VAR, fine margins & 'superior' Lyon cost Arsenal Champions League final spot
That, combined with a lengthy VAR check, was what knocked defending champions Arsenal out of the Women's Champions League in the cruellest of fashion. The Gunners were heading for extra-time in Lyon after Alessia Russo scored with 15 minutes remaining to level the tie on aggregate. But their dreams of reaching back-to-back European finals were soon crushed when Jule Brand's late goal was allowed to stand following a Video Assistant Referee check that for lasted three minutes and 10 seconds.
The replays showed that Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy had played the German winger onside by the smallest of margins. It wasn't the only decision that VAR took its time over and Arsenal's players were frustrated with the stop-start nature of the match at Groupama Stadium. "It's hard, I felt like at the start of the game the ball was in play for about two minutes in 20," Arsenal defender Leah Williamson told BBC Sport.
"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. " Lindsey Heaps had her seventh-minute opener disallowed by referee Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, who believed Ingrid Engen and Ada Hegerberg were in an offside position in front of Arsenal keeper Daphne van Domselaar.
VAR eventually agreed with Ferrieri Caputi's decision, but it wasn't long until it got involved again. The Italian referee initially waved away Melchie Dumornay and Lyon's appeal for a penalty when it appeared she had been brought down by Wubben-Moy. The replays seemed inconclusive, and anything but 'clear and obvious', but VAR asked Ferrieri Caputi to watch the incident on the pitchside monitor and she ultimately changed her decision to penalty.
Speaking after the game, Slegers said she hadn't re-watched the incident but she added that Arsenal needed to "respect the decision". "I thought it was very start stop in the first half, the game was not being played in any rhythm, which at times wasn't an issue for us to take some sting out of the game," Slegers said. "But yeah, I haven't watched it back.