Arsenal

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Arsenal boss Renee Slegers speaking to TNT Sports: "The fans are a big part of what we want to do. The players are aware of that. We love playing at the Emirares. We don't want to wait for anything, we want to play the Arsenal way from the start.

"We don't think about the second leg. We want to go and take the game by the throat today."

On facing the eight-time winners: "It's a big challenge. We were so happy with progressing from the quarter-finals. Madrid was a hard opponent for us but this is next level.

"They have the history, they have individuals who have done it before. We are very aware of what they are going to bring today and we respect them a lot. I respect Joe as a coach. There is huge respect but we have belief."

From a personal perspective, the first ever women's football match I covered for the BBC was Lyon 1-5 Arsenal. What a night that was, when you struggle to find the words to adequately describe what is happening in front of you.

If the Gunners win today, you fans can thank me, I'm clearly a good luck charm.

Arsenal have met Lyon six times and won only once - but what a win it was, 5-1 in France.

For Lyon, then coached by now-Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, were blown away as Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead scored twice for the Gunners, Frida Maanum grabbing the other.

Lyon will instead look to their unbeaten record in seven away games against English sides in this competition, and their previous semi-final clash with Arsenal - in 2011, when they won 5-2 on aggregate.

Emily Salley
BBC Sport at Emirates Stadium

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Alessia Russo is fit to return to Arsenal's starting line-up, but the Gunners striker still has some heavy strapping around her right leg after picking up that injury on England duty.

She's just got the biggest cheer of the day so far at the Emirates after her name was read aloud by the stadium announcer.

Lyon are a fearsome foe at both ends of the field. In defence, they have kept the most clean sheets - six - and conceded the fewest goals (two) in the 2024-25 Women’s Champions League.

In attack, their front line possess a frightening mix of talent and experience.

Kadi Diani has been directly involved in nine Champions League goals this season, and 21-year-old Haitian striker Melchie Dumornay - who England fans may remember giving them kittens at the 2023 World Cup - will have to be watched carefully.

Diani has been directly involved in 11 goals in her 12 UWCL appearances for Lyon - six goals and five assists - both scoring and assisting against PSG in the semi-final last season.

In reserve, Lyon have the hugely experienced Eugenie Le Sommer. The Frenchwoman has scored six goals in the semi-finals alone of the Women’s Champions League, with four of those coming against English opposition.

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Lyon are the only unbeaten side left in the Women's Champions League this season.

In fact, they've conceded just two goals in the competition.

They've beaten Wolfsburg, Roma, and Galatasaray home and away to top Group A by nine points before defeating Bayern Munich 6-1 on aggregate to cruise into the last four for the 14th time in 18 Champions League campaigns.

Not bad going!

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Between 2017 and 2021, Joe Montemurro spent three-and-a-half seasons in charge at Arsenal, winning two trophies and bringing European football back to North London.

On his return to Emirates Stadium for the first leg of this Women's Champions League semi-final, he will find himself in the away dugout attempting to mastermind a victory for Lyon over his former side.

However, former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie, who played under Montemurro for two seasons, expects the Australian to receive "the warmest welcome" from fans and players alike.

"I loved his style of play, I loved his training, I loved his technical outlook on the game. He really simplified the game. And I loved his philosophy and his methodology," she told BBC 5 Live Sport's Women's Football Weekly.

"He was so easy to talk to. You could approach him about anything, you could talk about personal things, you can talk about football.

"He will get the warmest welcome coming back. All the girls still there that worked under him understand that and the fans as well."

You can read more about Montemurro's return and how Arsenal have become more attacking under Renee Slegers here.

Jen Beattie
Former Arsenal defender on BBC Women's Football Weekly

I think Lyon are there for the taking. I have watched them a lot over the Champions League. I don't think they're the Lyon we've seen in previous seasons that dominate the European game.

I'm thinking Arsenal can take this one and to see them in the Champions League final will hopefully be absolutely epic.

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Lyon chief executive Vincent Ponsot believes owner Michele Kang has given the club a "new lease of life" which will allow them keep competing with the best sides in Europe.

Kang, who also owns Washington Spirit and London City Lionesses, became majority owner of the women's team in 2023, taking over from the Eagle Football group, who had purchased the OL Groupe from Jean-Michel Aulas the previous year.

Aulas spent more than 30 years as Lyon's owner and president, overseeing the men's club's transformation from a debt-ridden second tier side to serial trophy-winners throughout the 2000s and launching a women's team in 2004 which would go on to to win a record eight Champions League titles.

"We have reached the end of our model a bit," Ponsot told BBC World Service. "I think we needed a new lease of life, a new project. That is exactly what Michele brought with a much more global vision.

"We now see clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Barcelona. There is competition and our ambition is to remain one of the best European clubs."

You can read more about Lyon's rise under Aulas and Kang's ambitions for the club here.

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Success is synonymous with Olympique Lyonnais Feminin.

