Arsenal Women’s coach Jonas Eidevall reflects on their heartbreaking Champions League semi-final exit, as they face the challenge of bouncing back in the WSL.

  • Arsenal Women suffer a heartbreaking Champions League semi-final exit after a narrow defeat against Wolfsburg in extra time.
  • Head coach Jonas Eidevall expresses pride in his team’s performance despite the loss and acknowledges the emotional toll of the defeat.
  • Eidevall highlights the inspiration drawn from Arsenal’s men’s team and Mikel Arteta in connecting with supporters and creating a positive atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 01: Jonas Eidevall, Head Coach of Arsenal, embraces Lotte Wubben-Moy of Arsenal as players of Arsenal huddle following their side's defeat to VfL Wolfsburg during the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final 2nd leg match between Arsenal and VfL Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium on May 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 01: Jonas Eidevall, Head Coach of Arsenal, embraces Lotte Wubben-Moy of Arsenal as players of Arsenal huddle following their side’s defeat to VfL Wolfsburg during the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final 2nd leg match between Arsenal and VfL Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium on May 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Arsenal Women suffered a devastating Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of two-time European champions Wolfsburg on Monday evening, with head coach Jonas Eidevall admitting his players are “allowed to hurt and feel empty” after the crushing defeat.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 60,063 at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners’ valiant effort fell just short as Pauline Bremer’s extra-time goal secured Wolfsburg’s place in the Eindhoven final against Barcelona on June 3.

Reflecting on the loss, Eidevall said, “We made it to the Champions League semi-final and lost by the tiniest of margins. With all the injuries we have, with all the challenges we have, I am incredibly proud.”

Arsenal Women are still the only English side to have won the women’s European title, and their journey to the semi-finals was their first since 2013. Stina Blackstenius opened the scoring for Arsenal before Jill Roord equalised for Wolfsburg, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the match.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 01: Jonas Eidevall, Head Coach of Arsenal, looks dejected following their side's defeat to VfL Wolfsburg during the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final 2nd leg match between Arsenal and VfL Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium on May 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 01: Jonas Eidevall, Head Coach of Arsenal, looks dejected following their side’s defeat to VfL Wolfsburg during the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final 2nd leg match between Arsenal and VfL Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium on May 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Eidevall acknowledged the difficulty his team faces in recovering from the emotional setback, with a crucial Women’s Super League game against Leicester City just around the corner on Friday. “We are in a tough situation on the remainder of the season both to get our feet and heads back from here, but already on Friday we have a really important [WSL] game against Leicester.”

Arsenal Women have drawn inspiration from their male counterparts and manager Mikel Arteta in galvanising and reinvigorating the Emirates Stadium crowd this season.

Eidevall commented, “I think the work that I’ve seen that our men’s team and Mikel [Arteta] has been doing has been so inspiring in that, with how they have been together with supporters. I think we also learned from that and we saw that [on Monday] as well.”

Discussing the unfortunate mistake by defender Lotte Wubben-Moy that led to Wolfsburg’s winning goal, Eidevall urged her to “keep her head high” and emphasised the importance of learning from the experience.

“Mistakes happen in football. We win as a team, we lose as a team. We’re there for each other through success and failure.”