Arsenal must come from behind in order to reach this season’s Champions League showpiece in Lisbon after falling to a 2-1 first-leg semi-final defeat to Lyon.
The French champions, and last year’s competition runners-up, took the lead early through Kadidiatou Diani – her strike awarded by VAR after being wrongly ruled offside by the on-field officials.
But Arsenal came roaring back in the second period and drew deservedly level when Leah Williamson was felled in the box, allowing Mariona Caldentey to roll a composed penalty beyond Christiane Endler.
Mariona Caldentey scored’s Arsenal’s equaliser from the penalty spot
The Gunners had missed chances to turn the tie completely on its head – Beth Mead and Frida Maanum both guilty of spurning headers – which only served to raise the spirits of the visitors, despite being comfortably outplayed after the break.
Melchie Dumornay then had the final say. The forward, who has scored 15 goals domestically this season, raced between Arsenal’s centre-backs with eight minutes remaining to drill a shot past the despairing Manuela Zinsberger, with Emily Fox’s best efforts to charge down the forward’s run in vain.
More to follow.
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