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- Arsenal were beaten at home by London rivals Chelsea in the WSL on Saturday
- The Gunners have now won just four of their first nine games in all competitions
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As the boos rang around the Emirates, Jonas Eidevall’s face said it all. After a midweek humbling by Bayern Munich, this London derby with Chelsea was a must not lose game for his side.
This defeat, though it was narrow, could spell the end of his reign as Arsenal manager. He slumped off down the tunnel at full-time, knowing the scrutiny and pressure will only increase.
It appears he has lost the supporters and while there was no lack of effort from his team, the arguments players had between themselves following Chelsea’s two goals in the first half does not reflect well on the mood in the camp.
‘I fully understand that people are disappointed when we don’t win football matches and we are also really disappointed,’ Eidevall said. ‘We are really hurting, I’m hurting, the players are hurting.
‘They [the fans] should see how incredibly hard the players work. How much heart they have, how much character they have for the club. That, I hope, gives supporters belief.’
Chelsea continued their fine start in the WSL by winning away at Arsenal on Saturday
The result at the Emirates Stadium saw the pressure on Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall increase
Chelsea star Mayra Ramirez (centre) opened the scoring in style after only four minutes
It could have got ugly when Chelsea went 2-0 up inside 16 minutes with goals from Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore. Arsenal clawed themselves back into the game when Caitlin Foord scored before half-time and should probably have found an equaliser with the chances they created in the second half.
But Chelsea stood firm to maintain new boss Sonia Bompastor’s 100 per cent record. Her predecessor Emma Hayes, who had numerous clashes with Eidevall during her time as Blues boss, was watching on in the stands.
‘Emma texted me, we have a very good relationship,’ Bompastor said. ‘I feel really proud of my players and I’m so happy for them.’
After conceding from multiple set-pieces against Bayern Munich in midweek, Eidevall had said in his pre-match interview that Arsenal had worked on defending them. But it took less than four minutes for Chelsea to score from a corner. Arsenal failed to clear their lines and the ball dropped to Ramirez, who managed to hook it over her shoulder and into the top right corner. It was creative from the Chelsea forward, but Arsenal’s defenders were far too slow to react.
It went from bad to worse for the hosts when Baltimore finished off a fantastic Chelsea move to make it 2-0 in the 16th minute. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd played the ball into Lauren James, who shimmied past two defenders before crossing for an unmarked Baltimore to head in at the back-post.
Caitlin Foord nearly pulled a goal back for Arsenal when she fired just over from inside the box. But Foord did manage to score before half-time, with the forward producing a sensational solo effort to dribble past Lucy Bronze before curling into the far post.
Sandy Baltimore (left) made it 2-0 on 16 minutes when she finished off a fine Chelsea move
Caitlin Foord pulled a goal back for the Gunners but it was not enough to prevent another loss
Eidevall pictured speaking to his players on the pitch following the final whistle on Saturday
Arsenal started the second half with more impetus but continued to be wasteful in front of goal. Chelsea had a strong appeal for a penalty when James went to ground in the box under a challenge from Lotte Wubben-Moy, but referee Cheryl Foster waved play on.
Daphne Van Domselaar was then called into action to keep out Aggie Beever-Jones’ header at the near post as Chelsea pushed for a third goal.
Wubben-Moy should have brought Arsenal level but could only send a free header wide before Stina Blackstenius sent a volley against the crossbar from close range. Hannah Hampton then pushed away a volley from Alessia Russo as Arsenal pushed for an equaliser. It was not a comfortable end for Chelsea, but they showed grit to see out the game. The packed out Chelsea away end celebrated wildly at full-time, in contrast to the doom in the home stands. Whether Eidevall will be back here for Arsenal’s Champions League game with Valerenga next week remains to be seen.
