Determined Arsenal set sights on Lyon

First place at stake
A 7-2 success against FC Zürich Frauen and a 6-0 defeat of SV Neulengbach have ensured Arsenal a top-two finish in second qualifying round Group B3, but a victory against hosts Lyon at Stade de Gerland is required to claim first place and avoid a quarter-final against the Group B2 winners. Not only that, but it would be a chance to avenge the 3-2 aggregate defeat by Lyon at the last-eight stage a year ago that ended Arsenal's reign as European champions.

Challenge
"We felt we should have prevailed last year," Byrne told uefa.com. "The away leg was 0-0 but we felt we should have scored. In the home game we didn't perform well at all." Little, who joined Arsenal this year from Hibernian LFC, added: "I'm looking forward to it. They beat us last year in the quarter-finals. We're looking to beat them and get a better draw in the quarter-finals. It will probably be one of the toughest teams I've played against, I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Atmosphere
Last year's encounter at Stade de Gerland was watched by nearly 7,500, and Byrne is expecting the home support to make the challenge against the ambitious French champions and their selection of international talents even more difficult. "It was a bit intimidating," the Irish international said. "A huge stadium and the French supporters are generally quite vocal. But this year we are little bit more experienced with that side. We are just expecting it to be a tough game and the crowd to be on our back."

In the goals
Little, like Byrne, admits Arsenal are slightly disappointed not to have been able to outscore Lyon over the first two games and hold the edge on goal difference, but the 18-year-old forward has claimed four goals so far and is certainly pleased by that. "I like scoring goals a lot so to score a hat-trick and another goal against Neulengbach is great," said Little, who entered the competition twice with Hibernian but fell in the first qualifying round – last year after a 4-3 loss to Neulengbach. "It's a lot better to come here and know you have a better chance," the Scotland striker added.

Payback
If Arsenal fail to win, their most likely quarter-final opponents are Umeå IK, who the Gunners beat in the 2007 final but are second only to 1. FFC Frankfurt in the history of this competition after lifting the trophy twice. "I'm not going to lie, everybody's looked at that path," Byrne said. "But at the end of the day you're going to have to beat all the teams anyway. We just want to beat Lyon for our own self-esteem and a bit of payback for last year."