Arsenal Carry 2-1 Lead Into Lyon Vs Arsenal Second Leg

Arsenal take a 2-1 lead into lyon vs arsenal on Saturday afternoon, and the first leg has already shown how little room there is for error. Renee Slegers wants her side to start from scratch in Lyon, where a place in the Women’s Champions League final is at stake.

Slegers Sets the Tone

"It is very simple, you can’t compare this game with last year. Everything is different this year and the scenario is different, last time we were 2-1 down now we are 2-1 up so everything is different. We have to earn the right from the very start so I do not compare the two occasions this year and last year. We have to start all over again."

That is the brief Arsenal carry into Parc OL. They came from behind in the first leg to move 2-1 ahead on aggregate, and they now have to defend that margin away from home against a Lyon side that will have Melchie Dumornay and Selma Bacha back in the squad.

Arsenal’s Squad Mix

Chloe Kelly returns after missing the first leg with a muscle strain, while Steph Catley remains out with a calf problem and Beth Mead is still absent for personal reasons. Arsenal are also without Manu Zinsberger, Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang because of ACL injuries, and Kyra Cooney-Cross is on compassionate leave.

Slegers said, "The diversity we have in the group is really important, we have played younger players at different stages. We know what it takes and we’re ready, we also know we need experience and leadership. But that is not only on the pitch, that is every day that we are ready as a team."

Lyon’s Home Record

The return leg arrives with Lyon carrying their own weight. They have won 18 of the last 19 championships in France and have lifted the competition a record eight times, a level of familiarity with knockout pressure Arsenal have had to chase rather than live with.

Arsenal have already shown they can handle this ground. They beat Lyon 5-1 at Parc OL in the 2022-23 group stage and followed that with a 4-1 victory there in last season’s semi-final. Last weekend at Arsenal Stadium, Lyon led through Jule Brand’s first-half goal before an Ingrid Engen own goal pulled Arsenal level and Olivia Smith struck late for the winner.

Slegers also pointed to the quality on both benches, saying, "If you look at the two teams it is two really strong squads going against each other, so you will have players starting and players coming on and finishing and we will see how both teams manage that tomorrow. But we know Lyon have the ability to bring on game changers."

Arsenal’s 7-0 home win over Leicester on Wednesday night came after heavy rotation, while Lyon drew 1-1 against Nantes after rotating pretty much their entire team. That leaves both sides with fresh legs and different selection choices for a tie that has already swung once and now asks Arsenal to protect their advantage under heavier pressure.