Arsenal’s defense of their European crown came tumbling down in France. OL Lyonnes eliminated last year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League winners in the semifinal on Saturday.
The French giants, and eight-time tournament champions, sealed their place in the Champions League final with dramatic flair. They overturned a first-leg deficit and walked away with a 3-1 victory, knocking out Arsenal 4-3 over the two-game semifinal round. Wendie Renard, Jule Brand, and Kadidiatou Diani each scored for the home side. OL Lyonnes will face the winners of the FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich semifinal in the battle for the title on May 23 in Oslo.
Despite being perennial contenders, the journey back to a 12th Champions League final hasn’t been easy. The finished second in the league phase behind Barcelona and now have had to come back in consecutive first leg matches in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
OL returns to UWCL final
The last time the club won a Champions League title was in 2022. A four-year stretch might not seem like a long window of time, but that’s because the club has long established itself as a bona fide contender. No matter the change in personnel on the pitch or on the sidelines, the group has found a way more often than not.
Saturday’s semifinal was no exception. There was no bit of drama spared in the high-stakes match, with its victory coated in chaos. A reprieved penalty, an outrageous volley, and an equalizer by Arsenal that sent a bit of nerves in the home stands, and a late-game winner that needed a lengthy VAR review before any sense of relief could set in.
Veteran team captain Wendie Renard had to retake a penalty, after VAR confirmed a foul on her initial miss, setting up a dramatic tone for the match early on.
At the heart of the match was a player who missed the first leg entirely, Melchie Dumornay, who seemed to be everywhere on the pitch after being rested due to injury. She led the team in total shots (five), attempts on target (three), and delivered the game-winning assist on Jule Brand’s goal. Durmornay’s performance earned player of the match honors.
Key Americans in France
U.S. women’s national team midfielder Lindsey Heaps last lifted the trophy with the club in 2022 and is expected to depart for NWSL following the conclusion of her contract with OL. Heaps will join Denver Summit in the summer, but for now, she and her teammates are focused on the unfinished job ahead of them.
“What an incredible game. I think there were just so many ebbs and flows. There were so many emotions. I think the game gave the spectator everything. And I’m just so proud of the team, because we were disciplined, and we stayed in it, and we didn’t let our emotions get the better of us,” Heaps told CBS Sports after the game.
“To step up and take a second penalty like Wendie [Renard] did, to get the goal like [Diani} did and Jule [Brand], what a calm finish in the end. But we played like Lyon, and that’s what we set out to do this entire week. I’m very, very proud of the team.”
Heaps earned the start in the second leg semifinal, alongside her USWNT teammate Lily Yohannes. The 18-year-old Yohannes signed with Lyon in July, and has been developing her game at another level since her arrival with the club. Her maturity showed on and off the pitch.
“I think we just took the Wolfsburg home leg as a reference, and that was just an example for us of ‘we can do it,’ we know that we have so much quality in the team,” Yohannes said after the game.
“We know that at home, playing in front of our fans who rooted us on every minute of the game, that we could come out and comeback. I think that’s what we did today. We came out fast, we came out strong. We stuck to the game plan from minute one to the last and, yeah, just motivation. Knowing that we have to stick together in these moments, and we did that today.”
Arsenal’s reign ends
While OL took control of the match early, Arsenal’s fight didn’t dim. The Gunners shot back, and grew a bit more in the scond half. They hit the goal posts twice as they pushed for a way back into the match.
Eventually, Alessia Russo was the answer, and scored a crucial goal, leveling the aggregate tie at 3-3 for a brief moment. Her lone goal also pulled her ahead in the tournament golden boot race, and now least the competition with nine goals.
Arsenal’s title defense ends with worthy praise. A team that was counted out last season untill they demanded respect and peaked at the right time, now exits this current competiton with questions around what the team will look next year. Defender Katie McCabe is rumored to leave the club at the end of her contract, and Beth Mead, who is away from the team for personal reasons.
Leah Williamson, one of Arsenal’s long-time leaders, has battled through injury during stretches of the season, but suited up for Satruday’s semifinal, will return on a new contract with the club.
“We knew they were gonna [be aggressive], we didnt help ourselves with certain things. they came out firing and they got the goals that made differencce in the end. So, credit to them for that, but I think we’ll be disppointed by that first half for awhile,” Williamson said after the game.
“I think the whole team came out a different way compared to the other day. Where I’d say, they didn’t match our intensity at the Emirates, I think they took it to another level in the first half, and it took us too long to catch up.”
For Arsenal, the loss ends their title defense in the penultimate round, and now will have their focus on closing out the Women’s Super League season on strong finish. They are in third-place on the league table with 41 points, eight points from first-place Manchester City (49 points), and just two points shy from second-place Chelsea (43 points).
What’s next in UWCL
OL Lyonnes will await the winner of FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The Blaugrana will host the Bavarian side at historic Camp Nou on Sunday. The last two teams standing will meet during the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in Oslo on May 23.
