Chelsea ramped up the pressure on under-fire Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall as the Blues moved top of the Women’s Super League table with a 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.
After a 0-0 draw against Everton last weekend was followed by a 5-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich in midweek, Arsenal boss Eidevall was under huge pressure pre-match – and it ramped up significantly as Chelsea ran into a 2-0 lead after 16 minutes in front of 45,860 fans at the Emirates.
First, Arsenal’s defensive set-piece woes continued as the Gunners failed to clear from their first corner of the game, allowing the impressive Mayra Ramirez to hook in an overhead finish from inside the box. It was the fifth goal Arsenal have conceded from a set piece since Wednesday.
Then Arsenal’s defending was nowhere to be seen as Sandy Baltimore ran off the back of Beth Mead to finish from close range, to send the home fans silent, barring a few boos around the ground.
The boos were set to be worse at half-time but Caitlin Foord’s stunning solo strike improved the home mood at the interval. The Australian winger beat Lucy Bronze down the left and curled a superb finish from a tight angle through Kadeisha Buchanan and Hannah Hampton’s dive.
Arsenal held most of the ball in the second half but Chelsea still looked the most likely to add to the scoreline for most of it.
Some last-ditch defending from Lotte Wubben-Moy denied Lauren James in the box while substitute Aggie Beever-Jones was denied by Gunners goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar with a superb stop. The Gunners shot-stopper needed more heroics to deny the Chelsea forward in stoppage time with a one-on-one.
But Arsenal were inches away from an equaliser themselves when substitute Stina Blackstenius was found unmarked from a free-kick but somehow crashed the ball off the bar with Hannah Hampton all but beaten. The Chelsea goalkeeper was also equal to Alessia Russo’s fierce volley in stoppage time.
Chelsea held on for another statement win and Emma Hayes watching on from the directors’ box for the first time since leaving the club added to the significance. Hayes had never managed to beat Arsenal at the Emirates but new boss Sonia Bompastor has managed it on the first attempt.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are now four points behind the Blues having played a game more. “It certainly doesn’t help with league-winning ambitions,” said Arsenal manager Eidevall.
“But it doesn’t change the perspective. You have to go game by game but there’s no point hiding away from reality and we know it’s a bad start to the season.”
Asked if he has been given assurances over his position at Arsenal, Eidevall responded: “I give absolutely everything today in preparation for this game.
“The players gave everything on the pitch. That’s the part you can control and ask for from your players. Just focusing on the next match. I just need to focus on the things I can do.”
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz at the Emirates Stadium:
“At full-time, Jonas Eidevall took his dejected Arsenal team in a huddle. Could it be the last post-match one he gives at the Gunners?
“Losing to Chelsea is no shame but this is a poor start to the season for Arsenal. They could end the weekend behind newly-promoted Crystal Palace and, more disappointingly for the fans, north London rivals Tottenham in the Women’s Super League table.
“The departure of Emma Hayes – who watched Chelsea in the stands for the first time since leaving today – was meant to give Arsenal a chance to catch out a Chelsea in transition. But if anything, Chelsea look the same and Arsenal have regressed.
“Eidevall has been backed by the Arsenal hierarchy with top-class new signings. Sporting director Edu Gaspar was in the stands, he is a measured figure at the club who always looks at the bigger picture. With Arsenal Champions League semi-finalists two years ago and the Gunners also back-to-back Continental Cup champions, Eidevall does have credit in the bank.
“But Arsenal are not just any old team. They attract 40,000+ fans at the Emirates for league games, more and more each year. They have some of the best players in Europe in their squad and they are so far behind in the title race – will Eidevall be backed any more beyond this?”
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall:
“Extremely disappointing. We got off to a really poor start, we conceded four goals from corners now in three games. It’s not sustainable if you want to be a top team. The second goal is not good enough either. It’s particularly frustrating, because against a top team they’re going to punish that.
“The players showed incredible courage and heart. We played our back way into the game with amazing support from the stands. We deservedly got a goal and we had chances to get the second one as well. The players worked extremely hard to get the inches right, but we got it on the wrong side tonight.
“I think [the fans who are booing that may have lost faith in him] should see the players how incredibly hard they worked and how much effort they put it. That, I hope, gives supporters belief.
“I fully understand when people are disappointed at not winning football matches. I’m, hurting, the players are hurting. We want to do that better, so I fully understand that in that moment. You’re allowed to show emotions when you win, you’re allowed to show emotions when you lose. I totally understand their frustration.
“Before the week, it’s an extremely tough week. Playing away in Europe, Bayern Munich and Chelsea with tight turnarounds, against teams who get much better prep times for the games. Again I have to look at how the players respond today and how they work.
“When you see how much football we’ve been playing last week, it shows the phenomenal effort the players are putting in in such an adverse scenario. It shows great character in an adverse context.”
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor:
“It was a really good start, really close to a perfect way to start. Now I have to make sure we can sustain that and play that style for 90 minutes.
“I was expecting my team to possess more of the ball in the second half and manage the tempo of the game. But it’s really hard to come here and play against a really good team away from home. The good thing is we didn’t concede anything in the second half. We suffered for sure, but it’s good we didn’t concede.
“There is always room for improvement, I clearly see where we have to improve as a team. We need to be more consistent, we still have a young squad with experienced players, so we should be able to manage the tempo. But you have to give credit to Arsenal, they had the fans and it gives you so much power. When they scored at the end of the first half, it gave them power.”
The games continue to come thick and fast for Arsenal as they prepare for their second Women’s Champions League group stage game against Valerenga on Wednesday (October 16).
Chelsea will get an extra day of rest before they face FC Twente away from home on Thursday (October 17).
