Arsenal left it late but secured a 2-0 victory over West Ham in their first Women's Super League match since Jonas Eidevall resigned.

Interim boss Renee Slegers made it two wins from two in charge thanks to goals from Mariona Caldentey and Rosa Kafaji, despite the Gunners underwhelming for large parts of the game.

They eventually found a breakthrough with 20 minutes to play as Amber Tysiak brought down Stina Blackstenius in the box.

Caldentey neatly tucked away the spot-kick before Blackstenius created their second in the 89th minute as she picked out Kafaji, who finished first-time.

Slegers' first three points sees Arsenal go back to fifth, but West Ham are one of three teams still yet to win in the WSL so far this season as they prop up the table.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace nearly pulled off another big shock but were instead held to a 1-1 draw by Liverpool.

The Eagles impressed at St Helen's Stadium as former Reds striker Katie Stengel opened the scoring after 14 minutes, prodding home from close range.

Cornelia Kapocs pulled the hosts level shortly before half-time, but they had to settle for a share of the points as both sides missed big chances for a winner in the second half.

Leicester City, meanwhile, claimed their first win of the season, edging past struggling Everton 1-0 thanks to Nicole Momiki's superb solo strike after just eight minutes.

It is the first victory for Amandine Miquel since joining the Foxes, while Everton sit 11th in the table, still searching for their first three points of the campaign. 

Manchester City are the team leading the way in the Women's Super League standings with 10 points from four games, ahead of Sunday's home clash with Aston Villa.

However, it is Chelsea and Manchester United – who saw their scheduled matchday three meeting postponed – who boast the only two perfect records in the division.

Both sides have recorded three wins from as many games ahead of potentially testing fixtures this weekend.

While Marc Skinner's United go to Brighton, who have taken nine points from four matches in a fine start, Chelsea host Tottenham in a big London derby.

Elsewhere, Renee Slegers takes charge of Arsenal for the first time in the WSL following the exit of Jonas Eidevall, with a trip to West Ham marking her first league assignment following Wednesday's 4-1 Women's Champions League victory over Valerenga.

But which way will those games – and the three other contests taking place on matchday five – go? We turned to the Opta supercomputer to get its latest set of WSL predictions.

BRIGHTON V MANCHESTER UNITED

The weekend's action begins at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, with both Brighton and United having a chance to go top of the table ahead of Sunday's matches.

Dario Vidosic's team beat Crystal Palace 1-0 last time out, and their return of nine points from four matches is the best start Brighton have ever made to a WSL season. In 2023-24, they needed 11 games to reach the same tally.

They are, however, winless in their last six WSL meetings with United, drawing one and losing five since a 1-0 home triumph in April 2021. Skinner's side are yet to concede this season, and there has only previously been five instances of a team starting a WSL campaign with four straight wins without shipping a goal – one was United in 2022-23.

They are given a 63.4% chance of victory on the south coast, with Brighton only assigned a 17.1% win probability and a 19.5% likelihood of earning a draw.

MANCHESTER CITY V ASTON VILLA

City enter the weekend top of the tree, winning three straight since playing out a 2-2 draw with fellow title hopefuls Arsenal on matchday one.

In a run stretching back to November 19, 2023, City have won 18 of their last 20 matches in the WSL – in this time, they have won 10 more points than any other side (55).

Khadija Shaw's double handed them a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on their last league outing, taking her to 15 goals in 13 WSL matches in 2024, seven more than any other player and more than two ever-present clubs (Leicester City with 12 and West Ham with 14) have managed.

City are overwhelming favourites, winning 84% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, while Villa have just a 5.9% chance of earning their first win of the season, having started with two draws and two defeats. A draw is given a 10.1% likelihood. 

LIVERPOOL V CRYSTAL PALACE

Liverpool's own unbeaten start was halted by City last time out, but they are favourites to get back on track against a Palace team with one win and three defeats to their name.

The Reds' win probability is a hefty 63.3%, with Palace given a 17.2% chance and 19.5% of the match simulations finishing all square. 

Liverpool should be wary, however, as they won 10 straight games against newly promoted opposition in the WSL between 2016 and 2018 but have since only won two of six matches against such opponents (one draw, three losses).

Palace, meanwhile, earned their first WSL win at Leicester last time out on the road. The only two promoted teams to win as many as two of their first three away WSL matches are Tottenham in 2019 and Villa in 2020.

WEST HAM V ARSENAL

The biggest story to emerge from the WSL this week came from north London, as Arsenal parted company with Eidevall after taking just five points from four WSL matches.

Only once have the Gunners had fewer points through their first four matches of a WSL season, picking up a solitary point from their first four outings in 2014. They did, though, beat Valerenga in midweek for a winning start under interim boss Slegers.

Arsenal have won nine of their 11 games against West Ham in the WSL, but only one of the last three (one draw, one loss). However, the supercomputer still gives them a whopping 73.3% chance of travelling back across the capital three points better off.

West Ham, meanwhile, are on the longest current winless run in the WSL (13 games – six draws, seven defeats), since they beat Arsenal 2-1 back in February. The Hammers have not scored more than once in a single match in that run.

They are given an 11.7% chance of adding to the Gunners' woes with another memorable victory, and a 15% chance of holding their opponents to a draw.

LEICESTER CITY V EVERTON

Along with West Ham and Villa, Leicester and Everton are the remaining two sides still waiting on their first victory of the WSL season. Will either team change that on Sunday?

The supercomputer makes this fixture the toughest to call on matchday five, with Leicester given a 35.2% chance of victory to Everton's 38.8%. The draw threat is at 26%.

The Foxes will have to overcome their goalscoring woes to have any chance of a result, though. Since hammering Bristol City 5-2 in February, Leicester have scored just six goals in 12 WSL matches, failing to net in each of their last three matches.

Everton, meanwhile, have failed to score with any of their 37 shots in the WSL this season – their one goal came via an own goal from West Ham's Camila Saez. Neutrals might be best advised not to expect a thriller.

CHELSEA V TOTTENHAM

The weekend's action is rounded off at Kingsmeadow, as Sonia Bompastor looks to continue her perfect start to life in the Chelsea dugout against Tottenham.

Bompastor is looking to become only the third manager to win her first four WSL matches in charge, along with David Parker (with Birmingham City in 2011) and Eidevall (with Arsenal in 2021).

