How Arsenal’s lack of intensity cost them against Lyon
The Gunners suffered a 3-1 defeat (agg: 4-3) to Lyon in Champions League semi-final
Arsenal’s hold on the Uefa Women’s Champions League has finally slipped. For the first time since September 2023, and the first time ever under Renee Slegers, the Gunners have to swallow the bitter pill of European elimination.
Saturday’s 3-1 (agg 4-3) semi-final defeat to Lyon also comes three years and one day on from their last loss in a two-legged Champions League tie. That defeat against Wolfsburg came in similarly agonising circumstances, with a late goal ultimately deciding the tie against the Gunners on both occasions.
This time, it was Jule Brand whose goals in London and in Lyon ultimately decided the tie, delivering the decisive blow with a perfectly weighted first touch to set herself before cooly slotting past the onrushing Daphne van Domselaar.
That goal capped off what had a been a breathless European tie that swung back and forth before finally landing in Lyon’s favour once the music stopped. In truth Lyon’s second leg performance was worthy of a place in the final, with Arsenal struggling with the home team’s intensity in the first half.
Speaking to CBS Sports after the match, Leah Williamson reflected on how Lyon’s approach in the first half of the second leg mirrored what Arsenal had done so well in the second half of the first leg, “they didn’t match our intensity at the Emirates. I think they took it another level in the first half, and it took us too long to catch up”, she said.
Looking back on where the tie was lost, it is the first half in Lyon that Arsenal will look back on with regret. When the Gunners travelled to Lyon to complete an unlikely second leg comeback in the semi-final last season, it was Arsenal who took the game to their opponents, knowing that only a win would do if they wanted to reach the Champions League final.
This time around, the roles were reversed, and it was Lyon who were quick out of the blocks. In many ways, the way in which Arsenal only narrowly survived a Chelsea onslaught in the second leg of their quarter-final, should have provided something of a warning here. On that occasion, they allowed Chelsea to take the game to them, and ultimately had a heroic performance from van Domselaar to thank for making it through to the final four.
The approach against Lyon was similar, with the Gunners showing a lack of intent with the ball while their opponents went for the kill. In some ways, it was a worst-of-both-worlds approach from Slegers’ team, who showed little intent with the ball, but were exposed in the wide areas when possession was lost.
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