Arsenal suffered their first WSL defeat since January in a 3-2 home reverse against Manchester United on Saturday evening. Ella Toone gave United a first half lead, second half goals from Frida Maanum and Laura Wienroither put Arsenal in command, but late goals from Amy Turner and Alessia Russo gave United the victory. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News.
On Arsenal struggling to assert technical control on the game…
I thought in the first half it was a lot to do with our positioning. We were too disconnected, we didn’t provide enough short passing options around the ball. In the second half, our decision making let us down at times. The positioning was better but we ended up taking some strange decisions with the ball. You are completely right, the outcome of that was that we didn’t have a lot of times when we had 45-60 second spell in United’s half and sustain attacks.
On conceding both late goals from set pieces…
It doesn’t make it more disappointing because goals are equal, I don’t value them differently if you concede them from open play or set pieces. But I want to be clear and say it wasn’t a good first half, we were disconnected around the ball and not compact enough in defence so we give United too much time and space. We were much better in the second half and that’s why we turned the game around.
Then we concede from two set pieces, we need to do that better. It’s two uncontested headers and we know they have good service and they have good target players. There is no way somebody should head the ball uncontested in our penalty area. If they score from a first contact and they are being contested and challenged to our limits, then we have to accept that. But we can’t accept uncontested headers. That I am disappointed with, we need to look at that separately and do better next time and try to keep some of the good things we did in this game.
IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM @FMaanum 😳#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/oYGKEme2e2
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 19, 2022
On what he said to the players at half-time…
I said that we were poor in the first half because we were disconnected because we didn’t have enough short options for the ball, we positioned high too early and we were not compact enough. That meant I didn’t recognise us as a team. I told the players that i understand that we can win or lose football games but I don’t think anyone here should accept that we can lose not looking like Arsenal. We had to turn around. United are a good team and they can score from setpieces and so on but i still believe if we had played the way we did in the second half in the first half, that would’ve been good enough to win the game.
On United, Arsenal and Chelsea being equal at the top of the table now…
I don’t think about it that way at all. It’s one game at a time and that is all I think about. I don’t pay much attention to how many points other teams have to be honest.
Katie McCabe that assist is incredible!
On a plate for Wienroither 🍽#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/MsU8J1qPZ2
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 19, 2022
On whether United can compete for the title…
They have been an impressive side so far this season, I think they were disappointed with their performance against Chelsea and they had some players injured who could return today. Likewise we were disappointed with our first half today, if we are going to win these games we need to make two halves.
On Laura Wienroither getting her first Arsenal goal…
It was very similar to an opportunity she got against Reading late on, it was good that she put this one away. Very happy for her, of course. It would’ve been a deserving winning goal.
On the 40,000 crowd…
They were brilliant, they were such a big part of us being able to turn the game around in the second half. We are disappointed with the result, we understand they are as well but they did everything they did to help us and we feel that. We hope they return again and we will do our very best to repay them.
On a 15 game WSL winning streak coming to an end…
I don’t think like that, like I said with the title race before. I think forward, we have things to accomplish, I am not going to take the foot off the gas pedal for things we need to work on because we have had some good results. We look forward, that’s what we need to work on.
1.Zinsberger; 26.Wienroither, 3.Wubben-Moy, 7.Catley, 15.McCabe; 13.Walti, 8.Nobbs(c) (11.Miedema ‘58), 12.Maanum; 9.Mead (59.Agyemang ‘90), 19.Foord (5.Beattie ‘89); 25.Blackstenius.
Again, a disappointing post match interview. Why are the questions always so limited in comparison to the men’s game? Cos I’d have liked to see Jonas answer more pressing questions. On why Miedema looks mostly uninterested, on why playing her as a 10 hasn’t worked for a while now, on why Iwabuchi is so out of favour despite being the next best in terms of close control and technical stability in our squad after Little. On why he waited so long to bring on Beattie despite knowing we were 2-1 up and United were gonna throw in crosses and stuff.… Read more »
Great comment and top analysis. Absolutely spot on everything you say and you have expressed is everything I was thinking watching the game. The miedema situation is ridiculous – she offers nothing as a no 10, whoever at the club (obviously jonas and coaches) who agreed to her request to start as no 10 just to stop her from leaving needs a long hard look at themselves. Jonas has us playing like the swedish ladies national team it is crap to watch and like you I feel he really lacks tactical acumen he really didn’t help today. Without kim little… Read more »
Ouch, that hurts.
Casey Stine was available before we went for him. I believe she would have been a top, top choice.
You seem to be an Oracle on the Women’s team.
Lmao. I just happen to deeply care about them.
Sorry, I may get flagged down here but your interview with Jonas is disappointing. It appears like you shy away from asking the pressing questions because you don’t want to offend? He talked about short passing options but he sat Iwabuchi on the bench, what for? The first decent opposition in the WSL and we lose but his arrogance won’t let him truly take a look at himself. If you don’t set up your team well, they will be disappointing, “they won’t have enough short passing options”. It is all on Jonas and not players not turning up. His in… Read more »
To take both of these, I would first point out this isn’t ‘my interview.’ It’s a press conference for all the journalists at the match. You get a limit of two questions and I ask two at every match. Obviously it’s not enough for me to follow up and grill on a variety of topics. In the two posts above you’ve referred to multiple questions / grievances you have and I can’t cover those in two questions. What other people subsequently ask is not in my control. If you follow the coverage regularly, you’ll see I do end up getting… Read more »
Would also say that, with respect, if you think the men’s post match pressers are better or more revealing I’m not sure you watch them! They are far more tightly controlled (nobody gets two questions, it’s about five total and five journos get one each) and you’d never in a million years get this level of detail from Arteta or any other PL manager.
