Arsenal orchestrate their own demise in loss to Lyonnes

BOREHAMWOOD, England -- OL Lyonnes guardant Melchie Dumornay showed Arsenal precisely what happens erstwhile you orchestrate your ain demise against a squad that is bare to beryllium that they're inactive 1 of the champion successful Europe.

The 22-year-old scored some goals successful Lyonnes' 2-1 win implicit Arsenal connected Tuesday to unfastened the UEFA Women's Champions League. For Arsenal, antiaircraft fragilities that person persisted since the commencement of the play forced them to suffer their archetypal crippled successful the contention since claiming the UWCL rubric past season.

Arsenal person been their ain worst enemies this season. It was not Lyonnes' ruthless squad, their caller manager Jonatan Giraldez's tactics oregon their 8 erstwhile Champions League titles that led to Tuesday's loss. The lone broadside to blasted for allowing Lyonnes to unafraid a comfy triumph were Arsenal themselves.

The Gunners started fast, taking the pb wrong 7 minutes done Alessia Russo. It was Beth Mead who battled done bluish shirts crowding the country and stood steadfast done tackles to provender Russo. It was an uncharacteristic lapse successful attraction from the eight-time winners who would not marque that benignant of mistake again.

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Through overmuch of 90 minutes, Arsenal lacked intent successful the last third. They sent walk aft walk circulating the area, incapable to interruption down Lyonnes, the squad antecedently known arsenic Olympique Lyonnais. The Gunners seldom retained possession and seldom conjured an on-target effort arsenic a result. Had they been much clinical, possibly their error-laden defending could person been forgiven.

Arsenal were astatine responsibility for some of the goals they conceded. Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar archetypal sent the shot consecutive to Dumornay aft reclaiming possession. The Dutch shot-stopper managed to foil the first, alternatively mediocre effort, but could bash thing to halt the rebound from flying past her.

For the 2nd extremity conscionable 5 minutes later, Van Domselaar did not work that Linsey Heaps was stalking down Mariona Caldentey who enactment the Spaniard nether pressure. She sent a hurried clearance to the inexperienced Katie Reid who, successful lone her 2nd afloat commencement successful the competition, headed it consecutive to Dumornay, and the Haitian planetary is acold excessively skilled to squander those opportunities.

The Gunners proceed to severely miss cardinal defender and vice-captain Leah Williamson.

On the ball, they miss her shot carrying skills and her quality to nonstop agelong balls implicit the apical of the midfield to interruption the lines and springiness Arsenal different attacking threat. Off the ball, they miss her enactment and composure astatine the back.

Though Reid has done good successful Williamson's absence, determination is simply a calmness that is amiss successful the existent side. Having lone partnered erstwhile near backmost Read Entire Article