No more excuses as Jonas Eidevall enters crucial season with Arsenal | Arsenal Women

There are no more excuses. It is time for Jonas Eidevall and Arsenal to deliver.

In the 2022-23 season, amid an unprecedented injury crisis, they finished third in the Women’s Super League to Manchester City on goal difference, won the League Cup and battled to the semi-finals of the Champions League, almost reaching the final. It felt impressive given the circumstances, resilience shining through towards the end of the campaign.

Last season, however, began with an unceremonious exit from the Champions League in the first qualifying round, undoing all the hard work of the previous season to finish ahead of City. But there was a caveat, with a quick turnaround between the World Cup and those brutal early qualifiers that allowed no time for rest or proper preparation. They also had to struggle to reintegrate fit players at various stages of a campaign that was peppered with disappointment, with retention of the League Cup a consolation as the competition slipped away.

The road ahead looks less dicey for the 2024-25 season. The Olympic gold medal match took place on 10 August with Emily Fox as the only Arsenal player. Laia Codina and new signing Mariona Caldentey, who joined the US squad as they continue their pre-season preparations, played in the bronze medal match the day before. Australia concluded their campaign on 31 July, failing to qualify from Group B, while England’s failure to secure a Team GB qualifying spot was painful but a blessing in disguise for players in desperate need of a summer break.

As a result, Arsenal have a substantial build-up before they face Rangers in Champions League qualifying on September 4, and are making the most of it with a tour of the US. Eidevall told Arseblog that the opportunity to take the team there was “priceless”, with the squad playing twice before returning to London.

“Team building is a day-to-day process,” he said. “It’s not like you go away for two hours and do a pottery class and think we have the best relationships. We can do that in the training center, but I still think you have more of a huddle and players have to consider their daily lives. While we’re in a bubble here, we do things together all the time.

“Players will end up having a coffee with a player they wouldn’t normally have a coffee with. That’s team building and bonding, and creating bonds and understanding between players by spending 10 days here together, which just wouldn’t happen if we stayed at home. That has to be the basis for a stronger Arsenal team.”

A 2-1 win over Washington Spirit kick-started the tour with a host of academy graduates playing, including Viv Lia, Freya Godfrey and Katie Reid, while two goals from Alessia Russo secured victory against a strong Spirit team in the season. They also learned a lot from last season’s two-leg elimination to Paris FC. “You have to start quickly. You have to be ready to play really competitive games,” Eidevall said.

The Spirit competition would present the team with a “very uncomfortable challenge,” Eidevall had said before they set off on the trip, because “we need to get the right answers about where we are as a team right now, what’s working well and what the gaps are … (It) will also help shape the way we move forward. I’m very excited about doing that because I think it’s important for us to get the season started quickly.”

On Sunday they will face Chelsea, who travel to Washington DC to face the Gunners, who lost 3-1 to Gotham FC. Preparations are in full swing under new manager Sonia Bompastor.

It’s too early to gain much insight into the potential fate of the WSL title when the two sides meet, but absent any heartbreak between Arsenal and Chelsea, it could prove to be the most unfriendly friendly yet. Playing the game in the United States, in front of a lucrative, growing audience, is another reason why a win could prove fruitful.

With the departure of Emma Hayes and the arrival of Bompastor, major changes took place in south-west London. Ann-Katrin Berger, Maren Mjelde, Fran Kirby, Melanie Leupolz and Jess Carter were among the ten players who left.

There have also been changes north of the river. The decision to give Eidevall a new three-year contract while allowing WSL record scorer Vivianne Miedema to leave, allowing her to join Manchester City, was a statement move from the club, who appeared to back the manager over the future of the influential player.

The success of the season could rest on that bold decision and if it doesn’t work out, it’s a decision that will be picked apart. The arrival of Caldentey from Barcelona and the recruitment of exciting young talent Rosa Kafaji from Häcken soften the loss, as does the signing of long-term target Daphne van Domselaar from Aston Villa in goal.

With the concerns of previous seasons now gone, the pressure is on to step up a gear, progress to the Champions League group stage and have a serious shot at the WSL title.