Can Arsenal defend their title against Lyon? The Gunners aim for a crucial first-leg victory at home in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals. They face a formidable opponent in Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, who has dominated this competition historically.
Arsenal Women are the defending champions, having won the title last season. They triumphed over Lyon in the semi-finals, winning 5-3 on aggregate. This year, Arsenal hopes to replicate that success at the Emirates Stadium on April 26, 2026.
Lyon has an impressive track record, boasting 18 UEFA Women’s Champions League titles—the most in the tournament’s history. They have been in excellent form this season, winning 18 of their 20 matches in Division 1 Feminine and drawing the other two. Melchie Dumornay leads their attack with ten goals across all competitions this season.
In contrast, Arsenal finds itself trailing Manchester City by 11 points in the Women’s Super League with only five games remaining. Despite this setback, Arsenal has a strong home record, winning eight of their last ten Champions League matches at home.
Renée Slegers emphasized the importance of moving past last year’s results: “Last year was last year, this year is this year. The set-up of the competition has changed and a lot of things have changed since then.” This sentiment reflects the heightened stakes for both teams.
The match will feature key players from both sides. Arsenal’s predicted lineup includes van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Codina, McCabe, Little, Caldentey, Mead, Blackstenius, Kelly, and Russo. Meanwhile, Lyon’s expected starters are Endler, Lawrence, Renard, Engen, Bacha, Heaps, Shrader, Yohannes, Diani, Katoto, and Brand.
A huge crowd is anticipated at the Emirates Stadium for this first leg. Fans hope to see a thrilling match as both teams vie for an advantage heading into the second leg. The match will be broadcast live on BBC Two and Disney + in the UK.
This first leg is likely to guarantee goals—Lyon averages 3.6 goals per game across all competitions this season. As Arsenal prepares to face a historically dominant club like Lyon once again, they must rise to the challenge.