Jonas Eidevall says Arsenal can beat anyone ahead of Women’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich
Jonas Eidevall believes Arsenal can beat anyone ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich, where they trail 1-0.
Lea Schuller’s header saw the German side edge ahead in the tie last week, but Eidevall was in a confident mood ahead of the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Arsenal need two goals in 90 minutes to go through without extra-time or penalties, but must do so against a team who have conceded just four league goals this season.
However, this did not faze Eidevall, who welcomed the straightforward nature of no away goals after the rule was scrapped by UEFA.
He said: “With the squad here, we can beat any team at any time and that’s such a great feeling to have.
“We know it’s going to be determined with small details, but I have that feeling with this squad of players, any team in the world we can play, I know we have a chance of beating them.
“Having that feeling is one of the greatest feelings to have because you know anything is possible.
“I don’t think it’s that complicated. 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.
Bayern Munich players celebrate going 1-0 up against Arsenal in Women’s Champions League quarter-final first leg
“This is not complicated, we just need to win the football match… We need to be attacking, we need to create goalscoring opportunities of course, but we need to do it with balance so we are winning the match.”
Arsenal remain the only English side to have won the Champions League in 2007, with Chelsea also reaching the 2021 final. However, the winners list is dominated by Lyon and Wolfsburg, and more recently, Barcelona.
Eidevall offered his explanation as to why WSL teams have often struggled in Europe, but is certain an English club will win the Champions League in the near future as they continue to build the league’s brand.
He said: “Other European clubs spend more money than English clubs on salaries, at least historically. Then they have the upper hand in the [transfer] market, English have not been the biggest spenders, compared to clubs like Lyon, Paris, Wolfsburg, Barcelona.
Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Tottenham and Arsenal
“It’s natural that the clubs who have invested the most have also been the most successful ones.
“If you see how the WSL has grown this year with more games played at bigger stadiums, good attendances, but also great atmospheres.
“We also see the excitement and competition around all three things that matter in the league – competition to win the league, competition to qualify for the Champions League, competition to not be relegated.
“That means that a lot of games here in the spring will have an important sporting coming, which is great for the entertainment value. Maybe not for managers hearts and ability to have hair not a gray color, but for everyone else, that’s exciting.
Arsenal remain the only English team to have won the Champions League, then called the Women’s Cup, in 2007
“That’s building a brand that no other European league has at the moment. That’s also going to be reflected then in how you can build and grow the product.
“While I think other European clubs have been successful because they’ve had owners and the structure to invest, English clubs will be successful because of the product we build together, with the league being the driving force behind that. It’s going to create a better future for all English club if we are co-operating and building this together.
“I know that’s what the players are looking for, they want to come to the most competitive league, the best environment, the best atmosphere.
“We’re not there yet, but the first steps have been taken and it’s important to keep taking those steps so the future can be for English clubs in Europe too.
“If you build things over here, it’s only matter of time before English club wins the Champions League. Both clubs that are in the competition this year have the potential to do it, it doesn’t have to be in future distance.
“Time will be favored in the English clubs as long as this progression continues.
“Being the champion of a continent, it is probably the greatest thing you can win in club football in Europe and we are very proud in our history to be the only English club that did it. If, in the future, we could repeat that, it would be great.
“Like I said, I have the belief that we can beat any team on any give team so let’s make the most of it tomorrow and maybe we can progress. Then once you reach semi-finals, everyone is capable of winning the trophy.”
