Key events
43 min: A loose Arsenal pass is intercepted and the ball is sent out to Dumornay on the right. The forward goes for the cross but McCabe can make the interception.
40 min: Foord attempts to slip Maanum through on goal in the box, but the midfielder doesn’t seem to anticipate the pass and Lyon have a goal kick.
38 min: Lyon have a corner and Arsenal make the clearance, but the ball only runs as far as Carpenter around 30 yards out from goal. The defender goes for the shot and blazes her effort over the bar. Another heart-in-mouth moment for the visitors.
35 min: Lyon have a free kick in a very threatening position after Dumornay is fouled by Maanum. Bacha steps up to take and fires her effort narrowly over the crossbar. Arsenal breathe a sigh of relief.
34 min: Caldentey picks up a loose ball and goes for an audacious shot from around 25 yards out, but her effort is off-target. Arsenal are really piling on the pressure now.
33 min: Another big chance for Arsenal as McCabe fires in a cross from the left. Russo is in the middle but can’t make contact.
31 min: Van Domselaar is now down and receiving treatment. The Dutch goalkeeper is just returning from an ankle injury so Renée Slegers will be hoping this is not too serious.
29 min: Looking at the replay, Catley and McCabe appeared to accidentally kick each other while they both attempted a clearance. Very bizarre. But the Australian defender jogs off so I’m guessing she’s fine – for now, at least.
28 min: Catley is down holding her ankle. She seems to be in some discomfort here. Arsenal do not want to be forced into a change this early.
26 min: Caldentey intercepts another poor clearance from Lyon and sends a cross straight into Russo in the box. The striker goes for goal with a header but directs her effort wide.
25 min: McCabe frustrates Carpenter and forces a foul on the left. The free kick is taken, but Arsenal quickly lose possession.
22 min: Renard plays a fantastic switch pass over to Diani on the right, who looks to cut inside, but McCabe comes across to deflect the ball behind for a corner.
21 min: Lyon fans are ramping up their support for their team as we reach the midway point of the first half.
18 min: Bacha plays a looping cross deep into the box from the left. Dumornay is there and looks to direct the ball across goal, but her pass is far too high for her team-mates.
15 min: This has been a brilliant start for Arsenal. They need to remain focussed now. Lyon’s biggest threat is their strength and speed when playing forward on the break – which caught the Gunners out multiple times last week.
13 min: Catley now picks up possession on the left and swings a looping cross into the box, but Endler comes off her line to claim.
11 min: Foord receives the ball on the left. She cuts inside past Carpenter and makes her way into the box before going for goal, forcing Endler into a save at the near post.
8 min: Lyon search for the equaliser as a corner is sent into the box. Van Domselaar attempts to catch but spills the ball and comes all the way off her goal line. Renard wins possession and goes for goal but blasts her effort over the crossbar.
6 min: A corner is sent into the box and Egurrola looks to clear, but she heads her attempt into the back of Endler and the ball bounces over the line!
GOAL! Lyon 0-1 Arsenal (Christiane Endler, 5)
There it is! The early goal Arsenal needed! It’s all level! A huge moment for the WSL side!
4 min: Foord intercepts a Lyon clearance and plays a one-two with Russo before passing to Little, who forces a strong save from Endler. The visitors have a corner.
2 min: The corner is sent into the box and Williamson goes for the header at the back post but just misses it. Lyon can clear the danger.
1 min: Arsenal break forward early as the ball is played over to Kelly on the right. The winger looks to make the cross but instead wins a corner.
Kick-off
Here we go!
The stage is set at Parc Olympique Lyonnais…
Ahead of today’s match, Arsenal full-back Katie McCabe said: “I believe on Sunday we can go in and be positive and score goals. We have the quality. We have the class around the team, but we have to be on it. We have to be on it from the get-go. We’ve spoken about, obviously, Lyon and their strengths, but we know what we can do. We have the belief we can go and turn it around.”
Simon and Amelie are optimistic about an Arsenal comeback this evening…
“Let’s stay positive. Arsenal to go one down in the first half but hit back with 3 goals in the second half, like the Madrid game. We can do this!”
