\n Read more<\/span> <\/p>\n We like the rhythm of games, so when we\u2019re in a lot of competitions and matches come thick and fast, that\u2019s where we want to be. But there is a balance to strike. With these international breaks being so long and demanding for the players, and when we have to travel so much in this final block, it\u2019s really good for us to have a full week to prepare.<\/p>\n Today we face Lyon, a team with so much quality and history. We\u2019ve been here before, at this exact moment of the competition last season, but no match-up will ever be exactly the same. Lyon have a new manager and a lot of new players, so it will be a very different challenge this time.<\/p>\n They are different now, but we are also different now. I think what they do really well is their aggression. They\u2019re very explosive, with strong, fast players who can press and transition so smoothly. They\u2019re also a threat from set pieces, so there\u2019s a lot they can bring to this game. But there\u2019s a lot of quality we can bring as well. The team\u2019s task is to manage our opponent really well across both legs.<\/p>\n \n Read more<\/span> <\/p>\n If you look at where we are now as a team and the tools that we possess \u2013 the ideas, the alignment, the individual qualities \u2013 I think we\u2019ve grown so much. What we achieved last year against Lyon, coming back the way we did, was amazing. Although we can\u2019t think or rely on previous victories too much, what that semi-final did provide us with was belief with proof.<\/p>\n When we went to Lyon, a goal down in the tie, we had to find the belief that we could turn things around. Of course, the team had performed really well and beaten Lyon two seasons before, but a lot had changed.<\/p>\n Now, if you look at the squad that we have, there are a few new players in, but our core is so similar. So there is belief, but there\u2019s also shared experience to draw on now. I don\u2019t underestimate that.<\/p>\n It was also really important that we managed to get that first-leg lead against Chelsea in the last round. What we showed last year was our ability to come back, both against Real Madrid and Lyon, but we have to find every way to win.<\/p>\n We maximised the game against Chelsea at Emirates Stadium. We wanted to start that game really well at home and play off the power of our fans. We did that, we won 3-1 and that was decisive in getting into the semi-finals.<\/p>\n That was crucial across the two legs, so we want to use that opportunity and home advantage again now. We all absolutely love playing at the Emirates. We know for a fact that this will be the last time this season we\u2019ll play at home in the Champions League, so it\u2019s such a special occasion.<\/p>\n We have to do everything just as we usually do, but it\u2019s also vital to feel the occasion. It\u2019s going to be a special moment for the players. Embracing this moment is going to be important. Being together in everything is going to be important. That\u2019s what we always feel at the Emirates. We feel so empowered by the fans, so everyone\u2019s looking forward to it.<\/p>\n Enjoy the match, and COYG!<\/p>\n Read more about the game, as well as a host of other fantastic content, by buying the Arsenal v Lyon programme either around the stadium or <\/em>online<\/em><\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Before every home game, Ren\u00e9e Slegers gives her thoughts around<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1363\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialsport.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Preview: Arsenal Women v Lyon <\/span>
\n <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/article>\n Looking back at our best games against Lyon <\/span>
\n <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/article>\n