Including stoppage time, Chelsea have spent 73.7% of their time on the field in winning positions in the WSL this season, the second-highest percentage behind United (75.8%). However, the Blues have faced more shots than they've attempted (30 vs 29) when leading, whereas last season they had 137 more shots than their opponents when winning.

Tottenham may not be equipped to take advantage, though. They have shipped the most goals in the WSL since matchday two (eight) after keeping a clean sheet against Crystal Palace on the opening day.

They are given a measly 5.4% chance of causing an upset, and a 9.5% chance of earning a draw. Chelsea's 85.1% win probability is the highest of any team this weekend. 

Gareth Taylor said "lessons would be learned" from Manchester City's Women's Champions League win over St. Polten on Wednesday. 

Having beaten reigning champions Barcelona last week, Alanna Kennedy got City off to a fast start with a fine strike from distance that cannoned in off the post. 

However, Melanie Brunnthaler and Kamila Dubcova handed the Norwegian side the lead, only for Aoba Fujino and Mary Fowler to seal the triumph for City at the Generali Arena. 

The visitors ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.18 from their 17 shots, though only seven of their attempts were on target. 

And ahead of their Women's Super League clash with Aston Villa this weekend, Taylor is hoping his players will learn from underestimating an opponent. 

"I'm just really pleased to get the three points," he said. "I thought it was a difficult game on a really difficult pitch, people at home might not have realised that," Taylor said. 

"You could see how bobbly it was, so we couldn't really play centrally and the space was out wide.

"It took us a while to recognise that, but when we did we switched the play multiple times and really caused them problems.

"I think it was a bit of a lesson learned. When you play teams like Polten, people expect an easy three points; these games certainly aren't."

"It was a hell of a hit," he said. "To be honest, I wasn't sure when she took the strike it was the right call, but she proved me wrong," Taylor said. 

Taylor was also surprised it was Kennedy who opened the scoring in stunning fashion, with the defender netting her only her second goal since her move from Tottenham in 2021. 

"It was a hell of a hit," he said. "To be honest, I wasn't sure when she took the strike it was the right call, but she proved me wrong," Taylor said. 

"She set herself nicely, and we should've had more. We missed some chances to increase our lead and that's what can happen if you don't take them.

"You leave yourself susceptible to a couple of set plays which we needed to deal with better. But we made some changes and then obviously it was nice to go and win the game.

"I liked what we did at the end of the game as well in controlling the final ten minutes. It's important and not easy to do because they were an energetic team who pressed hard."

Arsenal also claimed a victory on Wednesday, earning their first triumph in the competition after a humbling defeat to Bayern Munich in their opening game. 

The Gunners swept aside Valerenga at the Emirates, with Emily Fox, Caitlin Foord, Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo on target. 

It marked the first win of a new era at the club following Jonas Eidevall's departure earlier in the week. The Swede ended his three-year tenure shortly after their league defeat to Chelsea. 

And despite a “hectic” couple of days, interim boss Renee Slegers thought her team handled the disruption in the perfect manner.

“There have been a lot of emotions,” Slegers said. “I have always respected Jonas a lot and I have always enjoyed working with him.

“I think he did good things for the club for three or four years. I was sad and many others are too.

“It has been about managing emotions and trying to stick to the task ahead of us and what we needed to do to perform. It has been a couple of hectic days.”

The Dutch coach could not fault her squad’s togetherness, noting that they organised a meeting after Eidevall’s announcement to discuss the “drastic” news.

“I am happy for them and credit to them. They also got together yesterday and felt that they need to step up and I think that is what you see today on the pitch,” said Slegers.

“All credit to the team, you don’t want this drastic thing to happen to them and for them to get into this self-reflection moment, but I think it was good they did it, and now it is about maintaining that.”

Arsenal began life after Jonas Eidevall by getting their Women's Champions League campaign back on track with a 4-1 victory over Valerenga.

Eidevall resigned as the Gunners' head coach on Tuesday after three years in charge, following a poor start to the 2024-25 season.

Nevertheless, with interim boss Renee Slegers taking over, Arsenal bounced back on Wednesday with a comfortable win at Emirates Stadium.

Just two minutes had elapsed when Emily Fox slotted home the opener, while Alessio Russo was denied by the offside flag soon after.

The hosts made it 2-0 on 29 minutes when Mariona Caldentey powered through the middle of the park before finding Beth Mead, whose deflected shot was parried by the goalkeeper, and subsequently tucked away by Caitlin Foord at the far post.

However, a lapse in concentration allowed Valerenga to pull a goal back before the break, Olaug Tvedten halving the deficit after pouncing on Laia Codina's mistake.

The Gunners gave themselves breathing space five minutes from time, as a neat move culminated in Stina Blackstenius crossing for Caldentey, who fired into the roof of the net.

Caldentey was involved again as Arsenal added further gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, her precise pass releasing Russo to slot home through the legs of Valerenga goalkeeper Tove Enblom, with the Gunners comfortably ensuring their run of never losing their opening two matches of a Champions League campaign continued.

Meanwhile, reigning champions Barcelona bounced back from their matchday one defeat to Manchester City with an emphatic 9-0 rout of Hammarby, in their first meeting in the competition with the Swedish side.

Barca had won all nine of their previous home group-stage matches in the competition, and eased into a 3-0 half-time lead with Caroline Hansen, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas on target.

Pina and Hansen doubled up after the break, while there were further strikes from Mapi Leon, Ewa Pajor and Esmee Brugts, as well as a last-minute Fridolina Rolfo penalty.

Barca finished with 5.84 expected goals (xG) to Hammarby's 0.44, and 33 shots to seven.

Arsenal interim manager Renee Slegers revealed that she was shocked when she heard that head coach Jonas Eidevall had stepped down from his role at the club on Tuesday.

Slegers has been the assistant coach with the Gunners since September 2023, having previously taken over from Eidevall as head coach at Rosengard in Sweden.

After following him to north London, she will once again step into his role - albeit on a temporary basis - but she made it clear that it was a surprise to find that out, and has sympathy for him.

“I spoke to him yesterday afternoon and was shocked by the news,” she said in her first press conference in her new role ahead of their Champions League match at home to Valeranga on Wednesday.

“I was very sad because he has been a good leader for the staff and I worked with him before in Sweden and we worked really well together. I am very sad that it got to this point.”

Eidevall’s departure came after a poor start to the 2024-25 season, with Arsenal sixth in the WSL table having won just one of their opening four matches.

