Arsenal stunned Lyon to reach their first Women’s Champions League final since 2007, as Renée Slegers’s side produced a mature display full of desire, resilience and attacking brilliance to secure an impressive comeback in France. They beat the last season’s runners-up 4-1 thanks to an own goal from Christiane Endler and strikes from Mariona Caldentey, Alessia Russo and Caitlin Foord.
The final in May will be the first of Slegers’s fledgling management career. The 36-year-old was delighted with her team’s success as they reached a European final at her first attempt.
“I’m so proud of the whole team,” she said. “I am so happy for everyone that we have achieved this. It’s a team performance and I don’t take myself out of the team … There is so much work that has been done before both to qualify this season and also all the work the club has done through many years to get us into this position. It is so good as an organisation to be able to compete in this final.”
On a balmy day in the south-east of France, there was a discernible buzz surrounding the stadium. The local bars were awash with fans, enjoying the afternoon sun in nervous anticipation for the match ahead. Among them the several hundred travelling Arsenal fans, decked out in their customary red and white, seemed in a jubilant if wary mood as they contemplated their side’s chances. The 2-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg had been frustrating but these fans have witnessed this side come back from the brink on more than one occasion and there was optimism that they could do it once more.
There had been clear belief emanating from the Arsenal camp since the final whistle on 19 April. They had been disappointed with the result but clearly felt that they had produced a performance to merit coming away with more. The Arsenal manager had spoken about her faith in her team’s ability to continue to exploit Lyon but stressed their need to “remain humble” throughout.
Slegers made two alterations to the side that started in the first leg. The big surprise was the return of Daphne van Domselaar in goal. The Dutch international had picked up an ankle injury during the last international break which was meant to keep her out for about five weeks, but she appeared to have made a remarkable recovery. Chloe Kelly, meanwhile, came into attack in place of Beth Mead.
Joe Montemurro also made two changes as he opted to bring in a wealth of experience. The imperious Wendie Renard had recovered to full fitness to take a place at the heart of the Lyon defence, making her 500th appearance for the club. Ada Hegerberg, the all-time record goalscorer in the Women’s Champions League, also returned to lead the line, with the exciting Melchie Dumornay dropping into midfield.
Arsenal had been criticised for their slow start in the first leg but there were no such issues on Sunday. The Gunners seem to enjoy playing on this expansive pitch – on their last visit to Lyon in 2022 they came away with a 5-1 win – and they were immediately exploiting the spaces afforded to them. They did not have to wait long for the breakthrough, striking within five minutes to level the tie on aggregate. The Chilean goalkeeper Endler made a superb stop in the buildup, turning Kim Little’s effort instinctively past the post. The hosts, however, were all at sea when defending the subsequent corner. The ball bounced off Frida Maanum and then the unfortunate home goalkeeper before rolling into the net.
It was inevitable that there would be some nervy moments for Arsenal’s defence to deal with but they held their own and restricted Lyon to one shot on target in the first half. Foord, meanwhile, stung Endler’s gloves once more before Russo misdirected a header from an unmarked position.
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This game was a masterclass from Arsenal in scoring at the perfect moment and the visitors doubled their lead deep into first-half injury time. Caldentey has been the signing of the season for the Gunners and produced a superb curling effort for her seventh in the competition.
Lyon were visibly shellshocked, and their fortunes failed to change after the break. In fact, their afternoon got even worse as Foord and Maanum won their respective duels to send through Russo to score. The visitors were enjoying themselves and added a fourth with half an hour to play when Foord pounced to put the visitors in complete control.
The hosts rallied in the closing stages, finding a consolation through Dumornay, but Arsenal showed their resilience. It was a famous occasion for the Gunners as they progressed to the final in Lisbon on 24 May. They will face the holders Barcelona who beat Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate earlier in the day.
Source: theguardian.com
