We were knocked out of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 defeat away to Lyon on Saturday, losing the second leg 4-3 on aggregate.
First-half strikes from Wendie Renard and Kadidiatou Diani saw the hosts turn the tie around, before Alessia Russo reduced the arrears in the second half, but a dubious late winner from Julie Brand, who appeared offside, settled the match.
### FIRST HALF
Lyon ought to have opened the scoring almost straight away as a cross from the right should have been converted by Ada Hegerberg at the far post, but somehow she missed with the goal at her mercy.
Katie McCabe’s corner resulted in a goalmouth scramble but Lyon clear the danger at the other end, before a deadball delivery caused problems in our 18-yard box.
Lindsey Heaps headed into the back of the net from a Lyon corner but it was ruled out after a VAR check, with Ingrid Engen and Hegerberg in an offside position in front of Daphne van Domselaar.
In the 17th minute, Lotte Wubben-Moy fouled Melchi Dumornay and Lyon had a penalty. Renard stepped up to take it but Van Domselaar dived to her left to make the save. However, the penalty was awarded again after VAR noticed our goalkeeper came off of her line before the ball was struck.
Renard made no mistake with her second spot-kick, sending Van Domselaar the wrong way with a shot into the bottom right.
Lyon then went ahead on aggregate in the 36th minute as a corner from Brand reached Diani and she turned it in for 2-0, and so we found ourself trailing at the break.
### SECOND HALF
Caitlin Foord drove forward and found Stina Blackstenius, who crashed one off the crossbar with our first sight of goal in the second half.
Moments later, McCabe’s cross fell to Olivia Smith and she poked it towards goal but once again we were denied by the woodwork with that effort hitting the post.
Hegerberg went up the other end and fired wide of the bottom right, and we made our first two changes in the 69th minute with Victoria Pelova and Smilla Holmberg coming on for Mariona and Smith.
It didn’t take long for Pelova to have a chance as the ball fell kindly to her on the edge of the area and she tried her luck, but shot straight at Christiane Endler.
We pulled the score back level on aggregate in the 75th minute as Holmberg, whose creativity we’ve had a lot to thank for this week, crossed for Russo to convert after the former was found on the right by McCabe.
Lyon struck just wide of the bottom right from Dumornay before Frida Maanum and Chloe Kelly replaced Blackstenius and McCabe.
The home side thought they’d taken the lead again with four minutes left on the clock when Dumornay found Brand, who cushioned it past Van Domselaar, but the flag was raised for offside, but somehow, after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was awarded, despite replays indicating Brand was in an offside position.
### WHAT'S NEXT
We return to Barclays Women's Super League action away to Brighton & Hove Albion at Broadfield Stadium in Crawley at 7.45pm on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Aston Villa at 12pm on Saturday. [Tickets for both fixtures are open to general sale.](https://www.arsenal.com/tickets?field_arsenal_team_target_id=5&revision_information=)
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