Goals from Kadidiatou Diani and Melchie Dumornay forced Arsenal to succumb a 1-2 loss in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final against Olympique Lyonnais, despite a Mariona Caldentey penalty that momentarily levelled the scoreline in the second half.
Diani had timed her run to perfection before slotting past Manuela Zinsberger with just over a quarter of an hour played in North London, with the goal given after a VAR review overruled the initial on-field decision of ‘no goal’.
Both sides struck the woodwork before the break and emerged from the interval displaying clear signs of attacking intent, but it was a controversial penalty that gifted the Gunners their leveller after Christiane Endler had been found to clip Leah Williamson as she attempted to clear a corner.
But parity lasted all of four minutes before Dumornay capped off a blistering counterattack with a fine finish, ensuring les Fenottes head to Lyon with the advantage ahead of next week’s second leg.
As it happened
Frida Maanum’s half-chance inside the opening minute – a skimmed effort that failed to truly test Christiane Endler – looked as though it’d be a squandered opportunity that would come back to bite the Gunners as they faced up against the eight-time UEFA Women’s Champions League winners in North London.
Manuela Zinsberger, deputising for the injured Daphne van Domselaar, was by far the busier of the two keepers throughout the first half and was called into actual to deny Selma Bacha’s driven strike from the edge of the box with just five minutes on the clock, watching on with relief as Daniëlle van de Donk spurned the rebound wide of the near post.
But against a side of Lyon’s quality, it’s never going to be long before they make their chances count – and they did just that with 16 minutes on the clock at Emirates Stadium. A rapid break initiated by Ellie Carpenter on the right flank saw Kadidiatou Diani played through on goal, slotting across Zinsberger and into the bottom left corner. The flag was promptly raised, though VAR swiftly overturned the onfield decision and allowed Lyon’s vocal travelling support to celebrate.
Embed from Getty ImagesJoe Montemurro’s side could quickly have extended their lead when Diani sent a well-placed cross for Melchie Dumornay at the far post that was ultimately nodded safely behind by Emily Fox, and they could have just as easily conceded the leveller when a Maanum header flew just wide of the near post as Arsenal began to solidify their presence in the attacking third.
It was Dumornay, though, who’d provide the moment that left fans on the edge of their seats when her audacious lob from 30 yards out looked to have a backpedaling Zinsberger beaten, only for her attempt to rattle the crossbar. The Gunners struck the woodwork inside stoppage time too, with a teasing delivery by Katie McCabe tipped against the horizontal by Alessia Russo.
Renée Slegers’ Arsenal emerged from the break with undeniable attacking intent and were quick to test Endler, who produced two fine saves from close range as Caitlin Foord and then Russo tested the Chilean international in quick succession, but their defensive weaknesses were exposed once more as Kim Little resorted to picking up a yellow card for a challenge on Lindsey Heaps to deny a rapid break from the French side.
But the Gunners were given a golden opportunity to equalise in bizarre circumstances when, with fifteen minutes remaining, Endler was seemingly found by VAR to have caught Leah Williamson in the back of the head as she attempted to clear a corner. It was certainly a soft penalty – and one that no Arsenal player appeared to have called for – but it was despatched with aplomb by Mariona Caldentey to level the scores nonetheless.
Parity lasted all of four minutes in N5 though. Amel Majri’s ball through the heart of the Arsenal defence set Dumornay through on goal, with the Haitian able to fend off Fox and Steph Catley before powering past Zinsberger. In the five minutes of stoppage time added on, Montemurro’s side could have further extended their lead when Diani was played through on goal, though she was denied her brace as a result of a weak finish.
Arsenal must overturn the deficit when they face les Fenottes again in Lyon next weekend.
The lineups
ARS: Zinsberger; McCabe, Catley, Williamson, Fox; Mariona, Maanum, Little; Foord, Russo, Mead
LYO: Endler; Bacha, Sombath, Gilles, Carpenter; van de Donk, Egurrola, Heaps; Chawinga, Dumornay, Diani