Three Matildas featured in Arsenal's triumph last season, with Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross all playing key roles in their triumph over Barcelona on Lisbon.
But even without the injured Catley and absent Cooney-Cross, who has returned home to be with her ill mother, Foord ensured the Aussie influence was maintained on Sunday as she offered up a typically lively display in the Gunners' comeback triumph.
Foord created several chances but couldn't add the finishing touches as Arsenal's comeback from a first-half goal stemmed, ultimately, from two pieces of shocking defending from the eight-time champions.
Trailing to a 19th minute goal from Jule Brand, Arsenal, who'd beaten the French giants at the same stage of last season's competition, levelled just before the hour thanks to an own goal from Norwegian centre-back Ingrid Engen.
Then with seven minutes remaining, Canadian Olivia Smith pounced on a mix-up between Engen and dithering Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler to slot the ball into an empty net and give the Londoners a narrow advantage to take into next week's second leg.
It was an afternoon to forget for Endler, who had earlier been responsible for the opener when she made a complete hash of Mariona Caldentey's low free kick, letting it slip through her grasp before Engen bundled it into her own net when desperately trying to clear.
Foord will look back on her 39th minute header that just whisked past the far post as her best chance to underline Arsenal's supremacy.
The Gunners also felt they should have been given a penalty in the 51st minute when Kim Little was sent tumbling under a challenge from Wendie Renard.
After a long look at the pitchside monitor, the referee ruled there had been a slight touch on the ball from the Lyonnes captain and overturned the decision.
In Saturday's other semi-final, Bayern Munich had held visiting Barcelona to a 1-1 draw, Ewa Pajor giving the Spaniards an early lead and defender Franziska Kett equalising in the second half before being sent off for pulling Salma Paralluelo's hair.
With agencies
