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...
