Arsenal begin the defence of their Women’s Champions League crown on Tuesday with a heavyweight clash against eight-time champions Lyon at Meadow Park, as the competition ushers in a new format designed to mirror its men’s counterpart.
This season introduces an 18-team league phase, replacing the traditional 16-team group stage. Each club will play six matches – three at home and three away – with the top four sides advancing directly to the quarter-finals. Teams finishing fifth to 12th will enter a knockout play-off round, raising the stakes from the very start.
Holders Arsenal face a challenging start against French champions Lyon in a rematch of last season’s semi-final, which the Gunners won 5-3 on aggregate. However, Renee Slegers’ side approach this encounter amid a dip in form.
A 3-2 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday followed back-to-back draws with Manchester United and Aston Villa, leaving Arsenal fifth in the Women’s Super League and searching for momentum. The absence of injured captain Leah Williamson has exposed vulnerabilities in their defence, which has conceded in each of their last three league games.
“When we have momentum, we must capitalise, be ruthless, and protect ourselves when it shifts again,” said Slegers after the loss to City. “That’s something we need to improve. But heads up – we’re focused on Lyon. We’ll do everything we can to recover and show up in true Arsenal fashion on Tuesday.”
While Arsenal have stuttered, Lyon arrive in north London in formidable shape. The French giants are top of their domestic league after winning all four matches so far, scoring 19 goals in the process.
New head coach Jonatan Giráldez, the architect of Barcelona’s European dominance earlier in the 2020s, has made an immediate impact. Lyon followed a 6-1 statement win over Paris Saint-Germain with an emphatic 8-1 thrashing of Lens on Friday, signalling their intent to reclaim European supremacy.
Their attacking options – including Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, and new signing Jule Brand – offer Giráldez a wealth of firepower capable of testing Arsenal’s fragile defence.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, last season’s runners-up Barcelona host Bayern Munich in another marquee fixture. Barca narrowly missed out on a third consecutive title in May, falling to Arsenal in the final, and several players remain motivated by a summer of near-misses – including a penalty shoot-out loss to England in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 final.
One of them is Aitana Bonmatí, who despite winning a third consecutive Ballon d’Or, endured a turbulent year marked by a Champions League final defeat, a missed penalty in the Euros final, and a bout of viral meningitis. After scoring five goals in Barca’s opening three league matches, the 27-year-old has not found the net since early September – and Tuesday’s clash with unbeaten Bayern, currently second in the Frauen-Bundesliga, presents an ideal stage to silence her critics.
The opening round of the Women’s Champions League promises high-stakes action beyond Arsenal’s showdown with Lyon and Barcelona’s meeting with Bayern:
With the new format raising the level of competition from day one, the margin for error has narrowed. Arsenal, despite their recent struggles, will hope that a strong start against Europe’s most decorated club sets the tone for another deep run – while Lyon look to announce their return to continental dominance under a new era of leadership.
