Sophia Smith

Olivia Smith’s late strike gives Arsenal edge over OL Lyonnes in WCL semi-final

A calamitous defensive error from the goalkeeper Christiane Endler helped reigning champions Arsenal to come from behind against OL Lyonnes and ensure they take a narrow lead into Saturday’s Champions League semi-final second leg in France. “It’s only half-time,” said the manager Renée Slegers, urging caution before the return in Lyon. Jule Brand had given OL Lyonnes, the record eight-time winners of this competition, a first-half lead in front of 26,758 fans at the Emirates Stadium. However, first Endler fumbled the ball into her own net via a deflection off Ingrid Engen as the Gunners upped the pressure in the second half before Olivia Smith gave them the lead late on after another defensive mistake. “We have lost the game because they have played better than us, especially in the second half,” said the Lyonnes manager, Jonatan Giráldez. “I don’t want to complain right now about the game. I have to be positive to understand what happened, to help the players, to improve the performance.” The Gunners were bright in north London against their opponent in last year’s semi final, easing through an early spell of pressure from the rampant visitors, who are unbeaten in the Premier Ligue, having scored 72 and conceded just nine times. But they are a different beast under former Barcelona and Washington Spirit manager Giráldez, a more coherent and together one. They also proved the more clinical of the two teams in the first half, Germany international Brand delivered the opener that put the Gunners into the recognisable territory of needing to come from behind in the knockout stages of the competition they battled to the end in last season. It was a poor goal for the home team to concede, Caitlin Foord’s pass was underhit, with the Australian forward under pressure in her own half, and Lyonnes worked the ball to Brand who eased past Kim Little and fired in. Despite the scoreline, there was a lot to like about Arsenal’s play and they came out after the break a decidedly different team and well and truly on the hunt, the cobwebs of the international break shaken off. “It was great work by the staff, putting plans together and then being flexible with the pictures that are shown during the game. But then also acknowledging the quality that we have in the squad with players with so much intelligence, reading the game so well, feeling the game when they’re in it, and then communicating that really well. So the collaboration is just really good,” said Slegers, on the shift of gear in the second half. The momentum was with the home team though and the crowd felt it, the noise rising with each attack. The goal came with a hefty dollop of luck but it was earned. Mariona Caldentey slipped her free-kick through the middle, ahead of Stina Blackstenius but as Endler went to collect she fumbled the ball and turned it into her own net after a deflection off the centre-back Engen. It was one-way traffic but the threat posed by Lyonnes was always alive. When a Leah Williamson pass was cut out Kadidiatou Diani took full advantage of the error but under pressure from a recovering Emily Fox smacked her effort off the underside of the bar. That was Williamson’s last action of the match. The England captain had started her first game for Arsenal since suffering a calf injury in mid-March. Left-back Taylor Hinds came on in her place and Katie McCabe moved inside. It had felt like Arsenal would finish the game ruing the many missed opportunities to take the lead. Blackstenius’s cross across the face of goal was cut out but fell to Foord on the left. The forward escaped Wendie Renard and Ashley Lawrence but sent her close-range effort straight at Endler. They had the advantage one minute later though, and it came via another mistake at the back. Engen miscontrolled a pass back to her from Lindsey Heaps and Smith pressed her. The Canadian forward evaded the onrushing Endler and rolled the ball into the net. The home side weathered some late pressure and could have increased their margin with the final kick of the match when Foord raced through one-on-one only to send her shot straight at Endler. They will be delighted with the win but whether they will come to regret their profligacy will be seen next weekend. Up first though is a home game against Leicester in the WSL on Wednesday night. “We’re used to it. We thrive on it. We want to embrace it,” said Slegers, on Arsenal’s heavy schedule. “We’re used to that rhythm. Not always being able to do things tactically on the pitch doesn’t mean I’m not ready and prepared to do things in different ways.”

2026-04-26