Arsenal's hopes of reaching the Women's Champions League final were dashed in a tense encounter at Groupama Stadium, where fine margins and a controversial VAR decision turned the tide against the defending champions.
With the aggregate score tied at 1-1 after Alessia Russo's 75th-minute goal, the Gunners appeared headed for extra time. However, Lyon's Jule Brand scored a late winner that survived a three-minute VAR review, confirming Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy played Brand onside by the narrowest of margins.
The match was plagued by interruptions, with Arsenal players expressing frustration over the stop-start nature of the game. Defender Leah Williamson remarked, "It's hard... the ball was in play for about two minutes in 20. With the rules, I don't think we're all on the same page, so it's frustrating."
VAR also played a key role in two other decisions: Lindsey Heaps' early goal was disallowed for offside, and a penalty awarded to Lyon after a pitchside monitor review was initially saved but then retaken due to goalkeeper encroachment—converted on the second attempt by Wendie Renard.
Despite the controversies, Arsenal interim head coach Renée Slegers acknowledged Lyon's superiority: "It wasn't just VAR that harmed our chances. Lyon's performance was superior to ours over the two legs. We have to respect the decisions and move on."
Lyon will now face Barcelona in the final, while Arsenal must regroup after falling short in their bid for back-to-back European titles.