Arsenal's Women's Champions League hopes vanished in heartbreaking fashion due to VAR calls and Lyon's superior performance in the semi-final second leg.
Arsenal nearly forced extra time against Lyon after Alessia Russo equalized in the 75th minute to tie the tie on aggregate. Their hopes of a back-to-back European final appearance were shattered when Jule Brand's late goal stood after a lengthy Video Assistant Referee review lasting three minutes and ten seconds. Replays showed Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy had allowed the German forward onside by the narrowest possible margin. Arsenal players expressed frustration over the stop-start nature of the match at Groupama Stadium.
Arsenal defender Leah Williamson told the media the ball was only in play for roughly two minutes in every twenty at the start of the game. She added that the inconsistent application of the rules contributed to the match's disrupted flow, saying, 'With the rules, I don't think we're all on the same page with it, so it's frustrating. It was very stop start.' Lindsey Heaps' early opener was ruled out when referee Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi decided Ingrid Engen and Ada Hegerberg were offside in front of Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar. The VAR later upheld the call.
Melchie Dumornay's penalty appeal against Lotte Wubben-Moy was initially dismissed by the referee, though replays appeared inconclusive. After reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, Ferrieri Caputi changed her decision to award a penalty. Arsenal manager Slegers admitted she hadn't rewatched the incident but emphasized the need to accept the ruling, stating, 'I haven't watched it back. We have to respect the decision and move on.' The chaotic sequence continued when Van Domselaar was penalized for stepping off her line during Wendie Renard's first penalty attempt, forcing a retake.
Arsenal's campaign ended as Lyon, eight-time European champions, completely outclassed the defending champions. Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis noted the stark difference, saying, 'Arsenal came here last year and overcame the deficit to win; this time Lyon got their revenge. They were the better team and had the better quality on the pitch.' Arsenal captain Kim Little highlighted Lyon's improved performance, with Selma Bacha and Melchie Dumornay returning to strengthen the side.
Melchie Dumornay, widely considered one of the world's best attackers, made a significant impact after missing the first leg due to fitness concerns. Dumornay tormented Arsenal's defense, running circles around the backline throughout the match. Anita Asante, a former Arsenal defender, stressed the importance of early momentum, saying, 'You can't go into these games with slow starts and let Lyon build momentum. They rode the expectation better and got players who could cause problems into the game early.' Brown-Finnis concluded that Lyon's overall performance was superior from start to finish.