Lyon beat Arsenal 2-1 at Meadow Park on a thrilling opening night of the UEFA Women’s Champions League thanks to a brace from Melchie Dumornay.
Arsenal were hoping to start the defence of their title with a win at home in front of the Meadow Park faithful and put their indifferent league form behind them. The Gunners were still without vice-captain Leah Williamson but were otherwise at full strength. Katie McCabe, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Victoria Pelova dropped out of the side that lost 3-2 away to Manchester City. In their place came Katie Reid, Taylor Hinds and Frida Maanum.
Lyon or OL Lyonnes as they are now known had made an imperious start to their league season. Under Jonatan Giráldez, the record champions of the competition had beaten their closest domestic rivals PSG 6-1 already this season. Giráldez made eight changes from the side that dismantled Lens 8-1 on Friday night. The headline grabbing decision was to start with Marie Antoinette Katoto preferred up front to the competition’s record scorer Ada Hegerberg.
The Lineups
ARS: Van Domselaar; Fox, Reid, Catley, Hinds; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Kelly, Mead, Russo
OL: Endler; Taricane, Renard, Engen, Bacha; Heaps, Albert; Diani, Chawinga, Dumornay, Katoto
The Action
Lyon began proceedings looking to occupy Arsenal high up the pitch and put pressure on the backline in possession. Melchie Dumornay did not waste any time in demonstrating her extraordinary talent, she found her way past Mariona Caldentey with a dazzling flash of skill within minutes. However her threatening ball into the box eluded her team mates. With five minutes played Arsenal caught Lyon out. A wonderful move starting with no small does of Beth Mead determination opened the scoring. With a narrow shooting opportunity found at the end of a Mead run, she played a beautiful disguised pass to Alessia Russo who finished with immaculate composure.
The home faithful were creating a raucous atmosphere worthy of European champions but they would see their side suffer a set back shortly after they took the lead. Arsenal gifted their opponents a leveller with just under 20 minutes on the clock. A misplaced pass from Daphne van Domselaar dropped to the feet of Dumornay. The Dutch keeper made a smart initial save to recover but was unable to deny the rebound. Dumornay and Lyon were level.
Arsenal initially reacted well to conceding the equaliser, a good move involving Hinds, Mead and Maanum ended in a simple stop for Christiane Endler. However minutes later, once again, Arsenal were undone trying to play out from the back. This time a block in the midfield bounced up awkwardly before Reid headered the ball directly to Dumornay. The Haiti international needed no further invitation, taking aim from the edge of the box with Arsenal scrambling, she found the top corner with unerring accuracy.
Arsenal looked to regroup and almost levelled the scores when a corner was cleared to the edge of the box and Mariona struck it sweetly on the half volley. A wonderful save from Chilean number one Endler denied Arsenal a leveller. Tabitha Chawinga took aim from distance as the first half minutes ticked down, her effort whistled just wide of the upright. Van Domselaar was called into action late in the first half and made a string of fine saves with her feet from Dumornay and Katoto.
Arsenal opened the second half with a set piece that forced a save from Endler. The transitional nature of the match was unchanged after the restart. Mariona tested Endler again with the Lyon goalkeeper tipping the effort over the bar. As the half proceeded Lyon introduced their top scorer this season, youngster Liane Joseph. But Joseph sadly had to be withdrawn through injury shortly after. With thirty minutes remaining Lyon came as close as they had since the goal. Flashing a ball across the face of goal Katoto poked her effort wide when she probably should have scored.
With only minutes remaining Arsenal came within a slither of snatching a point. From an inch perfect dead ball delivery from Katie McCabe a scramble in the area popped out to Kyra Cooney-Cross who shot just wide.
Arsenal Player Ratings
GK: Daphne van Domselaar – 6/10 – A costly error handed Lyon momentum and stunted Arsenal’s. Made a number of smart saves late in the first half to minimise the arrears.
RB: Emily Fox – 6/10 – All of Lyon’s positive play came down the opposite side of the pitch. Did well to manage the threat Chawinga posed.
