Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall hailed his side’s 5-1 win over Women’s Champions League holders Lyon as the “best performance” of his tenure.
The Gunners kicked off their group stage campaign in style last night by dismantling Lyon away from home, with Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead both scoring twice and Frida Maanum also finding the net.
Lyon, who could only muster a goal from Melvine Malard, were stunned by Arsenal as they had previously not lost by more than a single goal in the Champions League since 2009. This was also only the French side’s second defeat in 83 home games.
“I think it’s the best performance that I’ve seen the team give, both on and off the ball,” said Eidevall, who was appointed by Arsenal in June 2021.
“The belief and the quality that we had in the game plan was very, very high, so I’m really proud of the players.
“We were very efficient in the game, we were effective. But we’ve worked so hard to get those margins.”
After winning against Lyon, Arsenal now top Group C and sit level on points with Juventus, who beat Zurich 2-0 in their opener.
The Gunners are playing all their Champions League games at Emirates Stadium this season, starting next week when they host Zurich, and Eidevall has urged supporters to attend.
Arsenal, like other Women’s Super League (WSL) clubs, have noticed a spike in ticket sales after England won Euro 2022 on home soil and they managed to get 47,367 fans at the Emirates for their win over Tottenham last month.
“Invest in us. Invest your time, invest your passion and your commitment, and we will do everything in our power to repay you for that,” he said. “Together, we will create a very memorable history for the club.”
