Villarreal piled on the pain for Lyon with a 2-0 victory that kept alive the Spanish club’s hopes of winning the Emirates Cup on Sunday.
Goals from Bruno Soriano and Leo Baptistao gave Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side their second win in the pre-season tournament at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium after Saturday’s success against Wolfsburg.
Villarreal sit top of the four-team table, but hosts Arsenal will win their own tournament for the first time since 2010 if they beat Bundesliga runners-up Wolfsburg later on Sunday due to their superior number of goals scored.
It was another dispiriting defeat for Hubert Fournier’s Lyon just 24 hours after the French team’s humiliating 6-0 thrashing against Arsenal.
Fournier admitted he will consider making new signings in the aftermath of a weekend that rocked his plans for the season after France midfielder Clement Grenier suffered a ruptured quad muscle on Saturday.
“We don’t need to consider it’s the end of the world by any means. But based on what I’ve noticed in the Emirates Cup we really have to strengthen,” he said.
“It’s up to us to try to find an answer so we can have a more solid central defensive partnership than we managed over the two games.
“We are a lot more leaky than we have been previously.”
Fournier made 11 changes to his starting line-up and the switches made Lyon more competitive, but they still couldn’t avoid another morale-denting loss ahead of their Trophee des Champions showdown with Paris Saint Germain next weekend.
And the Lyon boss conceded his team’s poor form has left him uncertain who to select for the PSG clash.
“We will analyse what we have seen and try to come up with the most suitable line-up,” he added.
“Grenier’s injury means we need to think about the best formation to meet Paris Saint Germain.
“It was a complete rupture of the muscle. It is a serious injury that is for sure. As for the exact length of time he will be out, I will have to ask the medical staff.”
Lyon were first to threaten through teenage striker Aldo Kalulu, whose low shot drew a good save from Alphonse Areola.
Villarreal also had plenty of chances, with both Samuel Castillejo and Gerard Moreno denied by keeper Mathieu Gorgelin.
Lyon captain Steed Malbranque rattled the crossbar with a dipping volley from the edge of the penalty area.
But it was Villarreal who took the lead in the 31st minute when Dylan Mboumbouni conceded a penalty with a clumsy barge into the back of Javier Espinosa as they contested a header.
Villarreal skipper Soriano stepped up to calmly stroke the spot-kick past Gorgelin.
Lyon struck the woodwork again just before half-time when Bakary Kone’s powerful header cannoned back off the bar from Arnold Mvuemba’s corner.
However, Villarreal doubled their lead in the 54th minute as Brazilian forward Baptistao ran onto Moreno’s pass into the penalty area and lifted his shot over Gorgelin.