THE LOWDOWN
Arsenal face OL Lyonnes in the Champions League semi-final first leg at Arsenal Stadium for the second season in a row. The eight time winners come to North London to play the current holders and two time winners. There are few possible match ups in the Champions League with greater European pedigree, these teams have appeared in quarter and semi-finals more than any other team.
While The Gunners will have good memories of beating Lyon 5-3 on aggregate last season, Arsenal have lost at home to Lyon three times in the last three years. It is away from home where Arsenal have really asserted themselves in recent years in this fixture.
The teams met in the group phase at Boreham Wood and Lyon’s high press blew Arsenal away, the French side won 2-1 but really the scoreline slightly flattered Arsenal. There can be no doubt about the size of the task, especially as Lyon are now under the charge of former Barcelona coach Jonathan Giraldez.
Arsenal have suffered with Lyon’s intensity in the opening half an hour of the last couple of home games they have played against the French giants, who are comfortably the record winners of this trophy. Getting to grips with what Lyon will throw at the team early on will be key to how they navigate this first leg.
TEAM NEWS
Leah Williamson returns to the squad after a hamstring injury, Williamson played 45 minutes of England’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland last weekend and is available for selection. Steph Catley is still out with a calf injury while Beth Mead misses the game due to personal reasons. Manu Zinsberger, Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang are out with ACL injuries, Kyra Cooney-Cross is on compassionate leave.
Available squad
Goalkeepers: 13.Votikova 14.van Domselaar 28.Borbe 40.Williams
Defenders: 2.Fox 3.Wubben-Moy 5.L.Codina 6.Williamson 11.McCabe 24.Hinds 31.Holmberg 44.Harwood
Midfielders: 8.Mariona 10.Little(c) 12.L.Maanum 21.Pelova
Forwards: 15.Smith 18.Kelly 19.Foord 23.Russo 25.Blackstenius
A WORD FROM THE BOSS
‘Last year was last year, this year is this year. The competition has changed, a lot has changed for us, a lot has changed for them. I think we both still have the same identity, they have their style of play we have our style of play. By chance we are in exactly the same position again playing each other in the semi final with the first leg at home and the second leg away.
‘We played them twice last year, we played them in the early stages this season, we know the extreme power they possess, they are very explosive and very front footed. They come at you quickly and we are aware of that, we have faced it three times in a year. But we have to do it all over again, there have been learnings from those three games.
‘When I look at the team in October when we last played them and the team we have now, we have so many tools at the moment. It will be two very different styles going against each other and I have faith in the players to find the solutions. It is two very strong teams who play very different styles.’
LAST TIME OUT
When the teams met in the group phase, Lyon ran out 2-1 winners at Meadow Park. Alessia Russo gave Arsenal an early lead but a brace from Melchie Dumornay before half-time gave Lyon the victory.
THE OPPOSITION
What else is there to say about Lyon? Eight Champions League titles (captain Wendie Renard has played in every single one of those), they have won 18 of the last 19 French league titles and the squad continues to be packed with stars, led by coach Jonathan Giraldez, who won two Champions League titles with Barcelona as their Head Coach.
OL Lyonnes, as they have been rebranded, have been insulated from the financial apocalypse suffered by the men’s team. Lyon owner John Textor sold the women’s team to US billionaire and Washington Spirit and LCL investor Michelle Kang and her investment has ensured that OL Lyonnes’ supremacy continues.
Historic stars of women’s football like Wendie Renard, Ada Hegerberg and Lindsay Heaps, as well as slightly younger elite talent like Melchie Dumornay, Lily Yohannes and Selma Bacha means their squad is packed with elite players across age ranges. Lyon remain the biggest club in women’s football, even if clubs like Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea have chased them down a little more in recent years.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Stina Blackstenius signed a new Arsenal contract this week. I wrote about why that decision was something of a no-brainer here. When it comes to this specific game, I am expecting Blackstenius to start this game with Russo in the number 10 behind her.
This is how Arsenal shaped up in both legs of their quarter-final victory over Chelsea. Lyon press very high and their pressure can be difficult to play through. As Max Radwan of The Cutback wrote here, Renard and Engen is a top quality centre-half pairing but maybe not one blessed with recovery pace.
Having Russo a little lower ought to help Arsenal play away from Lyon’s pressure when required and Blackstenius in behind the exploit Lyon’s high line seems to make a lot of sense. Slegers has shown that the Swede is more than a Plan B this season, willing to start her in the biggest games and leverage her partnership with Alessia Russo. I expect to see Arsenal try to do so again on Sunday.
MY PREDICTED LINE UP
Subs: 5.L.Codina 12.L.Maanum 13.Votikova 18.Kelly 21.Pelova 24.Hinds 28.Borbe 31.Holmberg 44.Harwood
HOW TO CATCH THE GAME
The match takes place at Arsenal Stadium at 3.30pm on Sunday. The game will be broadcast live on BBC Two in the UK and Disney+ too. Full global listings are available here.
COMING UP
We will have the line-up posted around an hour before kickoff, as well as Aidan Gibson’s on the whistle match report. We will have every word of Renee Slegers’ post-match press conference online around 60-90 minutes after the final whistle. Jamie and I will record a post-match podcast for you on Monday and we will also have a matchday vlog.
Hopefully you caught our exclusive interview with Lotte Wubben-Moy in this week’s Arsenal Women Arsecast here.
Don’t forget to sign up to our free weekly Arsenal Women newsletter here