Arsenal demolishes Lyon 5-1 in UEFA Women’s Champions League stunner

Beth Mead and Caitlin Foord both struck twice in a shocking result

2022 is a good year for women’s soccer in England, and Arsenal seems intent on keeping the party going.

The Gunners started their UEFA Women’s Champions League group schedule with arguably the most difficult assignment in women’s club soccer: a road game against Olympique Lyon. That’s defending UWCL champion Lyon, who generally pick a starting eleven that reads like a veritable world all-star team.

Despite all that, and being without Leah Williamson, and controversially starting with Vivianne Miedema on the bench, Arsenal made light work out of Lyon. The 2021-22 Women’s Super League runners-up crushed the French giants 5-1 at Groupama Stadium, with Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead both scoring twice.

While Lyon were missing multiple starters on their back line and up front, Arsenal were hardly expected to wipe the floor with them like this. Instead, the visitors were ruthless from start to finish, breaking a 22-game home unbeaten run for the defending champs. Arsenal’s five goals are the most any visiting team has ever scored on Lyon in competitive play

Arsenal opened the scoring in the 13th minute, with Kim Little playing a splendid ball in behind the Lyon defense for Mead, whose low cross found Foord wide open at the back post.

Eight minutes later Frida Maanum — in her first-ever Champions League start — doubled the lead. Arsenal again played a ball from deep in behind, catching Lyon’s defense unprepared. Christiane Endler kicked Stina Blackstenius’ initial shot away, but Maanum calmly tucked the rebound into the far corner.

While Melvine Malard pulled one back in the 27th minute, Arsenal got into the break with a two-goal edge thanks to Mead. The England star sent a low free kick around the Lyon wall, and Endler couldn’t keep the shot out despite getting a hand to it.

If Endler didn’t look good on that goal, another international star would look worse as Arsenal made it 4-1 in the 67th minute. France captain Wendie Renard went for a long cross-field switch, but fired the ball right to Foord instead, and the Australian settled before curling a beautiful shot past Endler, ending any real hope for Lyon to come back in the match.

Mead would add a fifth two minutes later, as more sloppy passing from Lyon handed Arsenal another chance to counter. Maanum picked off a back pass to no one in particular, and then saw Mead’s storming run from deep. Mead charged onto the ball, taking one touch before beating Endler with a powerfully-struck low shot.

 

Trying to salvage anything from the game, Lindsey Horan hit the post with a stoppage-time header for Lyon, but it simply was not her side’s day. Fortunately for them, there are still five more games in group C, though the pressure will be on both from a results perspective, and simply in terms of performance. They face a road match at Juventus next Thursday, October 27, and a loss would put them in truly dire straits in terms of getting to the knockout rounds.

Watch Arsenal hit Lyon up for five goals

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