Arsenal Women were 5-0 winners over Manchester City in the WSL on Sunday evening at Meadow Park, thanks to goals from Vivianne Miedema, Katie McCabe, Leah Williamson and a brace from Kim Little. Coach Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News, the others are from other journalists.
On dropping the ball over the top of the City full-backs…
It was something we talked about, we know City play a pretty high line and their full-backs are very aggressive. In their game against Tottenham they were exposed there quite often, and with the pace we have in behind it was something we talked about. We knew it could be a reward if we pressed them high and won the ball or played out from their high pressure.
On City dominating possession throughout the game…
City and Chelsea they play in a similar way, they play with a high defensive line and they want to deny the opposition time in their own half. There is a cost to that if you can exploit it. Possession is useless as a stat if it can’t be combined with a result. There are different ways to control a game and in most aspects of the game we controlled it in a good way today, in defence and offence. Space was given to us if we could complete three or four passes, it would’ve been foolish for us to do it the other way around.
MEADEMA! 🔥@bmeado9 & @VivianneMiedema link up AGAIN!
Watch the #BarclaysFAWSL live on @SkySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/lBuohhc5Pb
— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) September 26, 2021
On Jen Beattie’s injury in the second half…
I don’t have full information yet but I think it is not serious.
On having a deeper squad this season with the number of internationals that came off the bench today…
We play every three days now until Christmas pretty much and we want to compete in all competitions. We talk a lot about our signings on the pitch but let’s not forget one off the pitch, Gary Lewin our head of medicine and sports science and he and the other staff are key to keep the players fit and fresh between the games. You can have all the players in the world but it doesn’t matter if they’re not available, so far that has been really great.
Quick feet and a cracking strike… that's Kim Little magic! ✨
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— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) September 26, 2021
On being able to deliver in big games again…
We talked before the season about putting pressure on ourselves to get better results in these games and we were very honest about it so we are really happy to turn it around but we still have plenty to develop, we are still early in the process. The results have been great but we can’t get carried away.
She doesn't just assist, @Katie_McCabe11 knows how to score 'em too 💥
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— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) September 26, 2021
On Leah Williamson capping a brilliant week after captaining England…
I look at the defensive actions and how good she is at stepping out of the line and being aggressive, we scored that way against Reading when she did that and passed the ball to Beth. She’s a great player. Another player I don’t think we talk about enough is Noelle Maritz, the game she had defensively against Lauren Hemp. Lauren Hemp is a very good player and Noelle showed why she is a world class defender with the way she handles those situations.
How to take a penalty, by Kim Little 🔥
Watch the #BarclaysFAWSL live on @SkySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/E5kmXsdSEv
— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) September 26, 2021
On the importance of staying humble…
We work very hard in training and we are getting the results at the moment but we need to stay humble, keep working hard and obviously we have a lot of talent when it comes together. But we need to keep working hard and utilising the talent we have in the best possible way.
On the importance of competition in the squad…
Players always want to play their best but where a deep squad gives you an edge is that the training environment becomes so competitive and demanding, if you prepare in that way, you are more likely to play that way in the games.
On Tobin Heath’s first few days at Arsenal…
It has been intense, she landed on Friday, she trained on Saturday and then she was on the pitch today and it’s a long flight from the US too, she has managed it extremely well. She was very much focused on trying to get minutes today and I love when players have that ambition. Hopefully she can get some more training now and settle in more.
Captain the @Lionesses ✅
Scoring a last-minute header in a 5-0 win over @ManCityWomen ✅It's been a good week for @leahcwilliamson 🙌#BarclaysFAWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/5dwJhMYbnB
— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) September 26, 2021
Now that’s what I call a fantastic result! We are top of the top of the league, say we are top of the league!
Brilliant from the girls and JE.
What a weekend!!
Absolutely fantastic. I’m over the moon. Was confident going into the game but didn’t see that score line !
Same! I figured we would get the three points but damn we crushed them!
Wow! 5-doughnut! What a result. They’re playing outstanding footy right now.
I thought the mens team played well today until I watched the women! Just awesome. Looked like scoring on every attack. Won every 50/50 and ran their socks off. Superb effort.
Appreciate these updates, you’ve made me a bigger fan of the team
GET! IN!
Incredible performance.
Maritz struggled with Hemp in the first half, but bossed it in the second.
Catley was incredible.
Whole team was great.
It could have been even worse with Maanum and Miedema missing sitters. Just so impressed with the counter attack. So freaking fast.
I love these women !!!
Title Please …..
Yeah that title looks like it could be ours! Now let’s see how we hold up playing midweeks in the CL group phase, but I gotta say, we haven’t looked this on fire in a while so I have high hopes!
That was a statement win and half! Got to give credit to the Arsenal hierarchy for the work they’ve done with the women’s team in the off season. We look menacing! We look like title contenders! Bring it on, Chelsea.
So happy for this team. Jonas has galvanised them. They’ve been off the pace since 2019. Miedema looks happy again. Mead is unstoppable. Manu is commanding and confident. Don’t want to get too excited but very encouraging signs thus far. COYG!
