By Ollie Wyse
Despite only being three weeks into the new season, pressure is building on Jonas Eidevall after a sluggish start to the campaign has left Arsenal's WSL hopes in the balance ahead of a monumental London Derby this weekend.
Following on from an uninspiring goalless draw at home to Everton, Arsenal travelled to Munich to begin their UEFA Champions League campaign against a Bayern side who had won their first six games of the campaign. Arsenal were triumphant in the last meeting between the two sides, overturning a one-goal deficit to win 2-1 (on aggregate) and reach the Semi Finals of the UWCL back in 2023. However, it was the German outfit that would be celebrating this time around after a comprehensive 5-2 victory over the Gunners.
Although they were the brighter side for the majority of the first half, Eidevall's side found themselves level at the break after Mariona Caldentey's opener was cancelled out by Glodis Viggosdottir on the stroke of half-time. The sides then traded blows in the second half, with Laia Codina opening her account for Arsenal to make it 2-2, before a defensive capitulation allowed Pernille Harder to take the game away from the Gunners with a blistering 13 minute hat-trick.
Eidevall was quick to defend himself in his post match interview, stating "We don’t defend well enough in the second half and I am not happy with that but I don’t think that is a result of miscommunication or a lack of clarity of the idea of what we need to do with those situations".
The Swedish manager then went on to suggest that his side will be quick to put this defeat behind them and take all the necessary learnings on board ahead of their clash with Chelsea this weekend.
One area in which they will have to improve is in the final third of the pitch. Throughout their previous two WSL games against Leicester and Everton respectively, they have only scored once from an xG of 3.26 and so despite boasting an attack full of high profile talent in the form of Beth Mead, Alessia Russo, Stina Blackstenius etc., they are struggling to find the back of the net.
Should they fall to defeat on Saturday, their hopes of landing a first WSL title since 2018/19 will be hanging by a thread, given that Chelsea will be four points ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand - Eidevall will be hoping his stellar strike force will be able to find their form again and fire the Gunners to a vital win in order to keep them in the title race and possibly the boss in a job.
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