They were also beaten 5-2 by Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League game of the campaign.

But despite their sticky start, Slegers was adamant that it should not define Eidevall's three-year stint at the club.

"I feel a lot of respect for him, he has been very resilient for a long time,” she said. “He has been working incredibly hard for a long time so all I feel is respect for him."

On taking over the job itself, the interim head coach said that she was happy to do it, but drew more attention to the games ahead than her chances of getting it full-time.

"When I got the question yesterday I felt that if this is how we need to go forward then I am happy to do it,” she said.

“I care about the team, I care about the players. I have been here for a year now and it’s a massive club, so I am happy to help.

"Right now I just need to focus on these next two games which are very important for us. The future, I am not so concerned about right now."

Arsenal interim manager Renee Slegers admitted that she was shocked when she heard that head coach Jonas Eidevall had stepped down from his role at the club on Tuesday.

Slegers has been the assistant coach with the Gunners since September 2023, having previously taken over from Eidevall as head coach at Rosengard in Sweden.

After following him to north London, she will once again step into his role - albeit on a temporary basis - but she made it clear that it was a surprise to find that out, and has sympathy for him.

“I spoke to him yesterday afternoon and was shocked by the news,” she said in her first press conference in her new role ahead of their Champions League match at home to Valeranga on Wednesday.

“I was very sad because he has been a good leader for the staff and I worked with him before in Sweden and we worked really well together. I am very sad that it got to this point.”

Eidevall’s departure came after a poor start to the 2024-25 season, with Arsenal sixth in the WSL table having won just one of their opening four matches.

They were also beaten 5-2 by Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League game of the campaign.

But despite their sticky start, Slegers was adamant that it should not define Eidevall’s three-year stint at the club.

"I feel a lot of respect for him, he has been very resilient for a long time,” she said. “He has been working incredibly hard for a long time so all I feel is respect for him."

On taking over the job itself, the interim head coach said that she was happy to do it, but drew more attention to the games ahead than her chances of getting it full-time.

"When I got the question yesterday I felt that if this is how we need to go forward then I am happy to do it,” she said.

“I care about the team, I care about the players. I have been here for a year now and it’s a massive club, so I am happy to help.

"Right now I just need to focus on these next two games which are very important for us. The future, I am not so concerned about right now."

After a dramatic and turbulent start to the season, Arsenal are now looking for a new head coach following the departure of Jonas Eidevall.

Eidevall resigned as the pressure mounted before reaching an untenable level this week. The Swedish coach has been with the club since 2021, winning two League Cups in his tenure.

Arsenal have had an underwhelming start to the 2024-25 campaign, to say the least, winning only one of four games in the Women's Super League. The Gunners were humiliated in Europe, losing 5-2 to Bayern Munich in their opening game of the Women's Champions League group stages.

However, the tale of Eidevall's demise reaches back further than just the poor start to this campaign, and there have been a number of factors that have led up to this poor run.

Arsenal fans would have been optimistic at the beginning of last season, off the back of a 2022-23 campaign that saw them narrowly defeated by Wolfsburg in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They also won the Women's League Cup for the sixth time in the club's history.

But that optimism turned sour with an early elimination in the qualifiers of the Champions League, with the Gunners going down to Paris FC. It left Eidevall only competing for domestic trophies last term. They did win a second consecutive League Cup under his guidance but failed to keep pace with Chelsea and Manchester City in the league, trailing five points behind the top two.

Recruitment in Eidevall's time has also been a controversial topic, and the biggest controversy of them all came at the end of last season when the WSL's all-time leading goalscorer Vivianne Miedema, who plundered 125 goals for the Gunners in all competitions, left on a free transfer. And she joined would-be title rivals Man City.

Such a big decision meant Eidevall needed a strong start, or questions would naturally be asked. But instead, he is now out of a job.

Seven Days of Football Hell

Football is full of fine margins, and while Eidevall may have fallen victim to a poor run of results, the numbers suggest his side should have done much better.

Starting at home to Everton on October 6, when the Gunners could only muster a draw against the struggling, injury-ravaged Toffees

The story of Arsenal's season so far was highlighted in this game, as their inability to convert chances cost them. They racked up 21 shots. Frida Maanum attempted seven of them alone, the joint-highest total for a player in the WSL this season. Yet they could not break the deadlock.

Confident this was a blip, Arsenal headed into their midweek clash with Bayern Munich looking for a result to give them the uptick in confidence they needed.

On the face of it, a 5-2 defeat may have seemed a harsh outcome, given that Bayern only marginally edged the expected goals (xG), generating 1.89 to Arsenal's 1.57. Then again, Bayern only had 10 shots, and Manuela Zinsberger conceded from half of them.

But to truly tell the story of the game, we must look at the difference between the two halves. Arsenal took the lead and had full control of the opening period, limiting Bayern to three shots and an xG of just 0.17. Indeed, the Gunners would have been ahead at half-time had home goalkeeper Maria Grohs not made three fine saves. Bayern captain Glodis Viggosdottir struck two minutes before half-time from a superb Georgia Stanway assist. That strike had only an 8% chance of finding the net, but find the net it did.

It ultimately was a familiar tale for Eidevall's Arsenal. They create chances, but cannot take advantage, and the pressure really was on when Chelsea visited Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

A 2-1 defeat was ultimately the final nail in Eidevall's coffin.

Two early goals for Sonia Bompastor's team left Arsenal fighting an uphill battle, and while their spirit was admirable, it once again was not enough.

Caitlin Foord reduced the deficit before half-time, and it is fair to say Arsenal were unlucky not to score more against Chelsea. Their 2.62 xG is the highest total across their four league matches so far, ahead of the 2.24 they accumulated against Man City in September.

Arsenal had 20 shots, but only got four of them on target – Chelsea, on the flip side, hit the target with six of their 11 attempts.

The Gunners hit the woodwork and created four big chances, defined as an opportunity from which a player would reasonably be expected to score, but they could not make the most of them and ultimately allowed three going the other way.

Eidevall's team had 46 touches in Chelsea's area, whereas the Blues had 19 in the Gunners' 18-yard box. Another tale of not being able to make the chances count.

Since the start of last season, only Man City (68) and Chelsea (81) have scored more WSL goals than Arsenal (57), while the Gunners' 62.5 xG ranks behind only the Blues' 64.9.

