Arsenal were 2-1 winners over Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Sunday evening thanks to a brace from Katie McCabe. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first four questions are from Arseblog News.
On why Arsenal struggled to create chances between the Bristol City equaliser and half-time…
We changed our positions a little bit, we didn’t get into positions enough in the last 15 minutes of the half to force Bristol to move. We were too high too early in our positions. When we got that right in the second half and dragged them out of their positions and when we were passing, we weren’t playing the ball to someone who was directly marked by a Bristol City player. Instead we passed to a player Bristol City needed to step out of their formation so we could do another pass and that led to positive chain reactions. There wasn’t a lot we needed to change but it’s those things. Sometimes when you need to score a goal you think it’s a good thing you get a little higher offensively where actually it creates the opposite.
On Katie McCabe and the impact of her shooting against deep blocks…
We wanted a player like Katie in second ball situations from setpieces. She is a great corner taker but she must be one of the better second ball players in the league and we have Steph Catley to take an inswinger that gives us really good options. I am pleased Katie scored two goals but we created a lot of chances today, our chance creation was far better than it was before. I think there were a lot of things to be pleased with apart from us not scoring more goals.
On whether defensive security is something he is concerned about…
From an XG perspective and shots on target, it is incredible we are conceding so many goals. But you can flip it and say we would be more worried if we conceded more chances because that would be a structural problem. You are probably going to concede crosses and then the question is how do we defend those situations? The truth is a little in between, the opponents have been effective against us but we haven’t defended well enough in those situations and that has to be a learning point. Especially when we play opponents who will have more of these types of situations, we have been used to keeping clean sheets and it is really important if we want to be a top team we have to keep clean sheets. I am not happy we are conceding every game, we can do better but I would be more worried if we were conceding more opportunities.
On his overall impression of the first four games of the season…
We have been playing a lot of the same opponents, except Man United. We have been playing back fives, with really low defensive oragnisations. The pleasing part for me is that we have handled that better and better each time. Today is our best performance against a compact 541 formation and I think that progression is really important. We started poorly against Liverpool but our reaction as a group has been really good and the challenge for us when we come back (from the international break) against Manchester City is what level we start on, because City have been very good, we need to have a top performance when we play them, it will require something better than we have been in this block. That is the challenge and it’s up to us.
On Vivianne Miedema returning from injury…
Very pleased, that is a much better feeling. It reminds me of my first WSL game against Chelsea at the Emirates, Miedema played exactly the same pass to Beth Mead but she scored. It’s great link up and not many players can make those passes that Miedema can, you can see how much the players trust that with the runs they make. Now we just need to be mindful about her return to play because we are still very early in that process.
On whether the plan was always for Miedema to return in this game…
Her being called up for Netherlands was very much in the communication with the Netherlands coach to ask where Viv was at. The plan was always in this block that, if everything went well, that she could make the squad for Bristol. Maybe that was more of a surprise for you guys because it doesn’t make sense for us to communicate that publicly and something happens and we have to communicate we can’t do it. Sometimes those things happen but this was always the plan in co-operation with the Netherlands, we have really good co-operation with them.
1.Zinsberger; 16.Maritz, 3.Wubben-Moy, 27.Codina (9.Mead ‘67), 7.Catley; 10.Little(c), 13.Walti; 15.McCabe, 21. (12.Maanum ‘66), 19.Foord; 23.Russo (11.Miedema ‘90+5).
Unused: 5.Beattie, 14.D’Angelo, 22.Kuhl, 24.Lacasse, 25.Blackstenius, 32.Cooney-Cross.
Crucial win. Would have been disastrous to drop points vs poor Bristol team. Here are a few of my thoughts: 1. Defence: Our defence and defending are atrocious. We somehow ended up with a mediocre list of defenders. Codina doesn’t look a world beater, Ilestedt has been extremely slow and prone to concentration lapses, Lotte cannot be trusted to have an error free game, Beattie is on her last legs. Even if Williamson returns, that’s too much pressure on her. I hope we sign better players in the coming windows. 2. Midfield: Starting midfield connection still looks suspect. Walti still… Read more »
I’ve always had doubts about basing recruitment on the basis of World Cup/Euros performances. I’m now fearing that Amanda Ilestedt and Laia Codina transfers are proving to be I’ll advised.
I think your sample size is a ridiculous to be basing your fears on it.
Ilestedt was signed before the World Cup.
Point taken.
I could not disagree more on Maritz, she plays with a lot more confidence then when she first came to Arsenal and is not a liability on defense. You critique of Catley is a laugh.
In fact I think about 80% of your comment is way off. Let’s see how City match goes, but I’ll take a win any day and enjoy it.
Just wish Noelle had a little more confidence in herself and push on forwards. When she does she makes ground and isn’t a bad crosser of the ball but it seems her first thought when receiving a pass at the touchline is to trap the ball, look around and then play it sideways when she could take it in her stride and run for the byline.
I can’t believe anyone watches Maritz and thinks of confidence. Can you recall the last time she recorded an assist? Her final ball is woeful, her crossing is not great, and she is very prone to defensive lapses or the unnecessary fouls – think Wolfsburg’s equaliser at the Emirates last season. Maritz will give you a solid 5 or 6 over 10 every game and not much else. If you think my Catley critique is laughable, then you must have rose tinted glasses on. She’s taken a large volume of our set pieces this season with nothing to show for… Read more »
I agree. This team now is aging and has so many under-performing players. There is talent in there but lots of deadwood and we need a better manager and a bit of a clearout. Reminds me of the men’s side just before Emery got sacked. Lots of years of stagnation, aging team and some bad buys. But still lots of good players that with better coaching would be top team
That aging squad where only 6 players of the 23 are over 30 and only 2 of them are over 31! In fact 2 of the 30 year olds are new signings!
Aging? Pelova, Kuhl, Maarnum, Cooney-Cross, Codina, Weinrother, Russo and Gio all 24 or younger. Please get a grip.
💯 couldn’t have said it better not a good performance at any stretch against the bottom team
Well Mr Nowhere Man you have succeeded in criticising nearly every single member of the entire playing squad!
Agree that this is probably our best performance this season. Unlucky not to have a couple more goals given how many situations we generated n their box. Really impressed with how good we’ve been at suffocating teams by keeping the ball in their half. I think the approach we took in this game and Villa looks like it is good enough to get us results against non top 3 opponents. Great to have the dominoes fall in terms of set pieces. Hopefully with the volume of corners we are bound to generate we have a sizeable contribution to add to… Read more »
And in other news we won away against a team that was basically an 11 woman defence for 90 minutes. It might have only been 2:1 but that was the most comfortable and one-sided two one you will ever see.
Absolutely – very difficult now to play against well-drilled teams who play 11 behind the ball (although Bristol’s failure to change tactics when 2-1 down seemed bizarre – commentator kept on abaout what Arsenal needed to do, but they didn’t need to do anything). Watching games around Europe this season, and the same is happening in other leagues, resulting in late winners and much lower scores than previous seasons. I was reminded of two matches last night – (1) the 0-0 against West Ham last season; and (2) Chelsea v Man City a couple of weeks ago, when Chelsea really… Read more »
At last a rational comment!
Exactly. A win is a win is a win. If they don’t get points against City the naysayers can have their day, but I will enjoy the week with a win in it. I thought the objective of being a supporter was to celebrate successes? These Football Manager wannabes have lost the plot.
Im with you Bill, lm sick of all these critical doom mungers…. Nothing will ever be good enough for them 😐