The Women’s Super League has had its first managerial casualty of the season, only four weeks into the new campaign.
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall tendered his resignation in a meeting on Monday, ending his three year stay at the club, following a 2-1 loss to Chelsea over the weekend.
But where did it all go wrong for the 41 year old Swede?
When Eidevall arrived at Arsenal, they were a possession-based side who could sweep aside smaller teams but were struggling in the biggest games. All of that changed with Eidevall bringing in an aggressive high pressing style. He immediately impressed in his first WSL match in charge, beating Emma Hayes’ Chelsea 3-2 at the Emirates. They went on to lose only one match all season but were pipped to the league title by a point.
It looked like this was going to be the start of a new era for Arsenal but injuries derailed Eidevall’s second season. Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson all ruptured their anterior cruciate ligaments, leaving Arsenal without some of their star players.
Regardless, they put together an impressive run in the Champions League, losing to Wolfsburg in the semi-finals, as well as beating Chelsea 3-1 in the Continental Cup final. It was Arsenal’s first piece of silverware since they won the league in 2019. There was a clear sense of togetherness within the team as they pushed on despite facing adversity.
Issues seriously began to arise in his third season as they struggled against weaker, defensive teams. They failed to qualify for the Champions League after Paris FC beat them on penalties and lost to Liverpool in their season opener. Most disappointingly an incredible 4-1 win over Chelsea was followed up a week later with a 1-0 loss to Tottenham, their first ever North London Derby loss. As with the previous season, any thought of being in the title race slipped away although they once again beat Chelsea in the Continental Cup final.
Failure to get the best out of star players
Behind the scenes, tensions were rising as players struggled within Eidevall’s system. Goalscoring was a particular concern. Arsenal had signed Sweden striker Stina Blackstenius in the January of Eidevall’s first season but a year on, they had made a world record offer for Alessia Russo who was at Manchester United at the time.
They eventually brought her in during the summer when her contract expired but neither Blackstenius or Russo were able to find the kind of goalscoring form that the club needed.
Both Chelsea and Manchester City had strikers who could score 20 goals a season in Sam Kerr and Bunny Shaw, but Russo was struggling to get much beyond 10. It was unclear whether this was a result of their individual struggles, or the system they were being used in. Confidence from both looked like it was at a low.
It also appeared that there had been a breakdown in the relationship between Eidevall and all-time WSL top scorer Vivianne Miedema. The Netherlands international had stopped playing as a striker and was instead being used as a No.10 but she had a significant amount of time out with injury.
Not afraid to speak her mind, she regularly cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines. When Arsenal decided not to offer her a new contract at the end of last season, many fans saw it as a sign that the club had backed Eidevall over Miedema. She went on to sign for Manchester City and inevitably scored in the 2-2 draw that was the season opener.
Losing the fans
Miedema’s exit put further pressure on Eidevall to justify that decision and deliver on his promise. With Emma Hayes leaving Chelsea to take up the United States Women’s job, it seemed as if there was never a better time to put an end to their long wait for a league title. But in the end, the season never really got going for Arsenal.
There were positive aspects to the 2-2 draw with Manchester City but a 0-0 draw with Everton followed up by a 5-2 loss in the Champions League to Bayern Munich meant that it became a question of when, not if, Eidevall departed. In his final match in charge, fans made their feelings known with a large cardboard P45 held up in the stands. ‘Jonas Out’ was spray painted on Hornsey Road.
With Arsenal having such a big fan base, it was inevitable that their displeasure around results and performances would be felt far more keenly than at other clubs in the league. Managers like Marc Skinner at Manchester United and Gareth Taylor at Manchester City have been able to ride out poor results.
But it was clear that Eidevall’s race was run and he knew it too. His decision to hand in his own resignation was an admittance that he was not going to be able to get them back on side. In the end, it felt like he himself had run out of the energy to fix the situation.
What’s next for Arsenal?
Eidevall’s assistant Renee Slegers will be managing the club on an interim basis as they prepare to face Valerenga tonight in the Champions League before heading to West Ham on Sunday.
Ironically, Slegers took over from Eidevall at Rosengard when he became Arsenal manager with the Dutch coach following him to the club in September of last year.
Arsenal will have to move quickly to recruit a new manager with the season already in full swing and they cannot afford to drop any more points. Former Manchester United manager Casey Stoney was watching on at the Emirates and would certainly be an attractive candidate whilst the former Netherlands manager Mark Parsons is also currently out of work. Whoever comes in will be expected to turn results around quickly if they are to stop another season from sliding away.