United completed 84% of their passes and Arsenal 73% of theirs and United scored two late goals from setpieces. I really don’t think you can say that asking about these two things are irrelevant or demonstrate a fear to ask hard questions. They are the absolute reason that Arsenal lost the game so that’s what I asked. I can’t cover the individual gripe of every single fan in two questions.
Iwabuchi has been nailed to the bench for 2 seasons! Why would her not playing surprise anybody? Maybe she’ll be revived as Nobbs has been–another player who barely played at all for 2 seasons and now suddenly seems to be indispensable.
Iwabuchi, Miedema, Maanum, Kim Little, and Noobs can play Centre front (#10), but only Kim little Play as #8, so There is much competition for Iwabuchi because Maanun is on fire right now, but I prefer Mana over Noobs anyway, Stina is our more deadly scorer but without the support of the midfield is more effective Viv she can control more the ball and go deep to pick up balls, and Mead don’t have back up if shes in a bad day there is no options righ now Mccabe is stuck in left back because catley is also stuck in… Read more »
Iwabuchi has been nailed to the bench for two seasons. I’m not sure why
anyone would think that Eidevall is suddenly going to play her. But maybe she’ll get revived as Nobbs has–someone who barely played at all for at least two seasons if not longer and now suddenly indispensable!
Though I only watched a large portion of the 2nd half, our display was quite disappointing😑. Too many loose balls; even when Man United gave the ball away, our poor play ensured that they got it back within seconds. Their headers for the 2nd and 3rd goals were UNBELIEVABLE; none of our ladies went for the ball! In terms of keeping and moving the ball around well, I do wonder why Mana hardly gets game time. Let’s hope that lesson learnt and there will be an improved performance against Juventus. COYR!!
Mana don’t play #8, we don’t need another #10, we need a back up for Kim Little and another one for Lia Waelti, Beth mead doesn’t have back up neither maybe Gio (i don’t know if she play RW), My personal opinion is keep Mana, say thank you to Nobbs and play or VIV or Stina as strikers depending on the rival characteristics.
Only got to see the 2nd half but thought we were far off normal standards today. Even after taking the lead you could sense they might struggle to close it out. Of course we’re limited by injuries to key players and Steph and Caitlin must still be shaking off the jet lag from their Australia trip. Very surprised Jen wasn’t brought on once we’d gone ahead.
Also Stina was here in Melbourne.
I am quite concerned about Eidevall. Sure, the squad was bare-bones, and the refereeing was horrible. But this was yet another poor performance in a big match (think barca, hoffenheim, spurs, utd, city return games, wolfsburg). Even against the rest of the league, we struggle if we dont get an early goal.
I think the first 2 wins last season flattered to deceive. Also quite telling that players he worked with snubbed him to join Chelsea.
Yep you are right he isn’t good enough. Apart from the Lyon performance against the real top level teams chelsea man utd man city here and champs euro teams he seems out of his depth in terms of tactics systems and coaching. Plus his football is mind numbling boring real scandinavian fare just strength and running!
I went to the game yesterday and, bar a brief spell in the second half, we were disappointing. There is no doubt Zinsberger is a great shot stopper but the first goal is wholly her fault. She misjudges a cross and leaves the Man Utd player with a tap in. She is weak when balls come into the box in the air and she doesn’t show any signs of improving. Second goal comes from a daft free kick where Wubben-Moy misjudges the bounce of the ball and it hits her foot then onto her arm. Again it’s basic errors and… Read more »
Thank you for that Wubben Moy comment. She always looks like she has a mistake or 2 in her. Just yesterday, she made 3 mistakes. At the top level, that’s just too much. She is a very good player but I wonder why we renewed Jen instead of getting better defenders to cover for Wubben Moy’s deficiencies.
Chelsea already had really good defenders yet went ahead to sign Buchanon. Beats me what Jonas’ plan was.
Jen contract is not an issue, Vicky and Boye left the club and nobody came in the summer, Lotte is a young player still in development, very promising one thought
Seems we need Edu for the girls’ recruitment, too. I trust his promotion ensures this.
A very depressing morning to wake up on. Firstly, this sort of sub-par performance against the best teams is not just a Jonas problem; it goes back to almost every such match in the past three years. I can’t deny that the loss of Leah, Rafa and Kim is crucial when playing the best teams. I think its effect is also psychological; confidence is a fragile thing and, after a record run of clean sheets, for Lotte and Manu it evaporated so quickly. I have to agree with comments here that our recruitment has been lacking. The midfield is the… Read more »
Hurtig brought depth and giving a breath to Caitlin Foord, is not easy to fly to Australia in every international window and the come back to play ligue and champions league in the same week, I hope she can come back soon, Caitlin looks exhausted.
Defeat sure has a bitter taste. We move. COYG!!!
We’ve made a habit of poor performances immediately after international breaks
Don’t get me started on Internationals again!
If we have to suffer international matches mid-season we should have a proper break of several weeks not a single weekend.
You cannot expect players to trickle back one by one to training often after long-haul flights at some point during the week to then have to play a potentially WSL title deciding match on a Saturday afternoon. It is rediculous!
the schedule is far too compressed—too many international breaks, too many qualifying matches for World Cup, Euros, then all the league and CL games. Not enough rest time for the players, obviously.