Mixed fortunes for the English sides in the Women's Champions League

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The league phase of the Women's Champions League has begun...

There were mixed fortunes for the English sides, including a defeat for last year's winner.

Author | Josh T

Super News Football 2025 | Women's Champions League | Collage of the English sides in action

The action started at Meadow Park as Arsenal hosted Lyon..

A bad start for Arsenal in the defence of their crown

Melchie Dumornay punished Arsenal’s defensive errors with two quick goals as Lyon overcame the reigning Champions League holders in the opening round of the league phase.

Renee Slegers made five changes to the side that lost 3-2 to Manchester City in the Women’s Super League, but the alterations failed to have the intended impact. Arsenal had started brightly and were rewarded when Alessia Russo put them ahead.

Super News Football 2025 | Women's Champions League | Arsenal v Lyon | Post match huddle

However, their attempts to play out from the back repeatedly invited pressure, allowing Lyon, eight-time winners of the competition, to seize control. Once in front, the French champions dominated possession, leaving Arsenal to rely on long balls towards Russo in a frustrated search for an equaliser.

Baltimore penalty saves Chelsea from opening game defeat

Chelsea were forced to come from behind to salvage a draw against Dutch champions Twente in their Women’s Champions League opener.

Chelsea dominated for long spells at De Grolsch Veste but fell behind to Danique van Ginkel’s 63rd-minute strike, before salvaging a draw eight minutes later. Sonia Bompastor’s side, who had scored nine against the same opponents in last season’s group stage and made seven changes from the team that drew with Manchester United, avoided their first defeat in any competition since April.

Super News Football 2025 | Women's Champions League | Twente v Chelsea | Pre-match scenes

It then felt like Chelsea would eventually find an winner, but despite a raft of late attacks, the Twente defence held firm as they ground out what was probably a deserved point.

United start first Champions League campaign with a win

United made a winning Women's Champions League debut as Maya le Tissier's first-half penalty proved enough to see off Norwegian side Valerenga.

With Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Wolfsburg and French heavyweights Paris St-Germain and Lyon to face in the six-match opening stage, United needed a win to give them a realistic chance of securing a top-12 berth, which would earn at least a play-off next year for a quarter-final spot.

Super News Football 2025 | Women's Champions League | Manchester United v Valerenga | United throw in

Le Tissier delivered it, keeping her nerve to send Tove Enblom the wrong way from the spot after Arna Eiriksdottir was harshly ruled to have handled a pass from Julia Zigiotti Olme that was intended for Elisabeth Terland.

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