In fact, no team has had more shots in that time than Arsenal (503), though their 161 shots on target is tied for third with Tottenham, and way behind Chelsea's 200 and Man City's 206.

Arsenal have underperformed their xG by 5.5. Man City (+11.3), Chelsea (+16.1), and even outside title bets Manchester United (+8.5) and Liverpool (+10.4) have all outperformed their xG, showing a clinical level of finishing that the Gunners have lacked.

Finishing has been a problem, as evidenced by an 11.33% shot conversion rate, which ranks seventh out of the 13 teams to have competed in the league since the start of last term. Chelsea, in comparison, have converted 16.98% of their attempts.

Only Chelsea (96) have had more big chances than Arsenal (86), but the Gunners again drop down to joint-third when it comes to scoring them, putting away 31. That 36% big chance conversion rate ranks joint-second poorest, alongside Spurs, and ahead of only Everton (27.27%).

Eidevall by the Numbers

Eidevall was always going to have a tough act to follow, replacing Joe Montemurro, who lifted the WSL title in 2018-19, wrestling it away from the grasp of Chelsea and Emma Hayes, stopping their steamroller of success.

That feat was impressive at the time but has aged particularly well, as the Blues have gone on to lift the title every season since then.

Eidevall oversaw 120 matches in all competitions, winning 80 – that is more wins than any other manager in Arsenal's history.

His 66.67% win ratio in all competitions ranks second out of Arsenal's managers to have overseen at least five games, behind only Montemurro (75% - 78/104).

Eidevall, like his immediate predecessor, has managed 70 WSL games while at Arsenal, winning 49 of those – 70%. He has suffered just 11 defeats.

Meanwhile, of ever-present WSL teams since Eidevall took over, only Chelsea (45) have conceded fewer goals than Arsenal (50), and the Blues are also the only side to lose fewer matches (seven, compared to the Gunners' 11 defeats).

So, it is fair to say, Eidevall had his team right up there. In fact, only six managers in the WSL's history (not including the Spring Series), have overseen more games during one spell at a single club than the 41-year-old – Emma Hayes (204 – Chelsea), Kelly Chambers (134 – Reading), Nick Cushing (96 – Man City), Gareth Taylor (92 – Man City), David Parker (86 – Birmingham City) and Hope Powell (85 – Brighton).

Meanwhile, Eidevall's 70% win ratio in the WSL is the sixth-best of any boss to oversee at least 10 games in the competition, after Montemurro (75.71% - 53/70), Taylor (73.91% - 68/92), Harvey (71.43% - 20/28), Kerr (71.43% - 10/4) and Hayes (71.08%).

It was fitting, perhaps, that a defeat to Chelsea marked the end for Eidevall. Across his seven WSL meetings with the Blues, he only managed one win, finishing on the losing side three times. He managed better against Man City – he beat Taylor's team on four occasions, and only suffered one defeat.

It was a similar story against London rivals Tottenham, with Arsenal coming out with a record of W4 D1 L1 from six WSL matches.

With career numbers such as these, he may feel slightly aggrieved to be in the position he finds himself now, but crucially those accomplishments were not enough to stem the tide of mounting pressure around his side's underperformance.

Only one team has won the WSL title after winning just one of their opening four matches, and that was Liverpool in 2014 (W1 D3), and their early-season dip has seen the odds stack against them in terms of a potential title charge.

Ahead of the season, Arsenal had a 16.1% chance of winning the title – that has now plummeted to just 1.4%.

Opta's supercomputer made third place the most likely position for Arsenal (37%) prior to the campaign. The model now forecasts Arsenal to finish fourth, with a 43.8% chance of doing so – it gives them an 11.9% chance of finishing second, while the likelihood of them coming third is still a relatively high 34.5%.

Arsenal's season is still salvageable, and even though Eidevall has officially resigned, the club's board may have had to act regardless sooner rather than later.

Out in the Cold

It has been a tale of underperformance of a team that has all the ability to challenge for trophies both domestically and in Europe. Arsenal's rich history of success and pioneering teams of the past leave fans and the clubs' expectations high.

After a decade of unprecedented success, Chelsea and Hayes have forced their rivals to perform at the top level and anything less than perfect has meant Arsenal playing the bridesmaid to the Blues in recent years.

Eidevall may have had more success in his time if the team had not been hit by significant injuries to key players such as Beth Mead, Miedema, captain Leah Williamson and others, who would have made the difference in games such as that painful Champions League semi-final defeat to Wolfsburg.

There has also been scrutiny over the transfer policy under Eidevall, and Miedema might have proved the final straw in that regard. The Dutchwoman swiftly came back to haunt her old club when she netted against them in the opening game of the season, extending her record tally to 81 WSL goals.

She has also been crucial in the Champions League, where her big game experience proved key in helping Man City secure a 2-0 defeat of current champions Barcelona, and set up City's first goal in that tie. Her composure and ability to create for her team-mates is certainly something Arsenal have been lacking.

Eidevall's team selections have also been a consistent sticking point. With such talent at his disposal as Mariona Caldentey, Stina Blackstenius, Alessia Russo, Mead and Maanum, Foord and Rosa Kafaji, he has been unable to get the balance right.

Big signings such as Russo have not met expectations, and she has struggled to spark this term. She is yet to score in the WSL from nine shots. Her xGoT drops to 0.4 from 1.3 xG, showing her finishing has been below par.

The new manager will need to find a way to get these players gelling in front of goal, while between the sticks Arsenal must commit to a number one they can truly trust.

Since the start of last season, Sabrina D'Angelo and Zinsberger have slightly underperformed when it comes to preventing goals, based on Opta's xGoT model.

D'Angelo, who has only played four WSL matches since the start of last season, has helped the Gunners keep two clean sheets, but in those two other games, she conceded three times (excluding own goals) from an xGoT conceded of 2.76.

Zinsberger has played 19 WSL games in that time and conceded 19 goals from 18.0 xGoT conceded.

However, Eidevall did make a positive move this summer to bring in Daphne van Domselaar, and she has overperformed so far, keeping out two goals more than would have been anticipated (two goals conceded from 4.0 xGoT conceded), albeit only across a small sample size of three games. Sticking with her may be the best option for Eidevall's replacement.

While some misfortune in the early weeks of this season may have hastened his exit, it has increasingly seemed like the time might be right for a change at Arsenal.

