Arsenal shocked by a blow they didn’t see coming in Women’s Champions League semi-finals
It was the burst of light to silence the noise of the Emirates. Arsenal had Lyon on the ropes, clawing themselves level at last through Mariona Caldentey’s penalty after subjecting the eight-time Women’s Champions League winners to an onslaught of pressure. A 1-1 draw to take into the semi-final second leg would have felt deserved and, if anything, Arsenal would have come away regretting their missed chances against the French champions. “We felt like we could have scored another one,” said Renee Slegers.
But, thanks to the sensational Melchie Dumornay, Arsenal require another comeback if they are to reach their first Champions League final since 2007. The dramatic late intervention from the best young player in the world came four minutes after Caldentey’s equaliser and was the sucker-punch Arsenal did not see coming. For Dumornay, the 21-year-old Haitian star, her surging run through the middle of Emily Fox and Steph Catley and finish over Manuela Zinsberger was the moment she properly announced her arrival on the European stage.
Dumornay had troubled English opposition before, lighting up Haiti’s World Cup defeat to the Lionesses in Brisbane, and had signalled her threat and talent in the first half with an audacious chip from 35 yards that crashed against the bar. The forward still came away with the decisive moment, in what was Lyon’s only shot at the Arsenal goal in the second half. But Lyon’s danger lingered under the surface and they showed they could strike in seconds with Kadi Diani’s first-half opener and Dumornay’s winner. “It’s very high level opposition,” Slegers said. “You get punished if you make mistakes.”
Lyon were always going to be a far tougher challenge than the one Arsenal faced in defeating Real Madrid in the semi-finals. But Slegers and her side were applauded by the raucous home crowd on their lap of the Emirates, after a second-half display that delivered on the hunger and intensity that the Dutch coach had called for. “We had the courage and the bravery to play our game,” Slegers said. “We grew into it.” After a start where they could have been overawed, it was a fine performance, but one that just lacked a touch more composure in the finer details.
Lyon’s obvious strengths in behind meant Arsenal’s press had to be perfect to play the high line, but Joe Montemurro’s side played through it to perfection to take the lead in the tie. The former Arsenal manager, now in charge of Lyon, had spotted the gaps Arsenal sometimes leave behind Katie McCabe at left back. From a Christiane Endler goal-kick, two passes allowed Lindsey Heaps to drive forward from the touchline and another straight ball released the pace of Diani. Kept onside by Fox, who did not step up in time, the France international was given all the time and space she needed to fire across Zinsberger.
The Lyon celebrations were delayed by the offside flag but Diani looked convinced and knew she was onside. Lyon should have had the lead even earlier when Zinsberger spilled Selma Bacha’s low drive and Danielle van de Donk somehow turned wide against her former team when it looked easier to score. It was an ominous, assured start from the eight-time winners, even with their captain Wendie Renard and the former Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg only on the bench.
But this Lyon side was led by a new star in Dumornay, who started at the tip of their fluid front three and caused Arsenal problems with a tendency to drop into midfield. Just as Arsenal started to show signs of their press clicking into action, Dumornay almost cut through it in style: a stunning chip from distance clipping the crossbar with Zinsberger beaten. After Madrid, Arsenal were inches away from falling two goals behind again in the Champions League.
But the fight-back began in the first leg. Endler was not tested in the first half but Arsenal went close with Frida Maanum heading at the end of a promising spell. Arsenal had been boosted by Alessia Russo’s return from injury and the striker almost equalised on the stroke of half-time. The lack of Renard’s towering presence in the box was almost exposed as McCabe clipped in a cross and Russo’s header looped onto the bar.
Untroubled in the first half, Endler faced a flurry of chances after the restart. Endler was forced to come off her line to smother a chance for Caitlin Foord, with Russo’s follow-up blocked. Mead should have scored from Maanum’s excellent cross, then Stina Blackstenius should have shot when Endler came off her line and her clearance fell straight to the Arsenal substitute, but she tried to find Russo and Lyon recovered. Arsenal scored three times in the second half against Madrid and on another day could have had the same here.
Slegers rued a missed opportunity. “When we had momentum we needed to score, but we should have scored at least one more in that phase of the game,” she said. Lyon hung on to stay alive. “Arsenal gave us a lot of difficulty,” Montemurro admitted. “For 22 minutes in the second half, we suffered.”
Still, Endler’s decision-making was beginning to offer Arsenal encouragement and, in the 75th minute, they were handed a lifeline. From an inswinging McCabe corner, Endler attempted to punch the cross away but caught Leah Williamson in the head with her gloves. Arsenal did not appeal, with Russo’s glancing header drifting wide, but VAR intervened: Caldentey stepped up and sent Endler the wrong way to deservedly level.
The Emirates and crowd of 40,000 was the loudest it had been, only for the noise to be punctured. “It was disappointing they scored quickly afterwards,” Slegers said. Lyon had offered virtually nothing in the second half but regained their lead within four minutes of Caldentey’s equaliser. In a flash, Dumornay collected a pass from substitute Amel Majri, lowered her head, and pulled away from Fox and Catley before finishing past Zinsberger. Lyon led thanks to a moment, that was it, and it leaves Arsenal with it all to do in France.
