Lyon 3 Arsenal 1 (agg 4-3)

For three minutes and 10 seconds everyone in the Groupama Stadium held their breath. The wait for Arsenal’s players was agonising while Lyon manager Jonatan Giráldez was animated on the touchline, insisting to the officials: “It is a goal!”

In the 87th minute, Jule Brand found space inside Arsenal’s box to get on the end of a sensational pass from Melchie Dumornay. She then finished superbly to score past Daphne van Domselaar, but her celebrations were cut short when the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside. It quickly became evident that VAR was checking the goal.

The check, however, was anything but quick. Eventually, with the use of semi-automated offside, the goal was given, with replays showing Lotte Wubben-Moy’s trailing heel had played Brand onside.

The goal secured Lyon’s place in the Champions League final and broke Arsenal’s hearts in the process. Arsenal won this competition last year against the odds but it was not to be this time.

Lyon were the better team and deserved to progress, but VAR played a key role in the second leg of this semi-final. Technology was used on four occasions, with three of the four decisions going the French side’s way.

“It’s hard, I felt like at the start of the game the ball was in play for about two minutes in 20,” Leah Williamson said at full time. “With the rules... I don’t think we’re all on the same page with it, so it’s frustrating. It was very stop-start.”

After Lyon had a goal ruled out for offside in the seventh minute, VAR awarded them a penalty and then a retake after Van Domselaar had saved Wendie Renard’s first effort. The spot-kick had been given for a foul by Wubben-Moy on Dumornay, which the referee awarded after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Van Domeslaar had been off her line when she saved Renard’s first effort but play had continued for around a minute before a retake was ordered. Van Domselaar perhaps did not need to be that far off her line. Given the weakness of Renard’s penalty, she would likely have saved it anyway. The Lyon captain made no mistake at the second time of asking.

That goal drew Lyon level on aggregate after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory at the Emirates last weekend. The French side then went ahead when Kadidiatou Diani punished some sloppy Arsenal defending at a set-piece.

Arsenal were better in the second half and, after twice hitting the woodwork, levelled on aggregate when Alessia Russo fired in from Smilla Holmberg’s cross. But as extra time beckoned, there was a final twist as VAR ruled Brand onside for the winning goal.

As painful as those VAR decisions were for Arsenal and the length of time they took, they were not hugely controversial. The one call Arsenal could have justifiably been frustrated with was the decision to award Lyon’s penalty. It did not appear to be a “clear and obvious mistake” but it was a needless tackle from Wubben-Moy.

While clearly disappointed, Renée Slegers was humble in defeat. “I haven’t watched it back,” the Arsenal head coach said of the penalty decision. “I thought it was very start-stop in the first half. The game was not being played with any rhythm. At times it wasn’t an issue for us. We have to respect the decision and move on.

“Lyon raised their levels today. They came out really strong. They were the better team. They had Selma Bacha and Melchie Dumornay back in the side [after missing the first leg], who are world-class players. They were really effective in certain moments. It was a very tight game, small margins. Of course it is very disappointing for us.”

Arsenal needed to capitalise after Russo’s goal, but they allowed Lyon to take back control too quickly.

Arsenal’s chances of defending their European crown may be over but they still have an outside chance of winning the Women’s Super League. They could take the title race to the final day if they win their two games in hand against Brighton and Aston Villa.

Asked how she will motivate her players for Wednesday’s trip to Brighton, Slegers said: “I think ‘let everyone be’ on the journey home, on the flight, give everyone space to manage themselves and their own emotions and thoughts.

“When we are back in on Monday, we’re going to have to move on. We have the league to focus on, which is very important for us, and the next one is Brighton so we’ll make ourselves ready.”

Match details

Lyon (4-3-3): Endler 6; Lawrence 6, Renard 6, Engen 6, Bacha 7; Dumornay 8, Heaps 7 (Egurrola 77), Yohannes 6 (Shrader 63); Diani 7 (Becho 77), Hegerberg 6 (Katoto 63), Brand 7.
Subs: Belhadj, Marchal, Svava, Tarciane, Sombath, Olivier, Ouazar, Rafakski.
Booked: Renard.
Goals: Renard 21, Diani 36, Brand 87.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Van Domselaar 6; Fox 6, Williamson 6, Wubben-Moy 6, McCabe 6 (Kelly 82); Little 5, Caldentey 5 (Pelova 70); Smith 5 (Holmberg 69), Russo 6, Foord 5; Blackstenius 6 (Maanum 82).
Subs: Votikova, Borbe, Hinds, Codina, Dixon.
Booked: Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Pelova, Foord.
Goal: Russo 75.

Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi.

Attendance: 22,505.