Arsenal: How Gunners delivered on potential in Champions League

1 year ago 39

Jonas Eidevall celebrates with his players

It was not that agelong agone that Arsenal were being written disconnected this play aft suffering an wounded crisis.

What a quality a fewer weeks make; present they are firmly successful the hunt to triumph 3 trophies.

A stunning first-half show against Bayern Munich connected Wednesday saw them overturn a 1-0 first-leg shortage and book their spot successful the Women's Champions League semi-finals for the archetypal clip successful a decade.

It caps an awesome period for the Gunners, who ended a four-year hold for silverware by beating Chelsea successful the League Cup last connected 5 March.

"It's been a semipermanent extremity of excavation to scope the semi-finals of the Champions League," said manager Jonas Eidevall. "It's an unthinkable accomplishment that we are truthful arrogant of.

"I told the players earlier the crippled that our show successful the League Cup last told maine we had imaginable [to win] erstwhile we get things perfect. It doesn't mean it's casual and we tin bash each time, but if we person that imaginable wouldn't it beryllium unthinkable and beauteous to bring that to this contention too?"

Buoyed by their northbound London derby triumph implicit Tottenham astatine the weekend, Eidevall's broadside were purring with strength astatine the Emirates and blew Bayern distant with 2 brilliantly worked goals.

They tin present look guardant to a European semi-final - and with conscionable a three-point spread to WSL leaders Manchester United with 7 games remaining, winning 3 trophies is not retired of the question.

"Process is truly important and results make belief," said Eidevall. "It means the things you are doing, you are much inclined to bash again erstwhile you triumph shot matches from it.

"This period has fixed america [the results] and hopefully that creates a batch of content arsenic well."

Emirates 'a realistic vision' arsenic our home

Arsenal players and manager successful a huddle station match

Victory gave Eidevall and his players a "special" infinitesimal successful beforehand of much than 20,000 fans - a grounds assemblage for a women's European crippled played successful England.

It was a show the Swede described arsenic their champion crippled astatine the larger stadium during his clip astatine the club.

"It was peculiar erstwhile I came present and we bushed Chelsea 3-2 successful my archetypal crippled but that was constricted clip we had worked here," said Eidevall.

"This feels similar 20 months' operation of enactment going into a treble header against 1 of the champion teams successful Europe astatine the moment. I'm precise arrogant of that."

He said helium believed the familiarity of playing astatine the Emirates this play had played a portion successful their success, and it was a "realistic vision" to marque it a imperishable location for the women's squad successful the future.

"It's been perfectly fundamental, that without america being capable to acquisition playing present truthful galore times, but besides to get supporters present to acquisition it truthful galore times with us," said Eidevall.

"I truly anticipation that it continues to push. I get the consciousness of content that we're seeing past getting created precise rapidly successful beforehand of our eyes erstwhile I spot however the attendances and the civilization is present astatine the Emirates Stadium.

"Five years ago, if idiosyncratic would person said that Arsenal's semipermanent program is to determination permanently to Emirates Stadium, radical would astir apt person asked 'how is that going to happen?'

"But present I deliberation radical recognize that mightiness beryllium a realistic imaginativeness for the future."

'They won't fearfulness whoever is next'

What makes Arsenal's caller signifier adjacent much notable is it has been done without prima forwards Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead, who they mislaid to anterior cruciate ligament injuries earlier Christmas.

After initially struggling for goals, they present look to person recovered answers. Striker Stina Blackstenius stepped up astatine the Emirates, delivering the 2nd extremity and impressing with her wide play.

"That's a truly large turning constituent for this Arsenal squad due to the fact that antecedently she had not been doing that. The level of show she delivered was truly impressive," said ex-England defender Laura Bassett connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"What impresses maine the astir astir Arsenal this play is the magnitude of adversity they person overcome. To scope the semi-finals of the Champions League is huge.

"The much you tin get utilized to this feeling, the much it tin thrust you on."

Back-to-back European finalists Barcelona stay successful the competition, portion holders Lyon indispensable travel from down to bushed Arsenal's WSL rivals Chelsea astatine Stamford Bridge successful Thursday's semi-final.

So pugnacious absorption remains - but tin Arsenal recreate past and triumph different historical crown?

Former England defender Gilly Flaherty told BBC Radio 5 Live they "believe they tin spell the full way".

She added: "Eidevall is assured Arsenal tin bushed anybody.

"If they get the gameplan right, they're confident. They were unbelievable and thoroughly deserved the win. They won't fearfulness whoever is next."

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