'they're Still In It' - How Arsenal Can Beat Lyon To Reach Final

Uefa Women's Champions League: Lyon v Arsenal

Venue: Groupama Stadium Date: Sunday, 27 April Kick-off: 17:00 BST

Coverage: Live matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Arsenal are down, but they're decidedly not retired of their Women's Champions League semi-final against eight-time winners Lyon.

The Gunners had much shots, much possession and much touches wrong their opponent's container successful nan first leg, but yet it was Lyon who near Emirates Stadium pinch a 2-1 lead.

Now, Renee Slegers' broadside must overturn a shortage successful France connected Sunday if they are to scope their first Champions League last since 2007, nan play successful which they won nan title.

They look a stiff task though, pinch Lyon unbeaten successful nan Champions League this season, having conceded conscionable 3 goals successful 9 games. They person only been knocked retired doubly successful 15 years aft winning nan first limb successful nan knockout shape and connected those occasions it was to nan now redundant distant goals rule.

While Chelsea's hopes of a first European trophy person been near hanging by a thread aft their 4-1 first-leg conclusion successful Barcelona, location is belief Arsenal tin still move things astir to guarantee location is astatine slightest 1 English squad successful nan final.

"This isn't 4-1. It's a wholly different narrative, Arsenal are still successful it. It's a wholly different conversation," erstwhile Gunners defender Jen Beattie said.

But really precisely tin Arsenal move it astir against a squad that person reached nan last of nan Champions League 11 times successful 15 years?

It wasn't truthful agelong agone that Arsenal put 5 goals past Lyon connected French soil.

Playing nether Jonas Eidevall - earlier Slegers had joined arsenic his adjunct head - nan Gunners outclassed nan reigning champions successful nan group shape successful 2022.

Caitlin Foord, Frida Maanum and Beth Mead, who each started for Slegers connected Saturday, were connected nan scoresheet.

But Arsenal lacked that ruthlessness against Lyon past Saturday, pinch Mead, Maanum, Foord and Alessia Russo missing aggregate chances.

"Arsenal showed capable successful this first limb to return confidence," ex-England defender Anita Asante told nan Football News Show.

"They really dominated nan ball, they had power successful nan last third, created a number of chances and they conscionable missed immoderate of that cutting edge."

Kadidiatou Diani hit Arsenal's offside trap to get down their defence and she made nary correction pinch a crisp decorativeness for a 17th-minute opener.

And conscionable arsenic nan hosts had pulled level done Mariona Caldentey's spot-kick, Lyon divided their backline unfastened pinch Ada Hegerberg pulling Leah Williamson retired of position to unfastened up abstraction for Melchie Dumornay, who darted into nan container and lifted nan shot complete Manuela Zinsberger.

"Lyon nether Joe Montemurro are not acrophobic to not person nan ball. They get nan goals they need, beryllium backmost and don't activity to predominate necessarily," Asante added.

"They're a squad that will play successful modulation and their players, particularly successful that beforehand three, are each really move and tin play into space, transportation nan shot aliases threat successful nan box.

"I don't deliberation it suits Arsenal needfully to play connected nan counter. They will astir apt measure nan first 10-15 minutes of nan crippled and accommodate from there."

Despite their first-leg defeat, Beattie does not expect Arsenal to play "very differently".

"I deliberation they sewage nan property incorrect erstwhile and Diani scored. I can't deliberation of galore different times wherever Lyon played done from a extremity kick," she said.

"I deliberation nan Arsenal property was very, very bully and if they do that again, they tin spell and get a result."

Slegers said Arsenal must beryllium wary of "a batch of threats", but that her broadside person nan expertise to "expose" Lyon.

"We're ace humble for nan task because they astir apt person nan adjacent level successful them - but truthful do we," she said.

With a beforehand 3 made up of Diani, Dumornay and Tabitha Chawinga, Lyon are ne'er going to beryllium easy to contain.

Arsenal's full-back Katie McCabe, usually seen powering up and down nan near flank, was much reserved erstwhile pitted against nan accelerated Diani successful nan first leg.

The winger recovered abstraction by drifting infield betwixt McCabe and Steph Catley and it was this activity that talented Lyon nan first goal, pinch Ellie Carpenter threading nan shot done Arsenal's defence to put Diani one-on-one pinch Zinsberger.

Post-match Lyon leader Montemurro said that was a cardinal maneuver they had identified to restrict McCabe's impact.

"Of course, I respect Diani and nan full Lyon squad because of what they've achieved, but besides we cognize our qualities and our strengths, particularly going forward," McCabe said.

"And for me, that is 1 of my strengths, making guardant runs and driving into spaces and delivering a shot into nan box."

One of nan cardinal questions for Slegers' broadside earlier nan 2nd limb is whether Wendie Renard will beryllium backmost successful nan starting XI to make her 500th quality for Lyon.

The 6ft 2in defender - known for her aerial prowess - was connected nan chair connected Saturday aft recovering from a ft injury.

"Crosses successful nan container were really effective [and] I deliberation that's wherever Arsenal's champion chances came from, but if Renard is backmost it is simply a different game, different tactics," Beattie said.

"[Arsenal will] person to play much passes successful and astir nan container and break them down."

Arsenal scored each 3 of their goals from crosses during their second-leg comeback against Real Madrid successful nan quarter-finals, but they grounded to make immoderate of their 25 crosses count successful nan first limb against Lyon.

Russo, nan Gunners' apical scorer pinch 18 goals this season, will want to much progressive and put herself successful vulnerable areas aft having conscionable 4 touches wrong Lyon's box.

Mariona Caldentey knows what it takes to triumph nan Champions League.

The Spaniard won 3 European titles successful 4 years pinch Barcelona earlier moving to Arsenal successful July, and she's carried that winning mentality into this season.

Having scored successful Arsenal's comeback against Real Madrid, Caldentey kept cool nether nan unit to person from nan punishment spot against Lyon - her eighth extremity engagement successful this season's Champions League.

But it's not conscionable her expertise successful onslaught that has helped Arsenal this term. The midfielder won much duels (nine) and tackles (three) than immoderate different subordinate successful nan first limb arsenic she helped Arsenal predominate possession.

However, Caldentey is up against different serial victor successful Lindsey Heaps - known arsenic Lindsey Horan earlier switching to her joined sanction - successful nan mediate of nan park..

Despite being forced to settee for little possession by Arsenal, Heaps illustrated her value to nan French giants by kickstarting nan onslaught for Lyon's 2nd extremity astatine nan Emirates pinch a midfield-splitting walk to Hegerberg.