Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall says that he was impressed by Reading’s fighting spirit when the two sides met at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in September.
The Gunners welcome Kelly Chambers’ Royals to the LV Bet Stadium in Boreham Wood on Wednesday evening for the reverse fixture.
Arsenal won the first game 4-0 back in September. On that occasion, three first half goals set the North Londoners on their way to victory but head coach Eidevall has admitted that Reading’s fighting spirit impressed him in that match and it has been a factor in The Royals turning their poor early season form around.
“They were a very strong team last season and in the game against them, we basically scored from our early opportunities and that killed off the game,” Eidevall told FAWSL Full-Time when speaking ahead of the latest meeting.
“What I saw was the reaction of the Reading players, even though they were 4-0 down they fought for every second that they were on that pitch, they were not giving up at any point. For me, when you see a team act like that, you know it is going to be a team that will produce things across the season because that is a strong mentality. It is easy to say that every team should have that but it is not true, they have it and they have created that culture.”
Arsenal suffered three consecutive defeats around the Christmas break but they have responded well and are now unbeaten in six games. Eidevall went on to say that the team has grown and he is feeling good about the end of season run-in.
He said “I think we have developed from the Birmingham game onwards, we have been getting stronger and stronger in our performances. We have been playing a lot of tough opponents during this spell and now we are getting good squad availability, lots of good players to choose from, to compete and develop each other in training.
“I am very optimistic about the spring and I am really looking forward to it.”
Arsenal’s Barclays FA Women’s Super League fixture against Reading kicks-off at 7.15pm on Wednesday evening. Tickets are available and can be purchased by clicking here.