It is sad to see a journey that started with such promise end in a whimper. That is the reality of Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal tenure, which was bookended by matches against Chelsea – his opening game a thrilling 3-2 victory and his final one a blunt 2-1 defeat that epitomised problems that just would not go away.
The announcement on Tuesday that Eidevall had resigned as head coach was not surprising, but it was unexpected. With only one win from three Women’s Super League games and a bruising 5-2 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League before the game against Chelsea, the feeling was that the writing was on the wall for the 41-year-old. Win or lose and Eidevall’s future looked uncertain. However, with an international break two games away and a winter break further ahead, Arsenal pulling the trigger immediately felt unlikely.
Eidevall’s resignation suggests the decision came from him. That is believable. If things had continued to go south, he would not have lasted, but he is also a human being, not immune to the vitriol amid constructive and fair criticism that has poured his way and aware of the focal point he had become. The atmosphere was increasingly toxic, the “Jonas out” daubed on a wall near the Emirates Stadium and a mock P45 being waved in the stands was an indication of fan feeling.
Where did it go wrong and how can, and should, we reflect on the Swede’s three years in charge? When Eidevall arrived in north London, replacing Joe Montemurro, he was met by a team that struggled to get results against key title rivals. Morale was low as a result. Montemurro was well-liked but deemed not good enough, everything was a bit too comfortable. The club was also at the beginning of a revamp of facilities and staffing around the team.
Eidevall’s first game, against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, set the standard as Arsenal demonstrated they would be a more streetwise side against the best sides. Last season they took the most points from games between the top three. They delivered some stunning performances and results. The issue was against teams they should dominate, who would sit back and give them the possession they desired but prove difficult to break down. The points dropped that would cost them a serious title challenge came against West Ham, Liverpool and Tottenham.
Arsenal were forgiven, though, with players such as Leah Williamson, Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead and Laura Wienroither drip-fed back into the side at different stages of the season after anterior cruciate ligament injuries. The preceding season had similar caveats, with those players contributing to an epic injury crisis. Still, they delivered. There came back-to-back League Cups and an incredible Champions League run to the semi-finals during which Arsenal overturned a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Wolfsburg before enduring a 5-4 defeat in extra time at a sold-out Emirates Stadium.
The mood at the end of last season was one of hope, hope that consistency would be found, hope that a little bit more time together before Champions League qualifiers would mean the slip-up against Paris FC that saw Arsenal miss out entry into the group stage in September 2023 would be avoided, and hope that a less injury-hit squad would see them challenge for all four trophies on offer.
The tide started to turn against the manager at the end of last season, though, when it was announced that Miedema would be allowed to leave on the expiration of her contract. The WSL’s record goalscorer was allowed to depart in her prime, at 28 years old. Having not wanted to leave, Miedema joined title rivals Manchester City, delivering a double blow. While the decision would not have solely been Eidevall’s, the manager bore the brunt of fan distress at the loss of a hero and key asset.
Relations soured and it did not take long for this season’s form to make things worse. The 2-2 draw with Manchester City was tolerable, but the 0-0 draw with Everton was not. Eidevall’s tactical analysis has been a huge attribute, with his punditry lauded during international fixtures for ITV, but here was another example of Arsenal failing to break a team down. Despite 69% possession, 21 shots and 45 touches in the opposition box, Arsenal just could not score.
The defensive collapse against Bayern three days later, with Arsenal having led before they conceded three Pernille Harder goals in 13 minutes, indicated the team were no longer standing still, that the rot was sending them backwards. In many respects Chelsea should have been an opportunity to lift spirits, with the Blues’ untested against a top-level team under Sonia Bompastor and a more expansive game aiding Arsenal’s struggling attack. Instead, the hosts made a rod for their own back by conceding twice early. Sonia Bompastor’s side were able to sit back and soak up the pressure and desperation in the knowledge that this is where Arsenal struggle.
Eidevall had spent much of his pre-match media briefing talking about the focus on defending set pieces in training, yet Arsenal conceded four goals from dead balls across the Bayern and Chelsea games. Whatever work had been done in training was not translating on to the pitch. The deflated faces of players at full time were reflective of the dressing room he had partly lost.
First-team assistant coach Renée Slegers will take charge in the interim while the club seeks out a replacement. The job is an attractive one. Are Arsenal in a better place than they were when Eidevall came in, though? Undoubtedly, on and off the pitch. However, it has been a case of two steps forward and a small one back.