I definitely wanna get too excited 😆
Even in the title season I don’t recollect Viv ever looking so enthused. The whole side seem galvanised and re-energised. Only game week 3 but it looks like a straight shoot-out with Chelski
I was also shocked from day one about the way she is working back and hustling this season. Very similar to Auba today, where both leap in just for the chance to get a block on the keeper or a player. That is probably GOAT Super Saiyan form.
Mancity men beat arsenal men 5-0 couple of weeks ago. Nice revenge
Never send a man to do a womans job.
Well done!!! The team seems far more inspired than under the last couple of seasons of Montemurro. And good players coming in, and depth in case of injury. Things are looking up.
Massive result. I love Leah’s goal because it signals the level of desire. 4-0 up, could just ride out the game. But no, we wanted to get one more. Really drive the knife in and twist it a couple more times. I dont think we were that fantastic, but we were just decisive and ruthless. For once, we were the ones that dealt a footballing lesson in a big match, that punished every mistake by the opponent. I do see a paychological boost and a mentality shift. And for all of city’s lengthy injury list,they could bring on 4 senior… Read more »
True, there have been points where we could not field 4 senior players from the bench
What a day to be a Goober!
Clumsy fingers……
He was brought in with a goal of being more competitive and getting better results against the top teams. So far so good. And after the game was long settled I had to smile at how unfair it must feel as a City supporter to have Beth Mead go off only to bring on Tobin Heath. I remember a few years ago the men’s team played Brighton at the AMEX in the FA Cup and Walcott was taken off in the second half after running Brighton ragged for an hour. Wenger brought on Alexis, and I remember thinking how disheartening… Read more »
Sincerely, that is the most encouraging part of this team. One look at the bench and it’s quality all-round. All the subs were very competent replacements, starters in their own rights. All our subs – Parris (for Katie), Foord (for Viv), Iwabuchi (for Walti), Heath (for Mead) and Wubben-Moy (for Beattie) would have won this game as starters. It’s great to have such squad depth.
5-0 that was brilliant!!
The best overall Arsenal day for a couple of months for sure. It was a thing of beauty. Now I’m interested where we or Chelski will drop points at all this season.
Our combinations weren’t at it today, so I’m not in the thinking of ripping Barca apart. But we definitly can 😉 Tobins Debut was the icing on a massive damn wedding 20 storage cake.
I did not know Arsenal can make you so happy.
Boy I’m glad, I paused the celebration, FOR SOME MORE. CELEBRATIONS… What a brilliant day…
Brilliant goals!
Personally, my fears for this season keep getting allayed. I know we still have to face both of them away but beating City and Chelsea in the first three games of the season has boosted our title credentials massively. Now, my fear is whether we can compete with the European big guns for the UWCL starting with Barca. That team scares me. If we can compete with them, then this season is going to be much more interesting. I’m extremely excited for this squad!
Absolutely ruthless. Well done players and management, the knife went in to Citeh and you just kept twisting it. A special mention for Gary Lewin and the medical staff. It can’t be a co-incidence that last night’s bench was the strongest I can ever remember.
The away match at Chelsea in February is a potential title decider.
Beating the last years Champion and then runner-up teams are fantastic. Well done girls.
I expect a lot from The Arsenal Women team this year. And the signs are good.
COYG
I don’t know who or what put the fire into Beth Mead this season, but, it’s burning bright and long may it continue for both club and country. Fantastic performance from the team against City.
I’m surprised a little that the regular contributors to this forum have not picked up on the glaring statistic from this match. City had twice the possession that we had and yet we still put 5 past them without reply. There was a Chelsea game a while ago when we ran the show and even Emma Hayes admitted we should have won but we lost to a last minute Beth England tap in at the far post! This shows it’s not just about keeping the ball for prolonged periods with the opposition lining up an inpenetrable defence it’s moving quickly… Read more »
Excellent point. We’ve gone back to being the Gunners – we just score go out to score goals. From everywhere. The system suits the squad so well, they’re all loving it, not just Viv. I always think that if Kim scores a lot and is involved around the opposition box, we’re Arsenalling properly.
The only thing we have to worry about is potential injuries. If we avoid serious injuries or long-running niggles, we should be unstoppable. Regardless, we are seeing the team fulfilling its potential, which really is all you can ask as a fan.
Perfectly and eloquently put!
Hehehe I like that verb, Arsenalling! And I agree about Kim Little in & around the box being a very good sign for us 🙂
We should have Jordan back too which should be good for a few more goals.
I somehow think her days out on the wing are over!
Absolutely spot on, Peter!
Exactly. So focused on always wanting to have the ball. It’s about efficiency. And they have been efficient and effective as hell so far.
Interesting discussion about possession. The same levels of possession can give rise to very different feelings. Having been at the City game, I was surprised at the statistics. I rarely felt we were under any serious pressure, whereas every time we went forward a goal seemed possible. In contrast, during the last twenty of the Chelsea game, their possession required a great defensive performance from us.