Eidevall will ultimately walk away from the Gunners with his head held high, but he will also be rueing what might have been as he hands over one of Europe's most talented squads at a time when there are more eyes on women's football than ever before.

Jonas Eidevall has called time on his spell as Arsenal head coach after an underwhelming start to the campaign.

The Gunners have been tipped as title contenders in the Women's Super League this season, yet they have won just one of their opening four matches.

They also went down 5-2 to Bayern Munich in their first Women's Champions League group stage match last week, before losing 2-1 to Chelsea to suffer their first loss of the WSL season.

A bad week that started with a draw against struggling Everton and ended with that loss to Chelsea at Emirates Stadium has ultimately signalled the end of Eidevall's tenure.

Arsenal confirmed on Tuesday that the Swede, who was appointed in June 2021 and has overseen 120 matches in all competitions, had resigned.

Renee Slegers, the first team assistant coach, will take over in the interim until Arsenal, who face Valerenga on Wednesday before taking on West Ham on Sunday, confirm their next permanent appointment.

Gunners sporting director Edu said: "We thank Jonas for his commitment to the club and achievements here since joining us in 2021. We have great respect for the dedication and commitment he showed to our women’s first team and recognise the role he has played in the growth and development of Arsenal Women. 

"We all wish him the very best for the future. Our focus will now turn to the process of appointing a new head coach, and in the meantime, supporting Renee, as she takes interim charge of the team starting with two important fixtures this week."

Eidevall led Arsenal to back-to-back Women's League Cup titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24, as well as finishing second in the WSL in his first season, and third in each of the past two campaigns.

The 41-year-old won 80 matches in all competitions, for a win ratio of 66.67%.

In the WSL, he picked up an average of 2.24 points per game from 70 matches. Of the five Arsenal bosses to oversee at least 10 fixtures in the competition, that points per game average is the fourth-lowest, ahead of only Pedro Martinez Losa (1.94).

On Saturday, in the defeat to Chelsea, Eidevall matched his predecessor Joe Montemurro as the Arsenal manager with the most games in the WSL. 

Eidevall's team scored 171 goals, winning 49 games (70%). Since he took over at Arsenal, only Man City (178) and Chelsea (209) have scored more goals than the Gunners.

Meanwhile, of ever-present WSL teams in that time, only Chelsea (45) have conceded fewer goals than Arsenal (50), and the Blues are also the only side to lose fewer matches (seven, compared to the Gunners' 11 defeats). 

Jonas Eidevall failed to concede Arsenal's hopes of winning the Women's Super League title after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the Emirates on Saturday. 

The defeat leaves Arsenal in sixth place in the early-season standings having taken just five points from their opening four games of the season. 

Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore handed the visitors a two-goal advantage early on, with Caitlin Foord's fine individual effort before half-time proving to be just a consolation. 

It brought an end to a dismal week for Eidevall, having watched his side lose their Champions League opener 5-2 to Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

"It certainly doesn't help, but as I said before, the only way is to go game by game," Eidevall said on his side's hopes of winning the title after their poor start to the campaign. 

"We are disappointed with the result and the start today, but I am very proud of the heart that the players showed."

But following Chelsea's first two goals, it was Arsenal who were in the ascendency, creating the better of the chances in north London but failing to make them count. 

The Gunners registered 20 attempts during the contest, but only four of which were on target, rarely troubling visiting goalkeeper Hannah Hampton for the most part. 

Though Arsenal find themselves already four points behind the early-season pacesetters, Eidevall still believes he is still the right man to lead the Gunners forward. 

"I gave my absolute everything. You can see that the players certainly gave everything on the pitch too, and that is the thing you can control," Eidevall said. 

"I think the way that the players played with the heart on the pitch, I can't ask for anything more," he added when asked if he had the backing of his players. 

"It showed in the way that they played that they were giving their absolute everything on the pitch."

Chelsea, meanwhile, continued their fine start under Sonia Bompastor, building on their impressive win against Real Madrid in midweek with a triumph over their fierce rivals. 

But it was anything but comfortable for the Blues, who managed an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.35 from their efforts during the second half. 

"For sure it was a tough game, we were expecting that. It's always good to win, three points are three points," Bompastor said.

"But I wish my team were able to play the ball better in the second half. The quality of the players we have, we should be able to produce more.

"Good moments, we need to enjoy them and have fun."

Sonia Bompastor continued her perfect start to life as Chelsea head coach after sealing a 2-1 win over London rivals Arsenal, piling more pressure on Jonas Eidevall. 

In an end-to-end encounter that the Gunners dominated for the majority, goals from Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore sealed a sixth victory of the season for Chelsea. 

The Blues opened the scoring in the fourth minute after Arsenal failed to clear Baltimore's corner, with Millie Bright flicking the ball on to Ramirez, who hooked it over her shoulder and in. 

A dominant start was further rewarded 12 minutes later when Lauren James skipped to the byline before standing the ball up at the back post for Baltimore to nod beyond Daphne van Domselaar from close range. 

But Arsenal grew into the contest after going two goals down, claiming their just rewards two minutes before the interval when Caitlin Foord broke into the Chelsea box before curling an effort in off the far post to hand the hosts a lifeline. 

The Gunners felt they should have had a penalty early in the second half when James barged Lotte Wubben-Moy off the ball as they continued to mount pressure on the Blues' backline. 

And they almost snatched a point late on when Katie McCabe picked out Stina Blackstenius, with the Swede sending a strike crashing off the crossbar as Chelsea held on in the closing stages to seal an already huge victory in the title race.

Data Debrief: Blues not brilliant, but win again

Chelsea continued their excellent start under Bompastor in the Women's Super League but struggled in the second half against Arsenal's endless wave of pressure. 

The Blues ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.98 from their 11 shots compared to Arsenal's 2.74 from their 20 attempts on Hannah Hampton's goal.

Arsenal's Alessia Russo was perhaps the most guilty of spurning her side's best opportunities, ending the encounter with more shots on target (four) and touches in the opposition box (12) than any other player on the pitch. 

Arsenal are "envious" of the era of dominance over the Women's Super League enjoyed by rivals Chelsea, admitted Katie McCabe ahead of Saturday's derby between the sides.

Chelsea have won five straight WSL crowns, edging out Manchester City on goal difference last season to give Emma Hayes a triumphant send-off before she joined the United States.

