Arsenal begin Champions League title defence with clumsy loss to Lyon
Despite taking an early lead, the Gunners were full of errors and lacking in creativity as they went down 2-1 on a disappointing opening night in Europe's top competition
That night in Lisbon feels like a long time ago.
Arsenal have opened their Champions League title defence with a 2-1 home loss to OL Lyonnes at home at Meadow Park. It is their fourth consecutive match without a win (W0-D2-L2).
On Matchday 1 of the 2025-26 competition, it was a night of heavy rotation for both clubs. Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers made five changes to her team that lost 3-2 to Manchester City at the weekend, while Jonatan Giraldez opted to change nine of his starting XI.
The Gunners got off to the perfect start when a mazy run into a crowded box by Beth Mead ended with a pass squeaking out to Alessia Russo, who confidently fired the ball home after seven minutes.
That lead lasted just 11 minutes. Quickly, a dream opening turned nightmarish when a back-pass from Steph Catley wasn’t correctly controlled by Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, and Melchie Dumornay pounced on the loose ball. Van Domselaar managed to stop her first attempt before Dumornay followed up on the rebound.
Within five minutes of the equaliser, Arsenal went behind 2-1 in similar circumstances. This time, it was Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps breaking up a throw out of the box by van Domeselaar, with Katie Reid then unable to intervene decisively in the box. Dumornay again collected the loose ball, and this time the Haitian made absolutely no mistake with her first shot, slamming the ball into the top corner with technical brilliance.
Unfortunately for Lyon, the night was spoiled by Liana Joseph limping off the pitch in the 68th minute. The 19-year-old French forward had come off the bench to replace Tabitha Chawinga for her Champions League debut just moments before the injury.
Just 163 days since Arsenal went to Lyon and came away with a shock 4-1 victory in last season’s semi-finals, Lyon got some taste of revenge in Borehamwood. But the competition has a long way yet to go.
“Well, of course, we were motivated to put things right [after that semi-final defeat],” said Dumornay on the broadcast. “Now we just have to keep working hard, there is plenty more of this tournament to come.”
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
What defined Arsenal’s match
Errors and turning the ball over. Arsenal’s defence was always going to be called into question against Lyon’s star-studded frontline, but what will cause so much frustration was just how easy it was for the visitors to flip the script at Meadow Park.
Both Lyon goals came from Arsenal players turning over the ball inside their own box. Van Domselaar’s miscontrol handed Dumornay the first on a plate, and then Reid was unable to get a proper connection on a headed clearance that allowed Dumornay to bag another.
Outside of those two goals created by errors, Lyon generated eight shots inside the box in total. Yes, the visitors created chances, but Arsenal did well enough to limit the threat level when they weren’t making mistakes on the ball.
“We’re in a bit of a blip and we’re aware of that,” Russo said on the Disney+ broadcast. “I think there’s lots to it. First and foremost, we need to look at ourselves… we’re letting teams get attacks on us by our own mistakes, we need to take accountability.”
Arsenal were lucky it wasn’t 3-1 in the 64th minute when Marie-Antoinette Katato failed to stab home the ball from close range after another big chance from a high turnover.
If Arsenal had shown better concentration, composure, and taken care of the ball, then this could have been a very different night.
What defined Lyon’s match
Commanding their box and winning duels. After a chaotic start and going behind early, Lyon grew into the match by leaning into their physicality and no-nonsense approach.
Giraldez’s decision to play Tarciane as a right-back paid off, with her strength too much for a struggling Chloe Kelly. Similarly, Wendie Renard was at her indomitable best in the centre, dealing with any cross that came into the box. At left-back, Salma Bacha had a more demanding role to break forward and press, but did it with aplomb.
The entire Lyon backline lost just 3/12 aerial duels all night, with Arsenal connecting on just 2/16 crosses. Russo managed just two shots in a 75-minute appearance, and 51 minutes passed between her goal and a flailing, minor flicked chance from 16 yards in the early part of the second half.
Even after Slegers turned to her bench to freshen up the frontline with Caitlin Foord (one shot, zero chances created) and Olivia Smith (zero shots, zero chances created), there was just no breaching the firmness and determination of Lyon’s defence. Arsenal couldn’t find a way.
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The win keeps intact Lyon’s Champions League unbeaten streak when playing in England. Since 2007, the French champions have a record of W7-D2-L0 in nine trips across the Channel. Oddly enough, they are less dominant on home turf — at home against English clubs in the Champions League, their record stands at W4-D1-L4.
Manchester United will be the next English club to try and break that record when they welcome Lyon to Leigh Sports Village in December. It will also be the first-ever meeting between those two clubs.
What next
Arsenal will hope to turn around their poor run of form on Sunday in the WSL, when they face Brighton & Hove Albion at home. The Gunners’ next test in the Champions League will be next Thursday night, 16 October, away to Benfica.
For Lyon, there is no domestic football coming up this weekend in the French Premiere Ligue. Instead, preparation begins for a Champions League tie against St. Polten on Wednesday, 15 October. A luxury.