‘We need to use this time very wisely’, says Jonas Eidevall as Arsenal gear up for new season
JONAS EIDEVALL hopes Arsenal’s pre-season test will determine which players gel best on the pitch before their push for silverware next term.
And the Gunners chief wants his aces to have a fast start in the qualifiers for the Champions League group stage.
Tonight the WSL side take on Washington Spirit in the United States in their first game of their first pre-season tour across the pond.
The Gunners will also face title-holders Chelsea on August 25 in the first meeting of the sides since Sonia Bompastor began her role as the Blues new head coach in July.
Their clash with Chelsea could offer a glimpse of a new look for the side attack following the arrivals of Spain and Sweden forwards Mariona Caldentey and Rosa Kafaji.
The duo sealed summer transfers from Barcelona and BK Hacken to the Women’s League Cup holders with with Cloe Lacasse and WSL record scorer Vivianne Miedema leaving the club.
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Along with full-back Emily Fox and centre-back Laia Codina, Caldentey will join the squad on Monday after their duel with Washington Spirit.
Eidevall, who guided Arsenal to League Cup wins this year and last year, said: "We need to see which players gel best with each other and what relationships we can develop.
"That’s the process that we’re starting here (the US) now.
"We haven’t had any sessions with the whole squad yet.
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"The whole squad (of 29) will probably be here on the 20th, so that process does not really start until then. We need to use the time very wisely.
"It’s not only with our forward line but other units have players with different qualities too.
“I think that’s really exciting because we have one way of playing but we can shape that in forms that are going to be as optimal as possible through game-state or opponent.”
Arsenal’s duels with Chelsea and Washington Spirit, who are managed by former Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez, will be followed by them facing Rangers in a Champions League qualifier.
The Gunners will host the Scottish Women’s Premier League in the first round clash to qualify for the contest’s group stage on September 4th
The winners of this one-off match will take on the victors of a clash between Atletico Madrid and Norwegian side Rosenborg BK in a bid to reach the next stage
With his side suffering an unexpected qualifier knockout loss to Paris FC last term, Eidevall is keen to see them get off to a flier this year.
He adds: "We’re only playing one game, so it’s not a two-legged qualifier which is very different.
"You could see that in the game against Paris when we were knocked out.
"The stress of conceding a goal in the second half is totally different compared to if you were playing a return leg.
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"The reaction of the team is going to be way different which makes the margins much smaller in these games.
"We need to start fast to get those margins on the right side for us and we need to get the right answers against Washington so we have a good foundation to build from."