Since being established in 2004, the French club have become one of the superpowers in women's football, lifting 38 trophies, including a record eight Women's Champions League titles.

BBC World Service's Sophia Hartley charts their rise, going behind the scenes with the likes of Ada Hegerberg, Lucy Bronze, Wendie Renard, visionary former owner Jean-Michel Aulas, and billionaire Michele Kang, who took over the club in 2023.

You can listen to Olympique Lyonnais: The Champions League trailblazers here.

Fara Williams
Former England midfielder on TNT

It's fantastic that the WSL has two of our top teams [in the semi-finals]. These are the two teams that are flying the flag in the WSL at the minute. These semi-finals are so exciting because these are the four best teams in Europe. I don't think home or away legs matter.

Emily Salley
BBC Sport at Emirates Stadium

There's a real feel-good factor around the Emirates right now.

When I arrived this morning there was a brass band blasting out tunes, while there were a group of fans on the other side of the stadium singing 'North London Forever' at the top of their lungs.

It's been a great week for the club. The women's team wrapped up a 5-1 win in the Women's Super League against Leicester, while the men's side beat defending champions Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Can the Gunners make it even better with victory against Lyon today?

BBC Radio 5 Live

Our radio coverage of today's game has just got under way on BBC 5 Live. Eilidh Barbour and Natasha Dowie will be your commentary team from Emirates Stadium.

You can tune in via your radio and on BBC Sounds, or by clicking the play button at the top of this page.

Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler: "We've been thinking about Arsenal since the draw. We know it's going to be a very difficult game; they’re a very competitive team.

"We also remember the result we had [the 5-1 home loss] two seasons ago, which wasn't positive, so they are going to be a very tough opposition."

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Lyon manager Joe Montemurro: "Arsenal deserve to be at the top end of this great competition. Their supporter base and the way they’ve elevated women’s football not only in the UK, but I think also in Europe, has been quite special.

"We expect it to be an amazing atmosphere, an atmosphere which will, obviously, be pro-Arsenal. And that’s where we will just have to focus on our football, not focus on the other bits and pieces. If Lyon show up and have a football approach and focus on the moment on the pitch, I think we’ll put in a good show.

"I don’t know what [Renee Slegers] will take from what I taught her. She might use it against me, I don’t know, but again, if they use some of the ideas that I like to put into football, then fantastic, but I don’t think there’s anything to hide from that perspective.

"I’m honoured to have been part of maybe one thing that could have contributed to her taking with her for the rest of her life, and contributing to her development."

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers on the importance of taking a lead into the second leg: "We're going to go from the start, because we enjoy playing at the Emirates, and we're at one of the final stages of Champions League. It's a huge moment. And we're going to do it here in London, and we want to go for it, and we want to take the opportunity by the throat.

"It will only be half time, so there will be a lot of work to do still in Lyon as well, whatever the result. But yeah, we want to start well with 40,000 people in the crowd, we look forward to it."

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Arsenal manager Renee Slegers on Lyon: "We understand the challenge that we're facing across these two games, because Lyon are very experienced. They've been here many times before, so we have huge respect for their coach, their individual players and their history. But we're happy that we're here, that we put ourselves in this situation, and this is exactly where we want to be, and we look forward to the game."

On the team's belief after beating Real Madrid: "The Madrid home game, I think the composure under pressure, the way we played our game on a very high level, we set ourselves some new standards, and we did it in this critical moment where we come from, 45 minutes 0-0 and then we have to do it in second half. So I think that was a big moment for us as a team."

Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey, on her experience from successful Champions League campaigns with Barcelona: "We do speak a lot about life, about football, because we spent a lot of time together, but I think the team has the winning mentality as well. So that's the most important. I think that's a bit contagious as well.

"We want to win titles. Of course, Champions League is a big one. We know we are still a bit far away right now. It's three games for that, but I think everyone is hungry for titles. So this mentality, we need to keep it.

"We need to improve every day. And we are there because we deserve it. And now we are four best teams in Europe, and we are one of them, so we want to go more."

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Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey, on what it will take for the Gunners to win the Champions League: We are here without because we deserve to be here. We were top of the group against Bayern for example, and then we beat Real Madrid. So we have to believe in that we are here because we deserve to be here.

"Now it's we face Lyon, that it's top, top team, and we have to respect that. But I think we have to have no fear and we respect them, but we want to go for it. It's two games, and the first one is at home with our fans. So I think we are ready for that.

"We are so excited to play, and I think we have our football as well, and we want to show to all the world, and hopefully it's will be good for everyone."

Ellen White
Former Manchester City striker on Women's Football Weekly

I feel like it's going to be a tough task for Arsenal coming up against Lyon, but I'm really excited for this game.

I think it's going to be bouncing at the Emirates, but Lyon fans are crazy. They are crazy. I remember we played them away, it’s 20,000 topless guys going mental.

I'm really looking forward to this one and how it's going to play out.

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