The Gunners were briefly level in the tie after Mariona Caldentey's penalty, but goals from Kadidiatou Diani and Melchie Dumornay gave OL the win
Arsenal will need to beat Lyon in France next week if they are to reach a first Women's Champions League final since they triumphed in the 2007 edition of the competition, after falling to a 2-1 defeat at home. The Gunners were by no means poor in the first leg of this semi-final and they had plenty of chances to get a positive result – they just didn't take them. Instead, clinical finishes from Kadidiatou Diani and Melchie Dumornay fired the eight-time European champions to victory in London, despite Mariona Caldentey briefly equalising from the spot.
It took Lyon just 17 minutes to break the deadlock, though they should've done so earlier when former Arsenal star Danielle van de Donk somehow missed from inside the six-yard box. It wouldn't come back to bite her, though, as Diani arrowed a shot beyond Manuela Zinsberger to put the visitors in a good position in the early stages. The Gunners had a whole host of opportunities to change the result, however, with Frida Maanum also guilty of a big miss and Alessia Russo watching a header crash off the bar, after Dumornay had hit the woodwork from range at the other end.
Despite more chances for Caitlin Foord, Beth Mead and Russo, it wasn't until 12 minutes from time that there was another goal and it was a controversial one. There were confusion, and no real appeals, when the referee was instructed by the VAR team to take another look at Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler making contact with Leah Williamson in the box, resulting in an Arsenal penalty that Caldentey coolly converted.
However, there was still time for Lyon to retake the lead, with an incisive team move finished off by Dumornay late on to give the French champions the advantage heading into their home leg next week.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…
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Manuela Zinsberger (6/10):
Was very lucky to get away with palming the ball right into the path of Van de Donk early on. Was otherwise composed, though, including on the ball.
Emily Fox (5/10):
Had good moments, regularly popping up with important interventions, but was guilty of playing Diani onside for the opening goal and didn't get close enough to Dumornay for the second.
Leah Williamson (6/10):
Stood up well to Lyon's dangerous attack, thwarting a few promising moves, but was caught out when she stepped up late on and Dumornay burst into that space to put Lyon ahead again.
Steph Catley (6/10):
Had a couple of iffy moments, though was generally solid without being spectacular.
Katie McCabe (6/10):
Created plenty of chances with her balls into the box. Hard to ignore the disappointing role she played in Diani's goal when she jumped to intercept Carpenter's pass and got nowhere near it, however.
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Kim Little (6/10):
Was sloppy in possession at times but battled hard to win it back and did so more than any other player.
Mariona Caldentey (7/10):
Was great on the ball but struggled to sprinkle her usual magic onto the game from a deeper position. Was cool as ever from the spot, though.
Frida Maanum (6/10):
A good performance, with her always looking to get a shot off and able to create a fantastic chance for Mead. Should've equalised with a header inside the six-yard box, however.
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Beth Mead (6/10):
Combined well with Fox and set Maanum up with a huge chance, though missed a great opening that the Norwegian provided for her in return. A lively but unpolished display.
Alessia Russo (6/10):
Didn't have much service at all. Was unlucky not to score late in the first half when a header from one of her only opportunities hit the bar.
Caitlin Foord (5/10):
Worked hard off the ball and created some promising moments, though did walk a fine line on a yellow card. Lucky not to be sent off, in truth.
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Chloe Kelly (6/10):
Made a positive impact, both in open play and with her set-piece deliveries.
Stina Blackstenius (5/10):
Could've scored within seconds of coming on but opted to pass rather than shoot. Struggled to get involved otherwise.
Lia Walti (N/A):
Came on for the final few minutes, after Lyon retook the lead.
Victoria Pelova (X/10):
Introduced at the same time as Walti but didn't have much time to make an impact.
Renee Slegers (5/10):
Kept Caldentey in the deeper, central role she's thrived in as of late but it didn't quite pay off and it wasn't until the final five minutes that she pushed her further forward.
