Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall has stressed the need to keep looking forward as his side prepare to host Leicester in the Women’s Super League four days on from their Champions League exit. Monday’s semi-final second leg against Wolfsburg at a packed Emirates Stadium saw a 119th-minute Pauline Bremer goal condemn the Gunners to a 3-2 loss after extra-time, and 5-4 defeat on aggregate. They return to league action with five more matches to go, lying fourth in the table. Eidevall’s team are five points behind third-placed Chelsea, six behind second-placed Manchester City and nine behind leaders Manchester United, with two games in hand over the top two. Eidevall told a press conference ahead of the clash with Leicester at Meadow Park: “We have tried our very best here this week to say what emotions and feelings do we want to carry forward with, what can help us to become a stronger team in the future, and what do we need to get rid of here now to be able to be ready for a challenge here against Leicester. “I think that is sport and football – you have to look forward. You’re not entitled to anything just because you did something yesterday. “What’s important is today and for us now tomorrow against Leicester, that’s where we need to put 100 per cent of our energy and focus.” Regarding the table, he added: “I don’t spend much time on doing that (assessing the title race), because I don’t know how that contributes to anything better for us. “We have five games left in the league, we need to stay focused on one game at a time, we need to prepare 100 per cent for every game, we need to play each one of these games 100 per cent, and that’s what I’m focusing on. “After we have done that, then we have done everything we can and that’s all we can ask from ourselves.” Arsenal head into the match having suffered yet another long-term injury, with it confirmed that defender Laura Wienroither ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament against Wolfsburg. It is Arsenal’s fourth ACL injury of the season – after Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema – and skipper Kim Little was ruled out for the rest of the campaign in March by a hamstring issue. They take on a Leicester outfit who moved off the bottom of the table with a 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool on Saturday.
That was a second successive victory and fourth in the league in total since Willie Kirk replaced Lydia Bedford as boss in November, when the team were yet to register a point for the campaign. With four fixtures left, the Foxes are currently two points clear of bottom-placed Reading, who have three matches left. Kirk said: “We’re in a jovial place, and we’re confident heading into this game on Friday. “The best way to approach this game is to be aggressive and attack-minded. Not conceding early is really important in giving yourself a chance against the top teams in the league.”
The article Arsenal must look to the future after European exit claims Jonas Eidevall appeared first on Planetsport.com.
Article courtesy of
Source link
