'Warmest welcome' – but can Arsenal give ex-boss unhappy return?

Women's Champions League: Arsenal v Lyon

Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Saturday, 19 April Kick-off: 12:30 BST

Coverage: Live power commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Live and matter updates connected nan BBC Sport website and app

For Arsenal and Lyon, Saturday's gathering successful northbound London will beryllium comfortably their biggest crippled of nan play to date.

That location is simply a important reunion thrown into nan operation will only amplify nan consciousness of occasion.

What is clear is that nan first limb of nan Women's Champions League semi-final presents an opportunity to put 1 ft successful May's final.

Arsenal, nan only English broadside to person won nan competition, are eyeing a first European crown since 2007.

For Lyon, a record-extending ninth title is wrong sight.

And successful complaint of masterminding a Lyon triumph is simply a acquainted face, pinch erstwhile Arsenal caput coach Joe Montemurro returning to Emirates Stadium.

The Australian is fondly remembered aft winning 2 trophies during his 3 and a half years astatine Arsenal, but tin Renee Slegers' free-scoring Gunners spoil his return?

Montemurro arrived astatine Arsenal from Melbourne City successful December 2017, tasked pinch turning astir a slow commencement to nan play which had led to nan nine parting institution pinch Pedro Martinez Losa.

The caller leader took conscionable 3 months to assistance his first portion of silverware arsenic Arsenal won nan Women's League Cup, earlier he guided nan squad to their first Women's Super League title for 7 years nan pursuing season.

That accomplishment besides secured a spot successful nan Women's Champions League for nan first clip since 2013-14.

Arsenal went connected to scope nan quarter-finals successful Europe, but they missed retired connected trophies during Montemurro's last 2 seasons and he chose to time off astatine nan extremity of nan 2020-21 run to walk much clip pinch his family.

Former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie, who played nether Montemurro for 2 seasons, was afloat of praise for nan Australian.

"I loved his style of play, I loved his training, I loved his method outlook connected nan game. He really simplified nan game. And I loved his accuracy and his methodology," Beattie told BBC 5 Live Sport's Women's Football Weekly.

"He was truthful easy to talk to. You could attack him astir anything, you could talk astir individual things, you tin talk astir football.

"He will get nan warmest invited coming back. All nan girls still location that worked nether him understand that and nan fans arsenic well."

During his tenure astatine Arsenal, which coincided pinch nan emergence of a ascendant Chelsea side, Montemurro won 2 trophies, reached 4 home cup finals, and doubly guided Arsenal into nan Women's Champions League.

He returned to guidance pinch Juventus successful June 2021 earlier succeeding Chelsea-bound Sonia Bompastor astatine Lyon successful June 2024.

Tasked pinch spoiling Montemurro's return is Slegers, who was appointed arsenic Arsenal's imperishable caput coach successful January 2025, pursuing nan departure of Jonas Eidevall past October.

Eidevall, who led nan broadside to a Champions League semi-final successful 2023, near pinch Arsenal sixth successful nan WSL and reeling from a 5-2 conclusion by Bayern Munich successful their Champions League opener.

Since then, Arsenal person won 22 of their 27 matches nether Slegers, including a 13-match unbeaten tally to statesman her tenure.

The Champions League provides their astir realistic dream of silverware this season, and 1 area of betterment nether Slegers has been Arsenal's attacking form.

"There's a clear relationship betwixt Slegers and nan players," erstwhile Arsenal defender Anita Asante told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "She's shown she trusts what they tin do connected nan transportation and allows them to do it.

"They're much fierce successful that last 3rd now and they're really objective too."

Under Slegers, Arsenal person scored:

England striker Alessia Russo, who is expected to return from wounded connected Saturday, has recovered her champion shape nether nan Dutchwoman and is associated 2nd successful nan Champions League individual standings pinch six goals.

Assessing really Slegers' broadside comparison to Eidevall's, Asante added: "It's direct, it's snappier, and it's besides harder to take sides [against].

"This is different characteristic of Slegers' [Arsenal]: having power successful nan guidance half, dictating nan tempo, and making it difficult for nan guidance to breathe."

In Lyon, Arsenal are facing Women's Champions League royalty.

The French broadside person won nan title a grounds 8 times, including a tally of 5 consecutive titles betwixt 2016 and 2020, and reached nan last connected a further 3 occasions, astir precocious successful 2024 erstwhile they mislaid to Barcelona.

They person continued to thrive successful Montemurro's first play successful charge, beating Wolfsburg, Roma, and Galatasaray location and distant to apical Group A by 9 points earlier defeating Bayern Munich 6-1 connected aggregate to cruise into nan past 4 for nan 14th clip successful 18 Champions League campaigns.

They've scored 25 goals and conceded conscionable doubly successful Europe, and are nan only unbeaten broadside near successful nan draw. Indeed, they've only mislaid erstwhile successful each competitions successful 2024-25, beaten successful a punishment shootout by Reims successful nan past 32 of nan Coupe de France.

Lyon's squad includes France guardant Kadidiatou Diani and Haitian midfielder Melchie Dumornay, who person shared 9 goals and six assists successful nan Champions League this season, and 2018 Ballon d'Or victor Ada Hegerberg.

Despite their opponents' shape and personnel, Beattie has backed Arsenal to scope nan final.

"I deliberation Lyon are location for nan taking," Beattie said. "I person watched them a batch complete nan Champions League. I don't deliberation they're nan Lyon we've seen successful erstwhile seasons that predominate nan European game.

"I'm reasoning Arsenal tin return this 1 and to spot them successful nan Champions League last will hopefully beryllium perfectly epic. A location commencement will beryllium truthful important [and] a bully result. The Emirates will beryllium massive."

Asante said "whoever controls nan midfield" will travel retired connected top.

Having watched Arsenal's 5-1 triumph complete Leicester City connected Tuesday, she believes they person nan fluidity successful onslaught to utilization Lyon's weaknesses.

"Lyon do play rather often pinch attacking full-backs, very akin to Arsenal, but they're really scary successful transition," Asante said.

"Even though Lyon dismantled Bayern Munich, they showed weaknesses and if Arsenal tin utilization them and drawback them successful moments erstwhile they deficiency concentration, they tin perfectly wounded them.

"If [Arsenal] execute really they did against Leicester, they decidedly person a chance to dismantle Lyon because they were fluid successful their moments, they recovered those connections, and they were objective successful onslaught erstwhile they created those goalscoring opportunities.

"The situation for them is stopping Lyon's threats because Dumornay, Diani, [Tabitha] Chawinga, Hederberg – these are frightening attacking players."