Arsenal won the Conti Cup thanks to Stina Blackstenius’ extra-time goal at Molineux. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match. The first two questions are from Arseblog News.
On managing extra time after Frida Maanum collapsed in second half stoppage time…
One of the learnings from the game against Chelsea in the league was that we did not cope well in high pressured, stressed environment and we didn’t focus on the right things or the way we communicated. That was a really important lesson that if we want to be a high performing team we need to own those situations. This was a hard situation because it looks very scary when Frida goes down, it would have been easy to be drawn from our focus on the emotions of it but the reality is we have a great medical team and they are going to look after that situation and we need to focus on football. We were able to do that. The first thing after the game, we don’t care about winning, we care about how it is with Frida and we are so happy that she is doing well, that is more important than this (the winners medal). In that moment, we needed to stay task oriented, there is nothing we can do to improve that situation but we can have control over our performance. That is what we needed to control and that is what Frida wanted us to do as well to make her a champion.
On improving on the last performance against Chelsea…
You learn a lot when you play an opponent, sometimes you have an advantage when you are the team that performed worse in the first game because they don’t need to change much. The onus to change is on the other team and that was us and we changed quite a bit today. The players did that really well today, it brought us some nice structure in the game and it got us the situations we wanted.
On Stina Blackstenius scoring nine goals in the competition…
Stina is having a great season, she works incredibly hard on and off the ball. She has been really good in the penalty box all season, the Conti Cup is no exception there. It was quite an offensive decision for us to leave Stina and Alessia as a 9 and 10 and it really paid off.
On Zinsberger’s big save from Lauren James late in normal time…
She is so resilient, such a good growth mindset. It was a game of small details and that is a game winning save. For her making big saves like that, she is a top, top goalkeeper.
On the situation with Frida Maanum…
I have been able to have a conversation with her but not on a medical perspective, i just checked in with her, how she is doing and telling her that we won. And understanding a little bit about the next steps but I don’t have any medical update.
On Maanum’s performance…
She kickstarted her season last season at Lyon away with a performance like this, where she was incredible in defence. That is a great way for Frida to get into the games and from there expressing herself on the ball and this game has a lot of comparisons. It is really important for the team and for Frida to get this performance in defence that she does, that is really pleasing to see and it was a massive piece of us being successful today.
On Emma Hayes being angry at Eidevall at the final whistle…
I don’t see it as a big thing. I don’t think I was aggressive, I think that is irresponsible to label it as that. The argument we had before the game, if both clubs agree to play the game with a multi-ball system, the Conti Cup Final is played with a multi-ball system. Arsenal wanted a multi-ball system, Chelsea wanted a one ball system, therefore it was played with a one ball system. That incident, the ball is kicked away and Chelsea wants to take a new ball for a quick throw in. I said ‘you guys wanted to play with one ball, now you need to get that ball.’ Of course, Erin isn’t happy about that. I didn’t say anything more but I think that is how it is, if we decide to play with one ball, we play with one ball. I like to play multi ball, I like when the game is quick but they didn’t want that and you can’t do it when it suits you. I think there is a way to behave in the technical area and i think there is a way to behave after a game, being a good winner, a good loser and you need to be responsible in both those situations. I am happy with the way I conduct myself then others need to look at themselves in the mirror and see if they are happy with themselves.
On Hayes labelling it as ‘male aggression’…
I think that is very irresponsible the behaviour I have, i don’t feel comfortable with that, I don’t think it’s the truth. It is very irresponsible. I am very happy for people to listen to what I say and what I do there and it’s nothing out of order.
On what happens next with Frida Maanum…
She is going to travel back with the team and after that we will provide an update.
On stopping Chelsea winning the quadruple…
I couldn’t care less about that to be honest. It’s not is my driving force in the world to deny anyone else anything. I was asked by Tom from the telegraph before the game if I think this game is more important for Arsenal than Chelsea and I said I always think it is more important for Arsenal, winning with Arsenal was the important thing today. To win, for the club, for our amazing fans who have been travelling in such big numbers with such love, so passionate to give them silverware was such a big motivation, to reward them for their hard work and their loyalty and all their support.
On the travelling support…
It is unique, the way they support the team and the club, it is unique and special, we don’t take it for granted. It is a special bond. Special people support us and they deserve the world and today we could give them a little piece of that world.
On the team’s mentality…
We are a high performing team, we were able to focus on what we can control. We were able to stay task oriented in pressure situations and that is what you need to do if you want to be high performing. It just adds to the motivation where a player goes down and we need to do it for her we do it for the fans and everyone that supports us. That was special. But it was a hard fought game with small, small margins and we were happy to be on the good side of them.