During her pre-match press conference, Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers said: “Well, of course, you want to set up yourself so you don’t have to overcome setbacks. That’s the starting point. But we also know that in sports it will happen, because the further you go, the better teams you play against, this will happen.
“You’re going to play against good teams and good players. So what happens with us when we are in that situation and we have to come back within those 90 minutes or in the second leg? And I think the team so far has shown so much strength in those moments. And I think that’s key for us to be a winning team, that whatever happens, we stick to it, we keep on going, we have a mindset of winning, we persist, and we keep on believing in what we’re doing and we’re aligned on that. And I think that’s what the team has been showing.
“They’ve invested so much, the players, into these processes. And I think that’s why we’ve been able to turn things around before. And that, of course, gives us belief for the future as well.”
Here’s Tom Garry’s report from Stamford Bridge if you fancy some pre-match reading…
I want to hear from you! Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any predictions, feelings thoughts and all that jazz. Is a comeback on the cards for Arsenal? Or will it be a second successive final for Lyon?
I also want to know your reaction to Barcelona’s win over Chelsea…
If you fancy more of an in-depth recap of last weekend’s action, read Sophie Downey’s match report here…
So, as we approach kick-off, let’s briefly rewind to last weekend. Over 40,000 people took to the Emirates Stadium on a sunny Easter Saturday to watch the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Lyon. After a nervous start, the Gunners began growing into the match but missed some glaring opportunities in front of goal. The home side found themselves behind when Kadidiatou Diani finished off a rapid Lyon attack.
Arsenal looked completely rejuvenated after half-time and pushed for an equaliser – which came when Mariona Caldentey converted a penalty in the 78th minute. But it didn’t take long for Melchie Dumornay to restore Lyon’s advantage by capitalising on a lapse in concentration from the Arsenal defence. The match finished 2-1 to Lyon, handing a huge boost to the French giants ahead of their home leg.
Elsewhere in the Women’s Champions League today, Barcelona have booked their place in the final with another 4-1 win over Chelsea (8-2 agg). Join Xaymaca Awoyungbo for all the reaction as we await kick-off in Lyon.
Daphne van Domselaar has returned to the Arsenal matchday squad for the first time since the international break. The goalkeeper suffered an injury to her ankle while on duty for Netherlands earlier this month and there were initial fears that she could miss several weeks of action. However, she has made a swift return in time for this huge game. Lotte Wubben-Moy is also back for the London side, although she starts on the bench.
Team news
Arsenal starting line-up: Daphne van Domselaar; Emily Fox, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Katie McCabe, Kim Little (C), Mariona Caldentey, Frida Maanum; Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, Caitlin Foord. Substitutes: Manuela Zinsberger, Naomi Williams, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Amanda Ilestedt, Katie Reid, Jenna Nighswonger, Lia Wälti, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Victoria Pelova, Rosa Kafaji, Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius.
Lyon starting line-up: Christiane Endler; Ellie Carpenter, Vanessa Gilles, Wendie Renard, Selma Bacha, Damaris Egurrola, Lindsey Heaps, Melchie Dumornay; Tabitha Chawinga, Ada Hegerberg, Kadidiatou Diani. Substitutes: Laura Benkarth, Sofia Huerta, Elma Junttila Nelhage, Alice Sombath, Sofie Svava, Tarciane, Sara Däbritz, Amel Majri, Dzsenifer Marozsán, Daniëlle van de Donk, Vicki Bècho, Eugénie Le Sommer.
Preamble
It’s crunch time. A place in the Champions League final awaits the winner of this evening’s highly-anticipated clash between Lyon and Arsenal. The French side approach the match with a one-goal advantage having won the first leg 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium. However, a place on the bill at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon is still within Arsenal’s reach.
Renée Slegers and Co believe they can overturn the scoreline, but it’ll be easier said than done. Nevertheless, it’s certainly not impossible.
Kick-off is at 5pm BST – you don’t want to miss it!
