Full Breakdown
Arsenal Women Face Lyon in Champions League Semi-Final Amid Key Absences
4/25/2026, 2:34:49 PM
Arsenal vs Lyon Semi-Final First Leg
Arsenal Women host Olympique Lyonnais (OL Lyonnes) in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final first leg on Sunday at 3.30 pm at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners, defending champions after their 2025-26 triumph in Lisbon, will be without full-back Steph Catley, still recovering from a calf injury, and forward Beth Mead, who is absent for personal reasons. The result will set the aggregate tone before the return leg in France.
Form, History, and Squad Overview
Lyon enter as the competition’s most successful club with nine titles and an 18-of-20 league record this season, scoring 72 goals. Arsenal aim to become the first English side to reach consecutive finals after beating Barcelona 1-0 in last season’s final and posting eight wins in their last ten Champions League home games. Key Arsenal contributors include Stina Blackstenius, who has scored the winning goal in each of the club’s four finals, and Alessia Russo, the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals. Melchie Dumornay (Haiti) has 11 goal involvements in eleven knockout matches, while Chloe Kelly’s presence lifts Arsenal’s average to 2.6 goals per game.
Official Statements
Arsenal manager Renee Slegers confirmed the absences of Catley and Mead, stressing that the squad must “earn it all over again” and noting that “last year was last year, this year is this year.” She added that both clubs retain distinct identities and styles of play despite meeting again in the semi-final.
Criticism & Opposition
Analysts point out that Arsenal have moved from underdogs to the primary target for rivals, with Lyon seeking to end a title drought since 2022.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Steph is still recovering from her calf issue. So hopefully we’ll see her later on. Beth is not with us, hasn’t been with us this week because of personal reasons.” — Renee Slegers, Arsenal manager
- “Last year was last year, this year is this year. The set-up of the competition has changed and a lot of things have changed since then. I think for us, for them, I think we still have the same identity.” — Renee Slegers
- “I really love to win with this team. I would do anything for that to happen,” — Stina Blackstenius, Arsenal forward
- “We have grown so much from what we achieved last season.” — Stina Blackstenius
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
No contradictions were identified among the sources regarding player availability or match details.
What’s Next
The second leg will be played at Lyon’s home ground the following weekend, with the winner advancing to the final in Oslo on 23 May.
