Arsenal suffers a 1-0 defeat, ending title hopes, and faces injury concerns ahead of the Champions League semi-final.

LEIGH, ENGLAND - APRIL 19: Leah Williamson of Arsenal looks on while receiving medical treatment during the FA Women's Super League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Leigh Sports Village on April 19, 2023 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images )
LEIGH, ENGLAND – APRIL 19: Leah Williamson of Arsenal looks on while receiving medical treatment during the FA Women’s Super League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Leigh Sports Village on April 19, 2023 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images )
  • Arsenal’s title hopes ended with a 1-0 defeat as Leah Williamson suffered an injury.
  • Manager Jonas Eidevall made tactical changes and substitutions to adapt to the situation.
  • Arsenal now focuse on the Champions League semi-final against Wolfsburg.

A 1-0 defeat to a Alessia Russo goal in the first half’s injury time ended Arsenal’s title hopes, on a day where an early injury to Leah Williamson proved to be a mountain too high to climb for the depleted team.

Due to injuries and suspension, Jonas Eidevall had to select a patched-up team for the title decider: Zinsberger; Wienroither, Wubben-Moy, Rafaelle, Martiz; Wälti, Williamson; Pelova, Blackstenius, Maanum, Kühl. Unfortunately, the injury and early substitution from Williamson disorganised the team.

Eidevall was forced to send Gio on the right wing and Pelova moved back to central midfield. With Kühl unable to contribute much offensively and defensively in a very unfamiliar left-winger role and Gio still young and raw, Arsenal did not offer much attacking-wise as every player was trying to find their feet in that new organisation.

Arsenal conceded a disappointing goal in injury time if the first half.

First, Wienroither played Parris on, on the opposite wing and while play developed nobody tracked Russo’s run from midfield. It left the England striker unmarked and she did not miss. It was a typical team defending problem because players were unfamiliar with each other in midfield and communication was not there.

Tactical adjustments and substitutions

At half-time, Eidevall made a double substitution with Beattie and Catley on for Wienroither and Kühl. Catley coming on as left wing-back and Beattie inside the now back three. Maritz moved to right-wing back, Maanum went into midfield and Pelova moved to the left wing in a 3-4-3 as follows: Zinsberger; Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Rafaelle; Maritz, Wälti, Maanum, Catley; Gio, Blackstenius, Pelova.

The Arsenal manager was very clear why he put the experienced defender in: “And also to put on Jen Beattie because I thought leadership was really important. We wanted to maximise leadership as much as possible in the second half to keep the spirit and calmness and belief.”

Without Little and Williamson, the team was missing clear leadership on the pitch, and it made sense to make the move, even at the risk of more disruption with players moving around the pitch again. The change helped to stabilise the ship and also made the team more balanced, but in terms of attacking and creativity, it was a step too big to take. Arsenal did not really manage to create many clear chances, with Zinsberger’s last-gap volley probably the best of the lot.

It was certainly a disappointing defeat with very difficult circumstances surrounding it. At the end of the day, the players gave 100%, battled really hard to try to get something, but the quality was not there on the day, collectively and individually. You cannot really ask the players to do more than leave everything on the pitch as they did.

Regarding all the injuries, with hindsight, Arsenal should have signed more players, but as we saw in January, clubs can refuse to sell. You have a risk if you have 25 players in training and if there are no injuries, you have five players who don’t even make the matchday squad and seven who don’t start. Keeping those players happy is the biggest problem.

Champions League semi-final on the horizon

Next is the Champions League semi-final first leg away to Wolfsburg.

Hopefully, Foord will be available, McCabe will be back from her League suspension, and Catley should be able to start the game, adding a bit more depth to the squad. Gio and Taylor will not be eligible as they were not registered in the Champions League squad. The squad will be down to the bare bones, and there is a short time to recover and prepare for that game.

I would not be surprised if the usual 4-4-2 is not used and a 3-4-3 with Jennifer Beattie from the start is an option that will be explored. Without Williamson in midfield, getting Maanum alongside Wälti in a 4-3-3 or getting Wienroither in the middle alongside Wälti to keep Maanum up top might be some of the solutions available to Jonas Eidevall.

The League table does not lie. The League is lost, and Arsenal will now have to fight with Manchester City to save the third place that qualifies for the Champions League, unless the Gunners go all the way in this season’s competition and then could afford to finish fourth.

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