Renée Slegers [Jay Patel/SPP]

IT’S been the epitome of an emotionally contrasting week down at Ashburton Grove.

This time last season it was Arsenal’s Women’s team booking their place in the Champions League final, while the men’s team were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain.

This time around, however, while Mikel Arteta’s side were celebrating among the fireworks, it was hard not to think about the disappointment that Renée Slegers’ squad was dealing with.

The Gunners’ hopes of defending their Women’s Champions League crown came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday when Jule Brand scored a dramatic 87th-minute winner to give Lyon a 4-3 semi-final win on aggregate.

Slegers said: “It was about tight margins, and I think we struggled in certain phases, but we stayed in the game. We’re proud to be with the best four in Europe, but yeah, we wanted more, so we have to continue to work.”