teams
Only a few minutes until kick-off now. Here’s a reminder how the teams will line up today.
Arsenal XI: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona; Mead, Maanum, Foord; Russo
Lyon XI: Endler; Carpenter, Gilles, Sombath, Bacha; Egurrola, Van de Donk, Heaps; Diani, Dumornay, Chawinga
An all-English final or repeat of last year?
Arsenal have not played a Women’s Champions League final since their last victory in this tournament - although that was under the old format in the Uefa Women’s Cup in 2007.
The last English team to reach the final was Chelsea in 2021, where they were thrashed by Barcelona. And there remains the possibility of an all-English final with the Blues facing Barcelona for the third year running in the semi-finals.
Or, will there be a repeat of last year’s final in Bilboa? Lyon were runners-up last year and will be out for revenge.
Lyon's formidable record in Champions League semi-finals
Lyon have won their last 11 Women’s Champions League semi-final ties, although the last time they faced an English team in the knockout stages, against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, they went out on penalties.
Arsenal have lost their last four Women’s Champions League semi-final ties, including against Wolfsburg at this stage two years ago.
Lyon's record in the Women's Champions League
Lyon are record eight-time winners of the Champions League and are looking to win their first title since 2022.
They were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Chelsea in 2023 and lost in the final to Barcelona last season in Bilbao.
They won the competition five years in a row between 2016 and 2020.
Arsenal vs Lyon team news
Alessia Russo starts for Arsenal but Chloe Kelly is only fit enough for the bench, though Beth Mead is an excellent replacement as her England team-mate keeps her place on the right wing.
As expected, the injured goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar is replaced by Manuela Zinsberger. Arsenal are otherwise unchanged from the side that defeated Real Madrid 3-0 in the quarter-final second leg.
For Lyon, the big news is that captain Wendie Renard is only on the bench, with Alice Sombath and Vanessa Gilles in defence. Ada Hegerberg is also on the bench, with Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Tabitha Chawinga starting.
Danielle van de Donk starts in midfield against her former team, alongside United States captain Lindsey Heaps.
The Champions League parallel Arsenal can take into Lyon semi-final
The early May bank holiday of 2023 is a significant date in Arsenal’s history. It was the first time the club had sold out the Emirates for a women’s match, paving the way for Arsenal to commit to hosting the majority of the team’s games at their main stadium. But, on a defiant, thrilling night in north London, Arsenal were defeated in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals. Wolfsburg progressed 5-4 on aggregate with a goal in the final minute of extra time.
Almost two years on, Arsenal’s semi-final first leg against the eight-time European champions Lyon stands as their biggest match since that historic occasion.
.jpeg?trim=0,0,0,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments