The one positive of Arsenal’s early elimination from the Champions League was supposed to be that it would help them in their bid to win the Women’s Super League title.
But after one game they are already playing catch-up. Jonas Eidevall’s side were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool while Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all won. The Gunners failed to score despite forcing 19 corners while their defending for Miri Taylor’s second-half goal was extremely poor.
That the club attracted a record WSL crowd of 54,115 was of little consolation at full time. The records off the pitch are impressive but it is the records on it that count for Eidevall.
Last month the Gunners were beaten on penalties by Paris FC in the first round of qualifying for the Champions League.
It was a crushing defeat, given the club made the semi-finals last season.
The one positive of Arsenal ‘s early elimination from the Champions League was supposed to be that it would help them in their bid to win the Women’s Super League title
Jonas Eidevall’s side were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool while Chelsea, Man United and City all won
The Gunners failed to score despite forcing 19 corners during the game on Sunday (above)
Arsenal may point to mitigating factors, with the game coming just 20 days after the World Cup final. The Gunners had 14 players that took part in the tournament, with seven reaching the final week in Australia and New Zealand. Alessia Russo was back in training a week after landing.
The preparation time was not ideal and their opponents did not have anywhere near the same number of players at the World Cup. But Arsenal, with their superior budget and resources, should still have won. Eidevall knows that. He also knows they should have beaten a Liverpool side who were missing seven players due to a Covid outbreak and injuries.
So, while the short turnaround after the international break was not ideal, Arsenal’s rivals coped. Nothing should be taken away from Liverpool, who also beat Chelsea on the opening day last year. They had a solid first season back in the WSL and will be no pushovers for the other big teams in the division.
It may seem dramatic to label Arsenal’s Friday-night game at Manchester United as ‘must win’ but it does feel as though they cannot afford to lose. Playing catch-up in a league of 12 is not easy, as Manchester City found out. They were knocked out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages last season and then lost their first two games of the WSL campaign.
Despite a strong second half of the campaign, they finished fourth and missed out on Europe. There are not enough matches in this league to be able to lose more than a couple and still finish top. Chelsea have lost no more than two games in their last four title-winning seasons.
Arsenal have brought in a lot of new players and still have injured stars on the sidelines. Beth Mead is nearing a return but will need to be eased into matches before she can have a proper run in the team. Vivianne Miedema is further away from being back while Leah Williamson will have to wait even longer.
Eidevall, though, knows he does not have all the time in the world to get results. ‘Are we performing at the level we want right now? No, we’re not,’ he said on Sunday. ‘There’s no hiding from that. We need to develop, and we don’t have a lot of time to do that.
‘No matter about the Champions League exit or not, it’s really disappointing to lose (this) game — especially at home, with 54,000 fans through the turnstiles to give us incredible support.
‘There’s no one putting pressure on me to get results more than myself.’
Managers fighting for the Champions League spots know there is little margin for error. Losing just two games in a row constitutes a crisis in the WSL. Lose against United and Eidevall will find himself in the thick of one. Win, and the tables will turn.
Arsenal’s defending for Miri Taylor’s game was extremely poor, seeing them lose 1-0
