Arsenal beat Lyon 2-1 in the first leg of the Women's Champions League semi-final, according to official match reports. This was Arsenal's first ever win against Lyon in London, as reported by multiple sources.
Lyon took an early lead through Jule Brand in the 18th minute, according to match reports. Arsenal's first goal was an own goal by Ingrid Engen, as reported by multiple sources. Arsenal's second goal was scored by Olivia Smith in the 83rd minute, according to official match reports. The comeback was fueled by a second-half performance that Arsenal captain Leah Williamson described as 'a team on a mission, fuelled by the crowd.' Manager Renee Slegers said the team had 'great solutions at half-time' and executed them 'with conviction in the second half.'
I do feel quite calm now, knowing that I have set down some roots here, but at the end of the day, football is football and you never know what’s next.
Olivia Smith, who scored the decisive goal, has been a key player in her first season at Arsenal, recording nine goals and three assists according to multiple reports. She made her senior debut for Canada at age 15 years and 94 days, becoming the youngest ever, as reported by major media. Former England defender Anita Asante praised Arsenal's display, saying 'the second-half display was that of European champions' and that 'other teams should be fearful of playing Arsenal.'
The attendance at Emirates Stadium was 26,758, according to multiple reports. The second leg will be played next Saturday in France, though the exact time has not been confirmed. Arsenal's injury concerns include the availability of Stina Blackstenius and Smilla Holmberg for the return match, while Lyon's Christiane Endler and Ingrid Engen collided during the match, but the extent of any injuries is unclear.
So I’m always on my toes but, right now, I’m kind of laid-back, just enjoying the time here in the present with Arsenal and looking forward to winning more silverware and growing as a player and a person.
In the WSL, Arsenal can move eight points behind Manchester City with a win against Leicester City, having two games in hand, according to multiple reports. Slegers said, 'It's good for the league that it stays exciting until the very end. We want to keep on pressing Man City for as long as it is possible.' In the other Champions League semi-final, Barcelona and Bayern Munich drew 1-1 in the first leg, according to multiple reports.
I’m glad that it looks like that from the outside. Internally, it was a bit more difficult coming from Liverpool and jumping in to the champions of Europe, but I have such a great support system.
He sometimes feels like he rushed me into it and maybe pushed me away, even though it’s something that I’ve always dreamed of and was kind of what was necessary for me to be where I am now.
The first half was quite even - we gave away a cheap goal. But what you saw second half was a team on a mission, fuelled by the crowd.
There was a phase in the first half where we wanted more aggression in our press and we had some great solutions at half-time. That was what we did with conviction in the second half.
The second-half display was that of European champions - they stifled Lyon. They were really deserving of the win and of overturning that record of never beating Lyon in London. Slegers deserves a lot of credit. I think the team managed the game very well - they stayed in it and were clinical when it mattered. Other teams should be fearful of playing Arsenal.
It's good for the league that it stays exciting until the very end. We have a very tight schedule. We want to keep on pressing Man City for as long as it is possible.