On Leah Williamson coming off at half-time…
She had a medical situation, possibly she could have carried on but it would have been a risk to sustain something more serious. Leah Williamson is Arsenal through and through and she would put her body on the pitch for any game, any day of the week. But i had to take that decision for her. Sometimes you need to take those decisions because players won’t take them themselves. Nothing tactical. Leah was great in the first half but we were forced to do it for a medical situation and we hope it’s not serious.
On the long-term prospects for the team…
It is the tip of the iceberg, what people see is the games and the performances and I understand that. That is the tip of the iceberg but I see everything underneath that, i see the day to day, the environment and the culture that we build i see all the different things and how they go together and how that fits in with the long-term plan. I see us moving in the right direction, I definitely see that. We have a thing to solve, for next season it is our consistency. Our level to compete with top teams has been very good this season and I think we have the potential to beat any team. If we look back three seasons ago that wasn’t the case. That was a big thing when I came in, to work with that culture, to make sure the team stayed competitive against the top teams, we are that now. What is also important too is that we are in a way where we can be really proud of representing Arsenal, playing our way, you can see our DNA when we play. That is sustainable but we need to fix the consistency, that is really important if we want to win in more than one competition.
1.Zinsberger; 2.Fox, 6.Williamson (27.Codina HT), 3.Wubben-Moy, 15.McCabe (32.Cooney-Cross ‘105); 21.Pelova, 10.Little(c); 9.Mead (7.Catley ‘84), 12.Maanum (23.Russo ‘90+12), 24.Lacasse (19.Foord ‘72); 25.Blackstenius.
Unused: 14.D’Angelo, 26.Wienroither, 40.Williams, 53.Lia.
Well done ladies 👏
Brilliant
I thought it was a brilliant cup tie, played in great spirit from both sides, until Hayes’s behaviour at the end. Great insight from Jonas and wishing Frida all the best. Hayes behaviour was inappropriate and her comments, if true from Jonas, passive aggressive. I haven’t read her side of it, but when a manager has a player go down like Frida did, you cut them some slack, whatever your beef.
I’m not the biggest fan of Eidevall but Emma Hayes is a bully and a complete hypocrite! She’s the one who pushes Jonas at the end. Really dislikeable individual …a bit like a female Alex Ferguson
More like Jose Mourinho, I’d reckon.
Exactly Mirak00. Hayes pushes Eidevall and then accuses him of ‘male aggression’. In which topsy turvy world did that happen.
Psychological projection and classic misandry on Hayes’ part. Watching the video of the incident shows clearly who the aggressor was.
She is nothing but a chav, a no class, sore butt-hurt loser.
Well done Arsenal!
Chelsea insisted on a one-ball system before the game. Then during extra time, Erin Cuthbert was calling for another ball for a quick throw-in and JE shouted either to her or to her and the assistant ref that they couldn’t switch to a multi-ball system now because it suited them. Emma Hayes said something like, don’t have a go at/don’t bully my player. Really low behaviour from Hayes to call that bullying or male aggression, IMO. She basically just can’t take losing like an adult.
A great win & whilst it arguably could have gone either way, Arsenal were superior – Pelova & Fox were brilliant throughout, and I thought Codina very effective and assured in defence – what a back-up for Leah! And Stina was great up front & deserved to score the match winner! Lacasse had a few flashes of brilliance, and is so quick too. The Chelsea manager didn’t appear to take defeat in a sporting way at all – perhaps we’ll end up winning 1 more trophy than them this season! It was a long watch on the telly, and I’m… Read more »
Hope Frida is going to be good.
That was quite stressful….
Well done Arsenal !!!
Lauren James does yet another dirty foul. She is truly a piece of work. Sad
And Emma being Emma….sigh
I think I have aged 20 years!
Manu Zinsberger was fantastic today. She was focused and confident from the start. That save from Lauren James’ effort was superb.
Everyone played their part, nobody was perfect, but I have to commend especially Victoria Pelova, Kim Little, Emily Fox and LWM as well.
Emma Hayes has some brass neck and no class. Grumpy Emma Hayes is always good as far as I’m concerned.
WE WON THE CONTI CUP!!!
