Arsenal were 2-0 winners at Liverpool in the WSL on Sunday lunchtime thanks to goals from Lia Walti and Frida Maanum. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first four questions are from Arseblog News.
On all of Arsenal’s corners being outswingers and whether that was something they worked on…
Yes, it was.
Can you expand?…
(Laughs). No! I think that is too specific, we have to play them again this season remember! Maybe next time we will do all in-swingers.
On Frida Maanum using the left half-space to good effect again…
A lot of time our 10s are in that position, this was another really good performance from Frida, you could see she was tired at the end but she works incredibly hard and it’s nice to see she gets the rewards from a long period of working really hard in training and preparing herself and being ready when the opportunity arises.
What a way to score your first #BarclaysWSL goal of the season! 🔥
Take a bow, @liawaelti!@ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/GPYYwvyOvc
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 23, 2022
On the conversation he had with Vivianne Miedema post-match…
That is internal, good eyes though!
On whether Miedema is disappointed to not start the last couple of games…
I can’t speak on behalf of other players but, of course.
On keeping another clean sheet, a 10th consecutive one in the WSL…
We knew this was going to be a big test with their long throws and set pieces and direct style of play. It was a real strength to see the defenders who started the game and handled it. Lotte played brilliantly throughout but then Jen (Beattie) makes a very good sub coming in. It shows the importance of players being ready to come in so we could sub off some really tired legs in the second half and I thought that brought stability to our performance. Without that I think we would’ve looked really tired in the end.
What a week @FMaanum is having! 🤩
That is an absolute 🔥 finish! #BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/XQRZdelwKd
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 23, 2022
On how hard Miedema will have to work to get back into the team…
Everyone at Arsenal has to work hard, it’s the obligation everyone has when they are representing this club. In the games and in training we are a team, we go 100%. That applies to everyone, not only Viv.
On the burgeoning centre-back partnership of Catley and Wubben-Moy…
The whole squad has reacted to that challenge (of losing the first choice centre-halves) in a very short time putting processes and workflows together on the pitch as a unit. They have done that very, very well and they have been so good at communicating with each other and collaborating and that is a great starting point. Then, of course, it helps when you get rewarded with clean sheets and wins, it’s not like the opponents doesn’t have any chances but we work very hard to get the margins on our side and that always helps.
On Manu Zinsberger’s performance…
She was very commanding in the air, that’s really important to be able to dominate that territory. That is something Manu has really developed so well over the last 12 months. We don’t have much time in training to prepare so we need to learn from the games.
On sticking with the same team as the Lyon win…
Decisions are never straightforward, there are always a lot of things to consider, that is really important for the players and the club. I was happy with the decision before and I am happy with it now.
On whether he and the team pay attention to records (Arsenal equalled a WSL record for 12 consecutive wins today)…
No, that doesn’t fill the trophy cabinet. Of course the records show the likelihood that we can achieve something together as a team but the records I don’t take any notice of really.
1.Zinsberger; 26.Wienroither (16.Maritz ‘64), 3.Wubben-Moy, 7.Catley, 15.McCabe (5.Beattie ‘76); 13.Walti (8.Nobbs ‘64), 10.Little(c), 12.Maanum (23.Iwabuchi ‘89); 9.Mead, 19.Foord; 25.Blackstenius (11.Miedema ‘76).
Good result. Winning, scoring and not conceding all going v well!
Meidema benched, Meado not having one of her better games, Foord and Blackstenius working hard for little reward, so nice to see the midfield step up to score the goals. Really impressed with Maanum in the “10” role in the last two matches, enabling Little to play deeper and with Walti, shut up shop in midfield. Needed because Liverpool aren’t afraid to attack.
Great win! It’s turning into a great and promising season. Thanks for the piece and coverage, Tim. However, as I live in the States, the links for the goals are blocked. Could you please provide a different source next match for all Arsenal fans to view the goals? Thanks.
Thanks! Alas, such a source doesn’t exist. The ones from the WSL account have the biggest reach, I imagine it’s due to the US coverage provider that they are geoblocked but there are no sources that are entirely un-geoblocked if that makes sense?
OK performance, 3 pts. But I don’t like Viv being benched.
It was a more than an OK performance against very stubborn opposition; and we managed to beat Lyon without Viv so it was fairly normal to stick with the same starting eleven.
Everybody knows that Viv is a brilliant player and of course the all time leading goalscorer in the WSL – so don’t worry as I have a funny feeling that she will bounce back very soon, and very loudly!
Great win, well done to the girls and Jonas.
Miedema will hate not starting but at the same time I’m sure she respects JE’s reasoning. If she wanted an easy ride she would have gone to Barça last summer. She will relish the battle.
And speaking of battles, Noelle Maritz was excellent when she came on.
Not one of those performances where everything goes well and we do everything right, but the win was all the more valuable for that. Two lovely goals and another sweet, sweet clean sheet.
My bet is that Viv will simply leave at end of season. Credit to Eidevall in that his selection played well and won convincingly against a makeshift Lyon side. I also think Miedema hasn’t been at her best the last year or two. For a time she simply couldn’t get the ball playing CF against big WSL/CL opponents. Then Eidevall switched her to the 10 role, while she still plays CF for the Dutch–and on top of that confusion of roles she’s looked a bit weary to me over the last 12+ months, and why not: She has played a… Read more »
She has played an awful lot of football and she’s also had Covid. She’s playing in four competitions for Arsenal this season’s which will be followed by the World Cup. I do worry for her.
“season”
I think miedema was more pissed off at jonas bringing on mana for less than a minute.