Vivianne Miedema returned to the pitch for Arsenal Women after a 10-month injury absence as the team clinched a win against Bristol City, with head coach Jonas Eidevall offering insights on the match and the challenges ahead against Manchester City.

BRISTOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal prepares to enter the pitch as a substitute during the Barclays Women´s Super League match between Bristol City and Arsenal FC at Ashton Gate Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 22: Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal prepares to enter the pitch as a substitute during the Barclays Women´s Super League match between Bristol City and Arsenal FC at Ashton Gate Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

Vivianne Miedema made a long-awaited return to Arsenal Women‘s team after 10 months sidelined by an ACL injury, as Arsenal secured a hard-fought win against Bristol City on Sunday.

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall was full of praise for his team’s performance, while highlighting the impact Miedema could have had in the final moments of the game.

“It went as I expected,” Eidevall said. “We had a lot of possession, we were in a lot of control. We knew we needed both patience and quality to break down that low block against a team that is very direct and good on the transition.”

Katie McCabe‘s outstanding brace secured consecutive victories for Arsenal, as the team aims to establish a run of form after a challenging start to the season. The two goals bring McCabe’s tally up to three, making her the team’s leading scorer at present.

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BRISTOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Katie McCabe of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring the team's second goal during the Barclays Women´s Super League match between Bristol City and Arsenal FC at Ashton Gate Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 22: Katie McCabe of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Barclays Women´s Super League match between Bristol City and Arsenal FC at Ashton Gate Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

“Katie has definitely proven her worth to the team in all of our opening games and it’s been good to see,” Eidevall said.

However, it was Miedema‘s return that commanded attention. Her brief appearance featured a no-look pass to Beth Mead that almost resulted in a third goal for Arsenal.

“That pass reminded me of the pass Viv did to Beth at the Emirates on my first WSL game for Arsenal. She’s incredible with those passes as you can see that Beth believes in it fully with her run as well,” Eidevall commented.

The match, watched by a record crowd of over 12,000 at Ashton Gate, also emphasised the importance of strong supporter turnout. “Don’t forget that a lot of the people were also Arsenal supporters. The travelling supporters are loud and they’re proud,” Eidevall said.

As Arsenal Women turn their focus to league leaders Manchester City after the October international break, Eidevall is anticipating a compelling contest.

“It’s going to be a totally different game. We’ve been playing against very defensive opponents and now we’re going to play against City,” he remarked.

With Miedema‘s return and another win in the bag, Arsenal Women appear well-prepared for future challenges.

Miedema’s comeback adds another layer of excitement as they get ready to face Manchester City.

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