Now under the stewardship of former Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea are the only team in the WSL with a perfect record this term, winning their opening two matches before seeing last week's clash with Manchester United postponed.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have already played out home draws with Man City and Everton, ramping up the pressure ahead of Saturday's game at the Emirates Stadium.

Asked by reporters how it felt to see Arsenal's rivals dominate year after year, full-back McCabe said: "It always hurts.

"You want that to be you. You are in a team sport to be lifting trophies with your team-mates.

"Of course you are envious of them being successful. What we can do is focus on ourselves and put one foot in front of the other. Hopefully, by the end of the season, that will be us."

While Chelsea approach this weekend's headline fixture as favourites, they were trounced 4-1 in this exact game last December, with Alessio Russo scoring twice in one of just three league defeats the Blues suffered all campaign.

Looking back at that victory, McCabe said: "We take those moments as positives and bring it in and really instil that winning mentality into the team.

"We already did it last year, so it's not a new thing for us. It is about controlling ourselves, controlling our gameplan and what we want to do in the game and applying it."

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor says the Blues are focusing purely on their own form as they bid to continue their flawless start to her reign against Arsenal.

Taking over from legendary boss Emma Hayes, Bompastor has overseen back-to-back Women's Super League wins over Aston Villa (1-0) and Crystal Palace (7-0).

The Blues saw their matchday three fixture versus Manchester United postponed last week, but a victory over rivals Arsenal in Saturday's lone WSL game would take them top of the table.

Arsenal were tipped as candidates to end Chelsea's five-year reign at the summit of the English game in pre-season, only to draw two of their opening three matches, but Bompastor is not concerned with others' results.

"The players are really focused on themselves and on the team. I just want them to stay focused on the job we have to do. We prepare for every game in such a professional way," Bompastor said.

"For me, Arsenal is no different from the other teams we have been facing, so we focus on ourselves. 

"We know what we need to do tomorrow to get a good result and a great performance, that's it. This game is worth three points, the same as the other ones. 

"Of course it's a derby, a special game in that way, but it's just three points in the end. We have our ambitions, our goals, and this game will bring three points if we are able to win, that's it. I'm just focused on my team and what we need to do."

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four home meetings with Chelsea in the WSL (two wins, two draws), but they have not won back-to-back home games against them since June 2013 (a run of three in a row).

They meet a Blues side in fine goalscoring form, winning their last five WSL games by an aggregate scoreline of 23-0 in a run dating back to Hayes' reign, though they have not won six straight league matches without conceding since April 2021.

Bompastor added: "We feel great. We had the last training session this afternoon and the weather was perfect, we really enjoyed it! The team is in a really good dynamic so we feel good.

"We played on Tuesday and we had a good result. We were able to manage the week the way we wanted to and I think we are ready for tomorrow, a big game and a derby."

It is only matchweek four in the Women's Super League but the big games are coming thick and fast.

And Saturday's meeting between Arsenal and reigning champions Chelsea is big, with a capital 'B'.

Arsenal welcome Chelsea to Emirates Stadium for a match that will give fans an early indication of whether the Gunners are really title contenders this season.

It has been an indifferent start to the campaign for Arsenal, who faced last year's runners-up Manchester City on the opening day. That ended in a 2-2 draw, in which Vivianne Miedema netted a first-half equaliser, the first blow inflicted against her former club after a transfer Jonas Eidevall may live to regret.

Arsenal then won a tight game away to Leicester City 1-0 but were held to a draw by struggling Everton.

The Gunners have also played an extra game than their opponents heading into Saturday, as Chelsea's match with Manchester United was cancelled due to its proximity to their Champions League meeting with Real Madrid to their WSL fixture.

Chelsea, who beat Madrid in that aforementioned game, have started like a rocket under new boss Sonia Bompastor, taking maximum points from their opening two WSL matches.

The Blues have scored eight goals in two games, with seven different players scoring. Although it is not quite the same style of play as it was under Emma Hayes, they look well set to continue their domestic dominance.

Chelsea inflicted a 7-0 rout on newcomers Crystal Palace in matchweek two, following on from a tense 1-0 win over Aston Villa. Bompastor is therefore aiming to become the fourth manager to win each of their first three games in the WSL. The previous three are David Parker (2011 with Birmingham City), Rehanne Skinner (2021 with Tottenham) and, coincidentally, Eidevall in 2021.

Both teams have played in Europe this week as they began their group-stage campaigns in the Women's Champions League. While Chelsea edged out Madrid 3-2 in a thriller, Arsenal were humbled 5-2 by Bayern Munich.

Eidevall has been critical of the hectic schedule, feeling the WSL calendar puts English clubs at a disadvantage when they play in European competition. Saturday's game could well be a test of which of these teams have dealt with the demands better.

The heat is on

Arsenal's inability to grind out the wins in crucial games last season left them trailing behind Chelsea and Man City in the run-in and only really playing for third spot. This term, Eidevall has made some changes he thought could improve their chances.

Reinforcements included a Champions League winner with Barcelona, Mariona Caldentey.

However, the World Cup winner is yet to record a league goal contribution this season since her arrival from the Catalan giants, despite leading the way for open-play shot-ending sequences in Arsenal's squad (17).

However, she has registered 1.04 expected assists (xA) – that is the third-highest total in the WSL, behind Man City star Lauren Hemp (1.24) and Liverpool's Marie-Therese Hobinger (1.37).

Indeed, it is again only that duo that can better Caldentey's tally of six chances created.

And despite a poor night for Arsenal in Munich, one of the positives to come from the game was the Spaniard's performance.

Caldentey opened the scoring, had a team-high three shots, and most importantly they all came from inside the box. Despite playing as a forward, a position where it can be hard to see much of the ball, only Leah Williamson (102) and Laia Codina (79) had more touches than her 74 among Arsenal players.

With Caldentey still eyeing her first WSL goal, last season's headline signing Alessia Russo has struggled for form too.

Russo averaged 4.1 shots per 90 last season, but that figure is down to 2.5 this term across her three games. Squandering both big chances that have come her way in the WSL, her expected goals on target (xGoT) of 0.31 compared to her 0.62 expected goals (xG) also shows her finishing has been slightly below par.

However, her rate of touches in the opposition box per 90 is 7.9, up from 7.1 in 2023-24, while she is creating chances on a consistent basis in line with last year, too (1.5 per 90 across both seasons, albeit across a small sample size this season).

