That’s all from me today. I hope you have a fantastic afternoon and enjoy Sophie Downey’s match report.
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WSL roundup
Manchester United’s hopes of claiming the Women’s Super League title suffered a setback as they were held in a goalless draw at West Ham.
United bossed possession and kept West Ham under pressure but failed to make it pay against the determined hosts, who threatened themselves late on and were worthy of their point. The result leaves United five points behind leaders Chelsea, who have a game in hand and face United on 30 April.
Liverpool moved above Brighton into fifth place with a 2-1 win on the south coast. Olivia Smith turned in an excellent cross from Ceri Holland to open the scoring just two minutes in and Holland set up the second just before half-time, capitalising on a defensive mix-up to tee up Leanne Kiernan.
Nineteen-year-old Michelle Agyemang pulled one back for Brighton at the start of the second half to set Liverpool nerves jangling, but they hung on for victory.
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The Arsenal fans got behind their side at the Emirates as usual. In comparison, the record attendance at the Groupama Stadium for Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is 38,466 during their 2024 Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
🏟️👏#UWCL pic.twitter.com/TMelcd3efk
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) April 19, 2025
🇫🇷 A first-leg victory for Lyon! #UWCL pic.twitter.com/cGCsVvPmxm
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) April 19, 2025
Full time: Arsenal 1-2 Lyon
An accomplished performance from the eight time champions sees Lyon head into the second leg with the advantage. There were encouraging signs for Renee Slegers’ side as they grew into the second half and pulled one back through Caldentey. Yet Lyon were ultimately more clinical – strikes from Dumornay and Diani proving to be the difference.
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90+5 min: One last chance for Arsenal! Kim Little plays a through ball to Arsenal’s forwards but Endler is out quickly and heads the ball away.
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90+4 min: Lyon are content to pass the ball around and run down the clock.
90 min: There will be five minutes of additional time.
88 min: The Arsenal fans seemed stunned. The stadium was bouncing a few minutes ago but it’s eerily quiet now.
85 min: Lyon have the ability to turn it on when their opponents least expect it. The goal seemed to catch Arsenal by surprise.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Lyon (Dumornay, 82)
Fantastic goal from Lyon! Just when the momentum was shifting in Arsenal’s favour, the pendulum swings back the other way. A series of first-time passes from Lyon split Arsenal wide open. Amel Majri plays it into Dumornay who races away from Emily Fox before smashing the ball past Zinsberger.
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80 min: The Arsenal fans are getting louder. Chloe Kelly takes on the fullback before smashing the ball over the bar.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Lyon (Caldentey, 77)
Chloe Kelly hands the ball to Caldentey who will do the honours. The former Barcelona player calmy sidefoots her penalty into the bottom right. She sends Endler the wrong way and Arsenal are back in the game.
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Penalty to Arsenal
There’s a VAR check after McCabe’s corner. It appears that Endler punched Williamson when she tried to claim the ball. A lifeline for Arsenal!
73 min: McCabe plays a fantastic ball into the box from a corner. Endler comes to claim the ball but gets nowhere near it. Blackstenius can only glance the ball wide with her header.
71 min: Arsenal have looked much better in the second half than the first. They’re comfortable in possession but they need to be wary of Lyon’s pace on the counterattack.
63 min: Mistake from Endler! The goalkeeper hangs on to the ball for a second too long and her pass is cut out by Stina Blackstenius. The second half substitue is about 30 yards out but decides to pass to Russo instead of shooting. The pass doesn’t quite come off though and Endler is able to recover.
62 min: Chloe Kelly and Stina Blackstenius are one for Beth Mead and Frida Maanum.
61 min: Mariona Caldentey crosses the ball into the box from the left and it’s almost a repeat of Arsenal’s chance in the first half. Beth Mead heads the ball across the box but Maanum can’t quite connect with the ball.
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57 min: The game is really opening up. Maanum whips in a delicious delivery from the right. Beth Mead throws herself at it in the middle and heads the ball over the bar.
51 min: Big chance for Arsenal. Lyon fail to clear the corner away properly and Frida Maanum speculatively shoots from outside the box. It’s not a great effort but Caitlin Foord latches onto it and shoots at Endler. The Lyon goalkeeper makes a great save before Russo’s follow up is cleared off the line.
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50 min: Arsenal are growing into the game at the start of the second half. The fans are lifting their voices as Arsenal win a corner on the right.
45 min: Lyon get the ball rolling again, kicking from left to right.
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Half time: Arsenal 0-1 Lyon
The Arsenal players are still calling for a penalty after McCabe tripped in the box. Suddenly, the home team have come to life after Lyon dominated the first 40 minutes. Can Arsenal take this momentum into the second half?