RCB: Katie Reid – 5/10 – A really poor error to head the ball straight to Lyon’s taliswoman for the second goal. Did well to recover after that difficulty.
LCB: Steph Catley – 6/10 – Read the game well and with the pace that Lyon have she needed to. Unlucky to slip at the point of her goalkeeper’s misplaced pass for the first goal.
LB: Taylor Hinds – 5/10 – An incredibly difficult game to make your first competitive Arsenal start in. Dumornay found her way in behind Hinds more than once early in the first half. Improved as the game wore on.
CM: Kim Little – 6/10 – Arsenal’s captain and chief orchestrator struggled for influence at times in this match.
CM: Mariona Caldentey – 7/10 – Had an extremely entertaining battle with Dumornay in the middle of the park. Almost equalised right after Arsenal conceded the second on the half volley. Made the most interceptions and was tied for most defensive actions for Arsenal.
CAM: Frida Maanum – 6/10 – Did not lack ambition and endeavour, just not quite her night.
RW: Beth Mead – 7/10 – Her beautiful disguised pass completely fooled a world class defence to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead in the Champions League, sound familiar? Got a yellow card in the first half that felt harsh but also needless from Mead. Demonstrated passion and fight she is at times criticised for seemingly lacking. Made the most tackles in the match and the most key passes for Arsenal.
LW: Chloe Kelly – 6/10 – Started brightly but faded a little, ballooned an effort over the bar from a good position late in the first half.
ST: Alessia Russo – 8/10 – Often it is Russo’s finishing that comes under the spotlight as a weak point. She was clinical within minutes here, when the chance presented itself she did not let it pass her by. Tracked back to great affect.
SUBS
Olivia Smith (55′ for Mead)
Caitlin Foord (55′ for Kelly)
Kyra Cooney-Cross (75′ for Caldentey)
Stina Blackstenius (75′ for Russo)
Katie McCabe (87′ for Hinds)
Lyon Player Ratings
GK: Christiane Endler – 7/10 – Made a smart stop to deny Mariona midway through the first half and in the second half.
RB: Taricane – 8/10 – Superb in the challenge and with a great breadth of passing, forms an excellent partnership with Renard on the right side of the defence. Beat Mead in a foot race more than once.
RCB: Wendie Renard – 7/10 – Ever the stand out aerial threat in the box she made a couple of sloppy errors in the first half. Had the most accurate long balls in the match ensuring that Lyon had versatility in their build up.
LCB: Ingrid Engen – 7/10 – Calm and composed on the ball, seems central to the way that Giráldez wants his team to play, progressing the ball from front to back. Made more accurate short passes than anyone else.
LB: Selma Bacha – 8/10 – Her driving runs were particularly impressive in the second half. Won 11 of her 13 duels and was not afraid to employ the dark arts to good effect for her side.
CM: Korbin Schrader – 6/10 – Gave the ball away short-sightedly attempting to back heel the ball in her own defensive third.
CM: Lindsay Heaps – 6/10 – Misplaced a couple of passes in midfield in a transitional first half.
RW: Kadidiatou Diani – 7/10 – Struggled to impact the game but her’s was a decoy role that helped Dumornay to shine.
LW: Tabitha Chawinga – 6/10 – Came extremely close to finding the bottom corner late in the first half and had a couple of decent efforts.
SS: Melchie Dumornay – 9/10 – A magical slice of skill in the early minutes sent Mariona packing. An electric talent, the best young player in the champions league for two years running, she showed why tonight.
ST: Marie Antoienette Katoto– 6/10 – An overexuberant challenge in the early exchanges saw her take an early booking. Should have scored and put the match beyond doubt late on.
SUBS
Liane Joseph (63′ for Chawinga)
Damaris Egurrola (68′ for Heaps)
Jule Brand (68′ for Joseph)
Ada Hegerberg (76′ for Marie Antoienette Katoto)
Lily Yohannes (76′ for Korbin Schrader)