This may be the game she sparks into life, as Russo has scored four goals in six WSL appearances against Chelsea, including netting two in two matches against the Blues when she has been playing for the Gunners.

Gunning for goals

The pressure is on Eidevall to find solutions with what is a talented group. 

While Chelsea have been free-scoring in the opening weeks of the season, they have also been clinical. The Blues are the WSL's leading scorers, though they are also the biggest xG overperformers, too, outperforming their 3.9 xG by 4.1 and converting all three of the big chances that have come their way.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have scored just three goals in as many matches. In fact, their 1.4 xG underperformance is the second highest, after Man City's 2.0 (five goals from 7.0 xG). The Gunners have had 47 shots, an average of 15.6 per game, and less than only Villa (48) and Man City (57). Arsenal's shot conversion rate (6.38%) is the fourth-lowest in the WSL, however.

The Gunners must be more ruthless in front of goal. They have had 11 big chances in the WSL this term, yet scored just three of them – that 27.27% big chance conversion rate is higher than only strugglers Everton (0%), West Ham (0%) and Leicester City (20%).

The departure of the WSL's leading all-time goalscorer Miedema angered Arsenal fans at the end of last season, and their lack of potency in front of goal so far has only added to the pressure mounting on Eidevall.

Arsenal may be low in confidence, and some Gunners players endured a difficult game against Bayern, but the same cannot be said for captain Williamson. 

She produced an all-action performance against Bayern and jumped off the page when it comes to many of the headline metrics. She had the best figures of anyone on the pitch for touches (102), accurate passes (77), passes in the final third (24), final third entries (19) and clearances (six), while also playing two key passes.

Frida Maanum has caught the eye, too. She has already netted twice in the WSL, while her 1.04 xG is the highest of any Arsenal player. Her 1.96 xGoT meanwhile, suggests, her finishing has been above what would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances she has taken on.

Only Khadija Shaw (25) has logged more touches in the opposition box than Maanum (18), with the Norwegian level with her former team-mate Miedema.

Bompastor's Va-Va-Voom

There is a different kind of pressure on Bompastor, but she has made a fantastic start to her tenure after replacing the legendary Hayes.

However, she has managed to put her own stamp on this Chelsea side, utilising players in different ways and bringing out the best of the old squad while making smart additions.

One of the standout players so far has been Guru Reiten.

Bompastor has a wealth of attacking talent at her disposal, including Sandy Baltimore, Mayra Ramirez, Lauren James and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, so Reiten has taken on a more central role.

The Norwegian has spent just 2% of her minutes on the wing this season – 47% of her minutes have been spent in an attacking midfield position, but she has mainly been deployed in a central midfield role.

Last season, she spent just 5% of her time as a central midfielder, with 92% of the minutes she clocked up being spent on the left wing, and 3% at left-back. She has been the most prolific player for Chelsea, scoring twice, and is tied for third for goals scored in the league in 2024-25.

Reiten, who scored in Tuesday's win over Madrid, has thrived with the positional switch, and has registered the second-highest xG in Chelsea's squad in the league (0.58), behind James (0.95).

Bompastor will hope goalkeeper Hannah Hampton is fit after she had to pull out of the Madrid game due to illness. Hampton has saved all seven of the shots on target she has faced this season.

Two other goalkeepers - Manchester United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce (5/5 shots saved) and Arsenal's Daphne van Domselaar (4/4 shots saved) also have a 100% save percentage this term in the WSL.

Hampton is the last line of a solid defence. Chelsea's xG against (xGA) of 1.33 suggests they have been somewhat fortunate not to give up at least a goal, but their tally of 18 shots faced is the second-lowest in the league, albeit they have only played twice.

Millie Bright spent most of last season out with injury and her return has been like a new signing in defence. She has won 12 duels across the two WSL matches she has played this term – more than any other Chelsea player. An actual new signing, Lucy Bronze, has also proved an excellent addition. 

Head-to-head

Chelsea won 3-1 the last time they met Arsenal in the WSL, and will be aiming to win back-to-back league matches against the Gunners for the first time since January 2020.

The Blues have won two of the last three WSL meetings between these sides (3-1 in March 2024, 2-0 in May 2023), though Arsenal beat Chelsea 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.

The Gunners also beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Women's League Cup final in March, so there are recent successes to draw on for the hosts.

Eidevall and Bompastor have met twice previously, with both of those games coming in the 2022-23 Champions League group stage: Arsenal beat Lyon 5-1 – inflicting Bompastor's biggest defeat of her managerial career – before losing 1-0 in the return leg.

Eidevall is in desperate need of a result at the Emirates. He has had the beating of Bompastor once before and will need to draw on that experience to find a way past what looks like an unstoppable Chelsea side. If he cannot, then Arsenal's title hopes could already be dwindling before the season has really begun.

Having played a game less than Man City, Chelsea are a point behind the WSL leaders.

The Blues are made the favourites by the Opta supercomputer, which ranks their win probability at 42%. 

Arsenal, on the other hand, came out on top in 32.5% of the model's simulations, so expect a tight encounter, with the draw threat at 25.5%. While they are unbeaten in the WSL this term, it really does feel like Eidevall needs a win to ease some doubts.

Matchday four of the Women's Super League promises drama, with key matches taking place at both ends of the table.

Chelsea are back in WSL action after having their match against Manchester United postponed due to a fixture clash last weekend, and kick off the weekend against fellow title challengers, Arsenal, who are looking to recover from a slightly underwhelming start to the season.

On Sunday, Brighton, who were tipped as relegation favourites at the start of the campaign, are looking to build on their emphatic start against promoted Crystal Palace, who got their first-ever WSL win against Leicester City last weekend.

Elsewhere, Man United meet Tottenham for the first time since their FA Cup triumph in May as they try to close the gap to current leaders Manchester City, who take on Liverpool.

Aston Villa face Leicester City, and Everton host West Ham, with all four teams still searching for their first win of the campaign.

But who does the Opta supercomputer predict will come out on top in this round?

ARSENAL V CHELSEA

The blockbuster clash will kick off the weekend of WSL action, with both teams fresh off their Champions League openers – Chelsea narrowly overcame Real Madrid 3-2 on Tuesday, while Arsenal were beaten 5-2 away at Bayern Munich. 

