Jonas Eidevall believes finances have held English clubs back in the UEFA Women's Champions League in recent years.
But the Arsenal manager added that he believes both his team and title rivals Chelsea have "good chances" of going all the way in Europe's premier competition and ending the WSL's drought for success. The Swede also stated he believes Arsenal "can beat anyone" ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Arsenal face Bayern Munich at the Emirates on Wednesday night, with the Gunners trailing 1-0 on aggregate after a hard fought loss in Munich last week. Arsenal need two goals in 90 minutes to go through without extra-time or penalties, but are facing a defence that have conceded just four league goals this season.
The Gunners are the only English team to have won the European crown in the women's game, winning the old Women's UEFA Cup in 2007.
"European clubs have spent a lot more money than English clubs on salaries historically," explained Eidevall when asked why he believed WSL clubs weren't succeeding on the continent. "They then have the upper hand on the market. The English clubs have not been the biggest spenders, when you compare them to the likes of Lyon or PSG or Wolfsburg.
"The clubs that have invested the most have also been the most successful. But I think that can change, definitely. If you see how the WSL has grown this year, we've had great attendances and atmospheres. There is real competition across all three things in the league - title, Europe and relegation. A lot of games in the Spring will have an important sporting outcome.
"That is building a brand that no other European league has at the moment. So while I think other European clubs have been successful, the English clubs are going to be successful because of what they build together and the league (WSL) driving them forward.
"It's only a matter of time before an English club wins the Champions League. But that been said, I think both English clubs in the competition this year, have the potential to win it. It's not like it has to be in the distant future."
The Gunners' boss believes the lack of away goals as a tiebreaker in European competition has given his team a relatively straightforward task. As long as Arsenal win the second leg in North London, they will at least take the tie to extra-time.
"I don't think it's that complicated," he said. "With the away goals rule, a result like this would have been really complicated to manage.
"Because if we conceded a goal (in the second leg) it would have put us in a really difficult situation and we would need to score three goals and so on. This is not complicated - we just need to win the football match.
"With the squad here, we can beat any team at any time and that's such a great feeling to have."
