Arsenal are hurting after a disappointing UEFA Women’s Champions League opener. Their campaign ended as they succumbed to a 3-1 loss against Lyon at the Groupama Stadium. The Gunners took the lead early through an Alessia Russo goal. They failed to maintain their advantage and eventually lost in humiliating fashion by a three-goal margin inside of the opening 23 minutes. This game is a continuation of bad luck for Arsenal, who have gone winless in their last four matches.
Alessia Russo opened the scoring for Arsenal with a powerful strike after glancing Beth Mead’s cross to the far post. Lyon hit back with an explosive counterattack that turned the tide of the game. Melchie Dumornay was the standout performer for Lyon, scoring twice and ensuring that Arsenal could not recover from their early mistakes.
A Rapid Decline
As far as a level playing field goes, the game quickly turned in Lyon’s favor after Russo’s opener. Unfortunately, Mariona Caldentey made a critical slip-up, which allowed for Lyon’s second goal scored by Dumornay. The French side then scored a third goal soon after, but arrogance crept into Arsenal’s game as they tried to wrestle momentum back on their terms.
Renee Slegers, the manager of Arsenal, looked furious on the touchline as Lyon ran riot in the early minutes of the match. Despite her team’s initial promise, they found themselves overwhelmed by Lyon’s attacking prowess.
“I think we had a good start and Lyon are a very, very strong team,” – Renee Slegers
Lyon’s numbers from the match were reflective of just how dominant they were. Their possession was 55-45 % and they lost the duel count 45-55 %. Additionally, they recorded 11 shots within Arsenal’s box, showing just how much attacking force the club had on the day.
Struggles Continue for Arsenal
This setback marks a low point in the ongoing streak of hard luck for Arsenal as they continue to struggle coming off four games without a win. Their previous outing in the Women’s Super League ended in a loss to Manchester City, adding to the team’s woes.
While harebrained ideas were bouncing around online, new Lioness Alessia Russo was quick to admit the squad’s deficiencies. She stressed that the Championship Crew need to be critical of their own work and should always be working to raise the bar on excellence in the future.
“We need to look at ourselves and how we can push our standards. At the moment we’re in a bit of a blip, but we’re aware of that.” – Alessia Russo
For Slegers, recent losses don’t overshadow her optimism about her team’s improvement. She’s confident that by focusing on a few important areas, Arsenal will be more equipped to go head to head with heavyweights such as Lyon.
“We had to match them in a way, with the physicality and the tempo they play, but we also wanted to bring our own game and be really good with the ball and be intense in our pressing and I think we did that at times but we weren’t successful during 90 minutes.” – Renee Slegers
Upcoming Challenges
Next up for the Gunners is a visit from Brighton at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, where they will look to end an unfortunate run of three straight defeats. Beyond that game, they’ll be going to Europe. Their final destination is Benfica, and they’re set on obtaining the three important points for their Champions League group stage run.
The team understands that the time is now to recover from these past losses and move forward. With Slegers at the helm, there is a sense of determination to rectify past mistakes and rediscover the winning form that they have shown in previous seasons.
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