Arsenal will take on Lyon at the Emirates Stadium this Sunday in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) Clash.
- Coverage: Watch live on Disney+ this Sunday; build-up begins at 2:30 PM before the 3:30 PM kick-off.
- Squad News: Arsenal will be without Catley and Mead, while Lyon’s Liana Joseph remains out with an ACL injury.
- Form & Focus: Lyon arrives with a dominant league lead, while both managers emphasise focusing on the “here and now.”
Where to watch
This watch will be broadcast on Disney+ on Sunday, the 25th of March. The build-up will start from 2.30 PM and kick off at 3.30 PM.
Recent Form
Arsenal’s form is mixed. They’ve dominated recently in the league, getting huge results against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and London City Lionesses. But they bowed out of the FA Cup, in a shock result with Brighton beating them 2-0 at Meadow Park.
Along with Chelsea beating them 1-0 in the Champions League quarter-final, seeing them progress through, but taking momentum away from their dominant first-leg performance.
Lyon isn’t in a similar position. They are currently enjoying a nearly perfect domestic campaign and have shown they can handle the pressure of a European comeback.
They’re sitting 14 points clear at the top of Division 1 Féminine and are sitting on 63 goal difference. In the UWCL, they beat Wolfsburg 4-0 in the second leg after losing 1-0 in the first. They also finished second in the group stage, winning 5 and drawing 1.
Players Missing
Steph Catley and Beth Mead will both be missing from Arsenal’s squad for the fixture. Catley is one of Arsenal’s most reliable defenders, stabilising the entire backline.
While Mead is statistically one of the top creators in the WSL, sitting in the 94th percentile for chances created this season. Catley won’t feature due to a calf issue, and Beth Mead steps away due to personal issues.
Arsenal’s assistant head coach, Aaron D’Antino, won’t feature on the sidelines for the club as he is suspended. This comes after the second leg of the quarter-final against Chelsea, D’Antino was shown a yellow card for dissent. This was his third of Arsenal’s campaign, suspending him for one match.
Renne Sledgers commented on this during her pre-match press conference, saying, “He’s loud! When Aaron is here, you’ll hear him. He brings so much energy to the team and so much detail to the team. So unfortunately, we won’t have him on the bench. But like I said, we have a very big and competent staff. ”
For Lyon, it’s looking doubtful for Tegan Micah to return after sustaining a concussion. She’s Lyon’s second keeper, so Christiane Endler will be supported by the youth ranks or backup options instead of the Aussie. Liana Joseph is one of Lyons long term Injuries, sustaining an ACL Injury. She tore this in October 2025 and isn’t expected to be back in the near future.
Managers Thoughts
Arsenal manager Renee Sledgers spoke on playing them last season and if it’ll make it easier this time round, “I think what we’re really good at is being in the here and now and trying to impact the here and now as much as we can as individuals and then all together. I think we did that really well last year. That’s why I think that was a big part of achieving what we achieved. Being humble and respectful of opponents… So the here and now and the here and now is going to be different. I think you’re constantly learning. As a team, we go through different contexts, through different phases. We’re all putting those things into our backpacks as a team.”