Chelsea won the most recent meeting between the sides 3-1, and are the slight favourites for this one too, winning 42% of the supercomputer's simulations, while there is a 25.5% chance of a draw.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four home meetings with Chelsea in the top flight (W2 D2), but they have not won back-to-back such games against them since June 2013 (three in a row), and they are given just a 32.5% chance of that on Saturday.

However, the Gunners have struggled at home so far this season, drawing both of their matches – they last went on a longer such run in October 2014, a six-match streak that included a 3-2 loss to Chelsea.

And they meet a Chelsea side in fine goalscoring form, with the Blues winning their last five WSL games by an aggregate 23-0, though they have not won six straight league matches without conceding since April 2021.

MANCHESTER UNITED V TOTTENHAM

Manchester United were also not in action last weekend due to Chelsea's fixture clash, but they are favourites to capitalise on their perfect start to the season against Tottenham, who they beat 4-0 in the FA Cup final in May.

And they are overwhelming favourites to get a third win on the bounce at 66.7%, which would extend their 10-match unbeaten streak against Spurs, who are given just a 15.1% chance.

Only against Everton (nine) have United won more games than against Spurs (eight), and the Red Devils have history on their side as they look to add to that, having never lost a WSL game in October, going unbeaten across their last 14 such matches (W11 D3).

Spurs will also come up against an in-form Grace Clinton, who scored four goals in 20 WSL appearances while on loan last season. The 21-year-old is aiming to become the first United player to score in each of their first three WSL appearances.

EVERTON V WEST HAM

Everton and West Ham are both sitting at the bottom of the table, having only claimed one point each from their first three matches.

Despite still waiting for their first WSL goal of the season, Everton are tipped to win this one at 51.2%, while West Ham have nearly equal chances of coming away with a draw (24.8%) or a win (24%).

The Toffees have won their last three meetings with West Ham in the league, and if they make it four, they will become the third team in WSL history to reach 200 wins (199 as it stands). However, they could also be the first team to register 100 losses in the competition (99 as it stands).

West Ham are also in desperate need of a turnaround in form though, as they have not won any of their last 12 WSL matches and have not scored more than once in a game during that run.

CRYSTAL PALACE V BRIGHTON

Palace and Brighton are meeting for the first time since the 2019-20 FA Cup fifth round, and it is the newcomers who are favourites in this one, winning 43.9% of the simulations compared to Brighton's 29.3%.

The Seagulls' two wins so far are as many as they managed in their last 11 outings in the WSL last season, and they are sure to cause problems at the top of the field – they have the best conversion rate in the league this campaign (26.7%), netting eight times already.

Palace put their 7-0 drubbing by Chelsea behind them last time out though, beating Leicester City 2-0, but a newly promoted side has not won back-to-back WSL games since the Foxes themselves in 2021-22.

That heavy defeat to the Blues marked a disappointing start to their home campaign in the competition. The most goals ever conceded across a team's first two home matches is eight (Aston Villa), and Palace will be keen to avoid recording that unwanted record.

ASTON VILLA V LEICESTER CITY

Villa and Leicester are the other two teams sitting joint bottom with one point, and both Robert De Pauw and Amandine Miquel will be keen to get their first wins in charge.

The hosts are favourites for this one with a 55.2% chance, as De Pauw looks to avoid becoming the first Villa manager to fail to win any of their first four matches in charge (D1 L2 so far).

Leicester have only ever won once against Villa in the WSL and are only handed a 21.7% chance of getting a second by the supercomputer, though they did draw 2-2 the last time the sides met (23.1% chance of a draw on Sunday).

Miquel has seen her side score just once across her first three WSL games in charge of the Foxes, the fewest goals netted in a manager's opening three matches in the competition since Scott Booth in September 2021 (also 1 with Birmingham City).

LIVERPOOL V MANCHESTER CITY

With all the teams back in action, City know they will need a win to make sure they keep hold of top spot, and they are the overwhelming favourites here with a 64.5% chance.

They have won eight of their last 10 WSL meetings with Liverpool (L2), but have struggled away from home against them, losing four of their eight trips (W3 D1).

However, this match is taking place at Anfield, a stadium where the Reds have lost all three of their previous games without scoring a goal, and they only have a 16.5% likelihood of coming away with a win.

Gareth Taylor's side were in Champions League action in midweek though, beating reigning champions Barcelona 2-0, and Liverpool could catch them out with a fast start, having opened the scoring in the opening 10 minutes in three of their last four WSL matches.

But they will have to be wary at the other end – Lauren Hemp scored her 50th WSL goal last time out against West Ham, and has created 14 chances in the competition, at least seven more than any other player. 

Manchester City took a "step forward" in their European "journey" by beating Women's Champions League holders Barcelona 2-0, so says Gareth Taylor.

City ran out winners on Wednesday thanks to goals from Champions League debutant Naomi Layzell and Khadija Shaw at Joie Stadium.

Aitana Bonmati and Claudia Pina were among those to go close for Barca, but City held firm for a memorable win.

"It's right up there, definitely," said Taylor of the performance from his side, who have won two of their opening three Women's Super League matches, too.

"The performance in the first half especially was top. We knew at some point we would have to weather the storm and we did that tremendously well.

"I felt we could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up in the first half due to the opportunities we created and the pressure we put on them."

Taylor was asked by DAZN if City could claim European glory this year, and replied: "Yes.

"We have taken a step forward tonight. We are super-honoured to be in the competition and enjoying the journey."

For Layzell, it was a Champions League bow to remember.

"To do that, scoring and assisting when she was playing out of position against Barcelona, is unbelievable," Taylor said of the 20-year-old, who was signed from Bristol City in the summer.

"It is special. I think if you get to know Naomi then you will say it doesn't surprise you. She is very humble and coachable. She's playing in a non-favoured position at right-back because she is a centre-back. She will be on cloud nine."

While City celebrated a famous victory over European royalty, there was no such joy for Arsenal, who were beaten 5-2 by Bayern Munich.

The match was in the balance at 2-2 until Pernille Harder scored a 15-minute hat-trick as Bayern went on to snap a four-game winless run in the Champions League.

"It’s a football game at a high tempo and obviously we're very disappointed with the result and the way things turned out in the second half," said Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall, who is reportedly under pressure following a run of just one win from the Gunners' opening three WSL fixtures.

"We played a good first half. I think Bayern came out with a lot of energy in the second half and they were very effective on set-pieces. We weren't good at defending those, and that's why we couldn't get a better result today."