Williamson calls for Arsenal 'intensity' in second leg
When Arsenal reflect on their 2025-26 campaign, the final weekend of April may stand out as a defining moment.
Just a day after Manchester City's loss to Brighton offered Arsenal renewed hope in the Women's Super League (WSL) title race, the Gunners staged a comeback to defeat Lyon 2-1 in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final.
With only 90 minutes separating them from a consecutive final appearance, the conclusion of another remarkable season appears to be taking shape.
"The first half was quite even - we gave away a cheap goal," captain Leah Williamson told after conceding an early opener from Jule Brand due to giving her too much time and space. "But what you saw second half was a team on a mission, fuelled by the crowd."
Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Lyon in the Women's Champions League semi-final first leg was witnessed by a crowd of 26,758 at Emirates Stadium.
This match encapsulated Arsenal's season so far. Renee Slegers' squad started brightly but lost momentum as the first half progressed, showing inconsistency and missing key details.
However, the Arsenal team that emerged after the break resembled their post-winter break form: energized and relentless.
They pursued every ball, pressured Lyon's defense, and consistently sought to exploit space for Olivia Smith, Caitlin Foord, and Stina Blackstenius.
"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," Slegers said. "That was what we did with conviction in the second half."
The intensified pressing caused Lyon to falter under the London sunshine; errors led to both Arsenal goals, while Lyon's star-studded attack failed to test goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar with a single save.
"The second-half display was that of European champions - they stifled Lyon," former England defender Anita Asante commented. "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."
Arsenal capitalise on mistakes to secure first leg win over Lyon
Heading into the second leg in France, Arsenal not only hold a one-goal advantage but also carry momentum from their progress in the WSL title race.
A victory against bottom-placed Leicester City on Wednesday would bring them within eight points of league leaders Manchester City, with four games remaining and two matches in hand.
"It's good for the league that it stays exciting until the very end," Slegers said. "We have a very tight schedule. We want to keep on pressing Man City for as long as it is possible."
Arsenal deserved win - but did they get lucky?
Olivia Smith took advantage of Lyon's defensive confusion to score her third Champions League goal this season.
The errors that led to Lyon conceding were a direct result of Arsenal's intense pressing strategy.
Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler should have secured Mariona Caldentey's free-kick as it bounced toward her, but the pressure from Blackstenius caused her to fumble the ball backwards.
Seven minutes before full time, Ingrid Engen allowed a pass to slip by, lost a foot race with Smith, and collided with Endler, leaving Smith with an open goal.
These mistakes were uncharacteristic for a goalkeeper of Endler's experience and a defender like Engen, who has won the Champions League twice.
During her post-match press conference, Slegers dismissed the notion that their goals were merely fortunate.
"The first goal, it's hard for the goalkeeper because the ball goes in front and there are runners so it's hard to see. I think it caught the opposition off guard a bit," Slegers explained.
"The second goal is a good moment that we wanted to create. Sometimes you score the most brilliant goals - but you score all sort of goals in football."
The free-kick from Caldentey that Endler misjudged and which Engen inadvertently deflected into her own net was one of several low set-piece deliveries from Arsenal designed to disrupt Lyon's defense.
This was clearly a rehearsed tactic from training, though Slegers was reserved in revealing details.
"Lyon is extreme with their physical power and height, so you always look at what we have, what the opposition has, and what the opportunities are for us," she said.
These moments often favor teams when things are going well and cohesion is building, as exemplified by Lyon's Kadidiatou Diani hitting the crossbar on a breakaway when the score was tied at 1-1.
"I thought the momentum we came out of the second half with was massive and hopefully we can take it into the next few games," striker Alessia Russo said.
"Football is about fine margins, sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don't - it doesn't matter how you score."
In football, as in life, creating your own luck is essential — and Arsenal's season may be headed toward an exciting finale.
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