What a game, totally different from the previous one, I highlight Kim because of her age, she’s playing a lot and she doesn’t get tired, Foord a supersubs, Codina is getting better every game, Manu is a rock growing with each game, Stina is the brilliant goal girl, and congratulations to Jonas “never thought about saying that”, he knew how to use his tactics and strategy specifically for this game, the technical team was at full steam, FRIDAAAA BE WELL, HAVE A GOOD RECOVERY
Absolutely nothing much to say (shocker I know!) except to say congratulations to the girls and every gooner out there. We showed brilliant mental fortitude to continue going after Frida’s incident (so glad she’s okay now) and win the game. Not sure my heart would have taken us going to penalties and also following the men’s game at the same time. I’d like to say something about Hayes though. I find her comment about male aggression incredibly low and dangerous. She knew she was setting Jonas up and she did it anyway. I have seen multiple footages of the incident… Read more »
Brilliantly summarised about Emma, Mr Nobody – agree with every word!
Yes, she made herself look such a fool. She’s really gone too far this time. Still bitter at not getting Vic’s job when he retired
I’m just pleased we turned up today. We were a match for Chelsea in every department. Winning was icing on the cake especially when it upset Emma Hayes so much. We were still trying to give them a chance though with slow progression and sideways passes and whoever thought it was a good idea for Manu, LWM and Laia to be passing the ball sideways along our 6 yard line with just a few minutes of normal time remaining at 0-0 in a cup final needs shooting!
Hayes actually shoved Eidevall; if it were the other way around, the media would have had a field day.
I just wish we could play like this every week. we are too inconsistent.
What’s disappointing is that the Emma Hayes situation will take away from the fact arsenal done a brilliant job on Chelsea……yet again. Her use of the term ‘male aggression is so layered I don’t know when to start, in a sport striving for equality using terms as male aggression is detrimental to the cause, aggression is agression it has no gender, if someone claimed a female player went into a tackle with ‘a man’s aggression’ it would not be accepted, but it is somehow made even worse when you see that Emma Hayes herself was the aggressor. I hope the… Read more »
Spot on. I am hugely disappointed in her, it seems an intentional and cynical use of a loaded term.
Exactly – she is a sore loser & being unable to act in a sporty way, took it out on our manager. And of course she physically barged Jonas herself!
Emma Hayes’ bitchy and passive-aggressive words and actions should be called out in the media. There should be a proper piece, explaining how her conduct is damaging to men and especially men working in women’s football.
The meek attempt at balance shown in the normally decent Guardian is woeful.
But we do not care.
Goodbye Emma Hayes.
Again, as above l totally agree 👍
Absolutely spot on 👍
Emma Hayes wanted a single ball so she could eat the rest.
😂🤣
The sort of day you live for as a Gooner. And today it’s 69 years to the day since my Dad first took me to Highbury. More reason to celebrate!
Well there’s your anniverary present right there! 🙂
What are you doing for your 70th?
And I thought I was long-serving, only since 1973. Congratulations on having a Dad with the good sense to be a Gooner and to make sure you would be, too.
Ive been a Gooner since 1969 and l don’t even come from London. I chose them all by myself 😁
Good for you 💪
This was the best we have played for some time. We dominated the whole field. Bothe teams were hard to break down but in the end Stina was able to score the winner.
We don’t know what happened to Frida; I suspect that she simply ran herself into the ground; she was everywhere and a major contributor to our win. I know that I am not alone in wishing her a speedy recovery.
The least said about Emma Hayes the better!
Excellent performance, unequalled spectators, perfect result. Feel Hayes finally found a way to show she is not quite the best loser at a football match. Like the loser head coach at Manchester City.
I travelled over from Dublin and brought my son and his partner who live in Cardiff to the match. The last time we attended a match together was Tobin Heath’s first appearance for the club when we destroyed City 5 – 0. As someone who follows the club closely from afar, I was not surprised at the turnout and the passion displayed by the supporters. My son, who only dips in when there’s a free ticket and dinner on offer :), was amazed at the difference between the two occasions. Granted one was a cup final and the other an… Read more »
What a fantastic atmosphere. Amazing that we nearly filled 3/4 of the ground but chelsea couldn’t even fill one end 😂 Regarding hand-shakegate it shows that Hayes really is a poor loser using “male aggression” as the excuse?!? I wonder, would that act have been taken more seriously if he’d have laid his hands on her? Would it have been acceptable? No, because he’s a man. She had no right to touch him like that. It should be the same both ways but because she’s a woman pushing a man its ok. I hope she leaves the Chelsea with nothing… Read more »
Something has occurred to me regarding the fiasco at the end of the match. With Erin Cuthbert Cuthbert picking up the wrong ball sure it is the job of the lines person to enforce the one ball rule? In her absence Jonas’ reaction is completely understandable. Am I right or wrong?
Right