Some half-time reading for you:
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45+1 min: Now it’s Arsenal’s turn to hit the crossbar! Mead takes the free kick and lays the ball off to Mead who curls a cross into the box. Alessia Russo jumps highest and crashes the ball against the bar. It’s pinball in the box and Arsenal are calling for a penalty.
45 min: There will be one minute of added time at the end of the first half.
44 min: A few challenges are flying in. The Lyon midfielder van de Donk fouls Mead and Arsenal win a corner on the right.
42 min: Arsenal have failed to test to really test Christiane Endler. This is a Lyon defensive line without their captain, Wendie Renard, by the way.
37 min: Arsenal are struggling to nullify Lyon’s front three. Tabitha Chawinga and Dumornay link up again before Leah Williamson makes a challenge.
32 min: Dumornay almost catches Zinsberger out with an audacious chip. After a turnover in play, Dumornay picks the ball up and to my surprise shoots from 30 yards out. She catches Zinsberger by surprise as well as the goalkeeper can only watch the ball hit the crossbar.
28 min: The Arsenal fans are getting behind their team. McCabe takes the vocal cue and whips the ball into the box. Beth Mead manages to head it across the box to Frida Maanum but the Norwegian heads it agonisingly wide from six yards out.
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26 min: Now it’s time for Melchie Dumornay to have a go. The striker receives the ball on the half turn and drags her left-footed effort wide of the post.
25 min: Diani is causing all sorts of problems for Arsenal. The winger picks up the ball on the right and dances past McCabe before chipping the ball into the box. Nothing comes of it but Diani is winning her duels.
21 min: Another opportunity for Lyon! Bacha swings a corner into the box straight onto the head of a black shirt. Arsenal just about manage to head it away.
19 min: Arsenal didn’t heed the early warning signs. It’s one thing to allow the Lyon full-back Bacha an opportunity but you can’t to give Diani chances.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Lyon (Diani, 16)
Kadidiatou Diani breaks the deadlock! The Lyon forward latches onto a through ball and races away on the right. Allowed too much space, the France international arrows the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal.
After a VAR check for offside, the goal stands.
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12 min: Arsenal are trying to find their rhythm. They’ve already had a couple of warning signs from Bacha and van de Donk.
5 min: Selma Bacha has her first sight of goal. She lets it fly from about 25 yards out, forcing Manuela Zinsberger to make a smart save down to her left. Zinsberger can only parry it away to Daniëlle van de Donk but the former Arsenal player hits it wide.
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2 min: The atmosphere is electric at the Emirates. Arsenal, who are used to attracting anything between 30,000 and 60,000 fans, have a similar level of support today.
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Kick off
Arsenal get us under way kicking the ball from left to right.
The players are making their way to the pitch. The stage is set for a mouthwatering encounter.
Here’s a message from Andrew Fynn:
“Is this an epochal year for Arsenal? How much talk in the team, I wonder, has there been of that hallowed phrase … Double Champions League Winners 2025?”
It may be a bit early for that but Arsenal fans can surely dream.
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Some pre-match reading for you …
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The teams
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe, Little, Caldentey, Maanum, Mead, Russo, Foord. Substitutes: Williams, Ilestedt, Reid, Nighswonger, Walti, Cooney-Cross, Pelova, Kafaji, Kelly, Blackstenius.
Lyon: Endler, Carpenter, Gilles, Sombath, Bacha, Horan,Egurrola, Van de Donk, Diani, Dumornay, Chawinga. Substitutes: Benkarth, Huerta, Renard, Junttila-Nelhage, Majri, Dabritz, Le Sommer, Marozsan, Hegerberg, Svava, Becho, Tarciane Karen.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to minute-by-minute coverage of the Women’s Champions League semi-final clash between Arsenal and Lyon.
Arsenal welcome Joe Montemurro back to the Emirates after his stint at the club from 2017 to 2021. There’s further familiarity between Montemurro and the current Arsenal manager Renée Slegers – Montemurro was paired with Slegers on the 2019-21 Uefa coach mentor programme. Slegers, who has guided Arsenal to 22 wins in her 27 games in charge, will be keen to show her mentor what she has learned. The home side are seeking to emulate their 5-1 victory over Lyon in the 2022-23 group stage.
Meanwhile, serial winners Lyon are aiming to move a step closer to winning a record extending ninth Champions League title. They’re in good form, having dispatched Bayern Munich 6-1 on aggregate in their quarter-final. Montemurro’s side have only lost once all season and boast an elite strikeforce, including Kadidiatou Diani, Ada Hegerberg and Melchie Dumornay. Arsenal will need to keep them quiet to have a chance of going through.
Kick-off is at 12.30pm BST. Email me with your thoughts.
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