Reigning European champions Arsenal started their title defence with defeat to final 12 months’s semi-final opponents Lyonnes in an exciting encounter in north London.
Renée Slegers’ group had taken the lead in type via Alessia Russo early on in opposition to the event’s most embellished group, however two objectives in seven minutes from Melchie Dumornay, courtesy of some questionable defending, gave the visiting facet all three factors.
A fourth sport with out a win is a blow for the Gunners, with attracts in opposition to Manchester United and Aston Villa adopted by defeat to Manchester Metropolis within the league previous to this assembly, however this was not a efficiency to be ashamed of, removed from it, they usually can draw on their marketing campaign of comebacks all the way in which to their second European title final time period shifting ahead.
The grim actuality is that Meadow Park is not match to host Arsenal matches. Regardless of funding to have it meet Uefa’s minimal requirements, the services are nowhere close to ok for Champions League soccer. That doesn’t cease it being a robust cauldron, although, the Gunners’ hardcore followers rocking the North Financial institution and main the thunder of noise via the open floor as they kickstarted their title defence.
“It’s a clear slate,” stated Steph Catley beforehand. The centre-back resumed her partnership with 19-year-old Katie Reid for the go to of the eight-time champions, with Leah Williamson nonetheless absent via harm. “We’ve received to behave like we’re the champions and individuals are coming after us to win it off us.”
If that was the power in coaching and within the dressing room it spilled on to the pitch in type. Arsenal had been up for this match. Very up for it. Reid was certainly one of 5 modifications to the facet that suffered a bruising 3-2 defeat by Manchester City on Saturday; Arsenal have dropped seven factors in three video games within the Girls’s Tremendous League to dampen hopes of a critical title problem.
Beth Mead and Chloe Kelly slotted both facet of their England teammate Russo and it was Mead who drove the ball into the field for the opening aim, dancing via the center earlier than clipping the ball to Russo, who fired previous Christiane Endler.
Arsenal ought to have been two up on 17 minutes, when a brief back-pass pressured Endler to race out and deny Russo a second, they usually had been punished for that profligacy one minute later. Daphne van Domselaar, the goalkeeper, fluffed her go to Catley, touchdown it straight on the ft of Dumornay, the midfielder forcing a save earlier than rolling the rebound into the empty internet.
It was calamitous and 5 minutes later the guests had the lead in opposition to the group they misplaced to 5-3 on combination defeat in final season’s semi-finals. The Lyonnes press mercilessly hustled away possession within the Arsenal third and the ball fell to Dumornay, who fired in from the sting of the field, with Van Domselaar, considerably inexplicably, rooted to the spot.
There was no head bowing beneath the lights by the gamers in purple, who immediately sought a reply, Matriona Caldentey forcing a wise low save from Endler.
The issue Arsenal have is that they appeared nervous defensively every time the dynamic entrance three of Kadidiatou Diani, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Tabitha Chawinga broke. The absence of Williamson’s management qualities – along with her composure and imaginative and prescient on the ball – is being felt increasingly more as every sport comes and goes.
There was some redemption for Van Domselaar earlier than the break, a double save denying Chawinga then Katoto to maintain the margin to at least one aim.
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The frenetic power of the primary half was carried into the second. Why it felt so fraught, intense and fiery is difficult to inform. The compact crowd, the ambition of the groups and the opening evening of this season’s Champions League all doubtless contributed however the format change, from a gaggle stage to a league part, akin to the boys’s event, seemingly performed its half too.
Linara Joseph’s Champions League debut for Lyonnes was over 5 minutes after coming into the fray, the ahead limping off in appreciable ache following a foul on Frida Maanum, the gamers handed a a lot wanted breather by the pause in play.
“Aggressive, aggressive” got here the shouts from the Arsenal dugout as they lined up the ensuing free-kick, which was cleared.
There was no heroic comeback, however the battle raged till the top as they fought to get one thing from the sport and Jonatan Giráldez facet sought to kill off these hopes.
Defeat just isn’t a complete catastrophe for Arsenal, who suffered a bruising 5-2 defeat to Bayern Munich of their opening group stage sport final season earlier than occurring to win Europe’s premier competitors for the primary time in 18 years.
That loss contributed to Jonas Eidevall’s exit and Slegers’s non permanent promotion that was made everlasting three months later. The duty although is to determine the causes of an alarming slide that has seen them lengthen their winless run to 4 video games and do one thing about it rapidly.
