Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall has once again called for the league schedule to review how often certain teams are given certain kickoff times.
The Gunners have had the 6.45pm Sunday slot 11 times since it was introduced at the beginning of last season, more than any other club. Eidevall says that his team are asked to play three times in six days more often than other WSL teams.
Eidevall says his team performed poorly in their recent 2-1 defeat at Manchester City but felt a schedule which saw them play on Sunday evening away from home, Wednesday evening and then Saturday lunchtime away from home didn’t help.
Arsenal fell behind just four minutes into the City game. The Gunners boss says that results have not reflected performances in the league so far this year, with the exception of the City defeat.
“I think that in the league I see a difference between performances and results. I know we haven’t won in the league in 2023 but the two performances against Chelsea and West Ham, they were good performances.
“I felt that when it happened and I felt it after when I reviewed it and I see it in the stats as well. For the City game in the league, it is a poor performance and it is a poor result.
“Of course, it has its reasons why it is like that. We did not perform to the levels we can and I take responsibility for that.” Eidevall went on to hit out at the playing schedule that preceded the City defeat, suggesting that Arsenal are asked to play three times in six days more often than any other team.
The 11th time Arsenal have had the 6.45pm slot since it was introduced 18 months ago. I really understand why the slot exists but surely the distribution of it needs to be considered? https://t.co/SQfG6vI6MW
— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) February 3, 2023
Arsenal and Chelsea have both been asked to play three games in six days three times since the beginning of last season but Arsenal have negotiated a 6.45pm Sunday kickoff on each occasion, while Chelsea have not had that kickoff in any of their three game in six day blocks.
“But we also have to say that the playing schedule, when we play late Sunday night against West Ham, playing midweek and then playing Saturday at lunchtime (away from home) I think it’s a really, really tough schedule.
“I can’t see other women’s clubs in England being asked to play in a schedule like that consistently. People will probably say I complain about it too much, but I said it when we played Tottenham away last season.
“When the playing schedule is that congested, it is going to be a disadvantage for the team that has to play those games. That can’t be Arsenal all the time that is in that situation.
“Over the season that has to be divided to more clubs and not only Arsenal having to play that schedule.”
If I was you Jonas I would be worrying about how toothless in attack we are right now!
‘We keep on working to find the best formula’ Jonas Eidevall on finding new chemistry in attack | Arseblog News – the Arsenal news site
He spoke about it literally two minutes earlier in the press conference. He can worry about more than one thing at any one time.
He’s not wrong.
And yet again we’re still waiting for players to arrive back from international duty just a couple of days before a cup semi-final!
We are aware of at least two injuries and who knows who else is carrying knocks?
The scheduling is pathetic never mind playing WSL games on Sunday evenings!
Perhaps this new committee that has been set up to look into the way forward for women’s football might be able to apply some common sense especially since Vinai is the chairman!
The federation should end the Conti Cup. It doesn’t strike me as that prestigious, even if it comes with a piece of hardware, and it just adds more matches to an already crowded schedule–especially for all the international players.