Arsenal Women kick off their WSL season on Friday night at 19:30 BST, back at their home ground of Meadow Park, Borehamwood. Tickets are sold out as women’s football rides the way of popularity brought about by England winning the Euros at the end of July (though tickets are still available for next week’s Emirates outing vs. Spurs). England captain Leah Williamson and Player of the Tournament and Golden Boot winner Beth Mead will be expected to start and Lotte Wubben-Moy (who thought up the letter to the government about access to football for girls in schools) will likely be on the bench, as Brazil captain and Copa América champion Rafaelle Souza makes her way back into the squad after she missed the end of last season with injury.
The WSL was due to start last weekend with an away match at Manchester City, Eidevall told the media on Wednesday that the team is used to being flexible after COVID cancellations for the past couple of seasons and they don’t focus on what they can’t control. It also provided a little more time for Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord to return to the squad after injuries picked up on a perhaps inadvisable pre-season international camp.
Last season Arsenal played Brighton twice: at home in January and away in March, ending 2-1 and 0-3, with Arsenal coming out on top in both matches. The home match saw Arsenal turn around their mid-season slump in which they lost to eventually relegated Birmingham City, and Beth Mead was instrumental in that victory – winning a couple of free kicks, scoring from one and setting Vivianne Miedema up for a tap-in for the other. Brighton’s goal early on in the first half was also the result of a free kick, so watch out for set pieces that could be instrumental in this match up.
Their second meeting last season saw a far more threatening Arsenal side, with Brighton goalkeeper Megan Walsh being the difference between the 0-3 scoreline and one far more in Arsenal’s favour. A brace by new signing Stina Blackstenius (assisted twice by Caitlin Foord) and a goal by Beth Mead sealed a comfortable victory. Mead’s goal saw her get on the end of a gorgeous little nutmeg assist from Miedema, a moment of magic from a partnership Arsenal fans will be delighted to see for another season.
Only one of 10 prior meetings between the clubs has ended in anything other than a win for Arsenal (a draw back in November 2019) and 80% have ended in clean sheets for Arsenal. Arsenal’s starting side will be expected to be fairly unchanged from last season, with Eidevall prioritising a stable core of players that is rarer in women’s football considering shorter contracts. Brighton have lost key starters in Ellie Brazil and Maya Le Tissier to other WSL clubs but have had a decent pre-season, playing friendlies against Bayern Munich (1-0 to Brighton) and Manchester City (3-1 to City), and Eidevall has said he’s impressed with Hope Powell’s side – he certainly won’t be underestimating the opposition.
Eidevall’s priorities moving into this coming season are improving man-marking, a key component to competing with bigger European teams, and mentality, which again Arsenal has lacked in recent years against bigger opposition. While Arsenal’s depth may come into question compared to the likes of Chelsea, it wouldn’t expect to be an issue in this coming match with a full squad. Eidevall said he’d have liked to have brought in one more player and seeks to do so in the January window.
The Brighton match will be available to watch on the FA Player – it’s free to sign up and watch, and available internationally. It will also be available to stream on the Arsenal website.
The full Eidevall press conference transcript can be found on the Arsenal website here: https://www.arsenal.com/news/every-word-jonas-pre-brighton-presser
Image taken by me.