Jonas Eidevall, manager of Arsenal, expressed immense pride despite the crushing blow of conceding a goal in the final seconds of extra time in their Women’s Champions League semi-final. Arsenal had to show resilience in abundance this season, having to overcome injuries to key players such as Kim Little, Leah Williamson, Caitlin Foord, Beth Mead, and Vivianne Miedema. Despite the odds, they managed to reach the last four and lined up at Emirates Stadium with tired legs and a thin bench. The game was dramatic, with both teams scoring twice in normal time before Wolfsburg substitute Pauline Bremer scored the winner in the final seconds of extra time, putting them through 5-4 on aggregate.
Eidevall told Wubben-Moy to keep her head high after her costly mistake, saying that mistakes happen in football. Katie McCabe expressed her pride for the team, saying that they gave everything out there and instilled the belief that they could challenge in these tournaments. Despite the support of the 60,063 fans at Emirates Stadium – a record crowd for a domestic women’s game in England – Arsenal were unable to secure a place in the final.
Attention must now turn back to the Women’s Super League (WSL) where Arsenal remain in a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League. With injuries still to contend with, it does not get any easier for Arsenal, but Eidevall is determined to finish the season as strong as possible. He said: “We need to try and qualify for the competition next season. It’s a tough WSL. We’re in a tough situation to get our feet and heads back from here. We’re hurting but we have a really important game against Leicester [on Friday]. If that can be the standard for how teamwork can be applied then that is a really good foundation. We need to push.”