Bronze believes Chelsea had a ‘tough battle’ with OL Lyonnes
Melchie DUMORNAY of OL Lyonnes and Lucy BRONZE of Chelsea during UEFA Women's Champions League match between Lyon and Chelsea at Groupama Stadium on September 30, 2026 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Stephane Pillaud/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Lucy Bronze spoke about a 0-0 draw between OL Lyonnes and Chelsea in the Champions League.
After a nervy first half, the game started to open up. Bronze blocked a surefire goal from Marie-Antoinette Katoto, and Salma Paralluelo was flagged offside after seeming to break the deadlock.
VAR overturns Chelsea penalty
The Blues then turned the screw. Lauren James appeared to earn a penalty for a foul from Salma Bacha, but VAR overturned the decision. A marauding Alyssa Thompson run then released James to try her luck inside the penalty area, and her effort was blocked by goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs.
Shot stopper Hannah Hampton had to respond to an Ada Hegerberg header before Maika Hamano was inches away from earning a second half stoppage time lead for the guests on Wednesday evening.
·‘As a team, we worked our socks off’
A commendable effort from Chelsea against the eight-time champions of the continent should receive even more praise given the tight turnaround from the 1-0 triumph over Arsenal on the weekend.
The result might have been better, but the spirit from the side should stand them in good stead.
"I think we dominated possession of the ball, especially in the first half we played out of their press well, but I think they had some good counter-attacking moments. I think they were on top at the end of the game but that's what happens when two top teams play against each other, the momentum swings.
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“Both teams had a chance to steal a goal, steal a win. I feel like a draw at this stage of the season for both teams is probably not the worst thing.
“It shows what a tough battle it was today if a defender's getting [the award for Player of the Match.]
“As a team, we worked our socks off. I'm proud of every single one of us, especially considering we played a really tough game three days ago. We then had to fly to Lyon after that, so to put in a shift like today, I'm really happy with what we've done.”
About the author
Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere is a football journalist covering the Premier League and European football for VAVEL. A VAVEL reporter since December 2024 with more than 3,000 articles published, he follows Arsenal and Aston Villa week in, week out — from press conferences and pre-match analysis to post-match reaction — alongside coverage of the Champions League and the international game.