Arsenal Women's head coach Jonas Eidevall speaks exclusively to Sky Sports about the Gunners' unique identity and how his side have to be "fearless" against a formidable Chelsea; watch Arsenal vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports Football on Sunday from 11.45am, kick-off 12pm
Saturday 14 January 2023 20:39, UK
An art gallery in Angel, near Islington, is not where you would usually find Jonas Eidevall. Yet there he was, one early January afternoon, carefully studying the precise detail on display.
A landmark step in "togetherness" for Arsenal Football Club, Eidevall summarised.
Let's explain.
The walls of the theatre, which provided the backdrop for an exclusive interview with the Swedish coach, were adorned with sketches and paintings, unmistakably Arsenal, including images of the Gunners' famous Invincibles side, the Art Deco design of bygone Highbury Stadium and banners with age-old supporter chants inscribed.
The room was awash with red and white legends spanning multiple eras, bound together by the same club badge. On closer inspection, though, it wasn't just the figures of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira that filled the space with an air of footballing distinction.
It was also Arsenal Women stars Alex Scott, Karen Carney and Kelly Smith, among others. Side by side with fellow icons - all of whom have played a significant part in the north London club's rich history. 1886, the year Arsenal was founded, was everywhere too.
The project is all-embracing, deliberately so. To highlight Arsenal's commitment to positioning the women's game alongside the men's. Each of the eight artworks featured will be used to dress the Emirates Stadium, the home of the Gunners, and more often this season the venue of Arsenal Women's fixtures.
That is indeed the case this weekend and the stakes couldn't be higher. Eidevall's side take on the imperious Chelsea in a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. A mouth-watering fixture to mark the return of the Women's Super League after its brief festive hiatus.
"From a personal point of view, these are the games that excite me the most," Eidevall remarked. "So small margins. You know every little detail can matter - preparation, the way you play, communication during the game. Everything can have an impact."
The subject of 'detail' was an appropriate place to start given the artistic surroundings. Arsenal had been through a lengthy consultation process with fans, former players, current players and supporter groups from across the globe to understand what the club means to them in 2023.
The result is a series of bespoke murals which will be installed at the Emirates over the coming weeks, although not quite in time for this weekend's WSL showpiece. Eidevall, nevertheless, explained the project's importance.
"So many people have shared what togetherness means for Arsenal," he said. "I'm massively proud to see the result. To imagine how this will look on our stadium makes me very excited.
"It shows we are one club. We are The Arsenal. It shows our history, both the men's and women's first teams have a proud history. But it's also a message for the future. We have ambitions to achieve greatness on both sides. That foundation in history is so strong here.
"This club provides opportunities to be great - as individuals, but more importantly as teams. There are two generations of teams [pictured] that we are so proud of as a club. They are so important as an inspiration for the teams we have today, to achieve something similar."
Greatness is not easily achieved against Chelsea, however. Emma Hayes' side lead the WSL with Arsenal three points adrift, but holding a crucial game in hand. Indeed, Chelsea's monopoly over the WSL has been profound over the past few seasons - a feat Arsenal have been powerless to prevent. But this campaign intriguingly has all to play for. The field is wide open and there are multiple contenders for the crown, including the Gunners.
"Everything can be a difference maker, it's exciting for everyone to see," Eidevall continued. "I'm happy that we're near the top. It's four teams who have been standing out in the league so far, but it's too early to draw conclusions.
"When we are looking for WSL to grow as a league it's important that it keeps competitive. It's great improvement and makes for a lot of exciting games this spring. We're going to do our best to be part of that."
Recent history doesn't favour Arsenal. They have won just one of their last seven WSL meetings with Chelsea (D2 L4). The numbers are firmly stacked against.
Indeed the imbalance is heavily skewed towards west London, yet Eidevall wants his side to approach the game with courage and fearlessness. Fortune favours the brave, as they say.
"I hope we can draw on experiences at the Emirates. Our supporters have been incredible. I want for us to create an atmosphere together which will produce a fearless Arsenal team - 100 per cent in every situation.
"A team who wants to win the game with any means possible. That's what I hope. We need to put all that interest and passion into a really good display, then we can all be proud to represent the club.
"When we are looking at the game and if we are going to be successful we have to try and make it into an Arsenal game. It's our home stadium, if we can play it under our conditions and in situations that we prefer then that's going to be our advantage. That's how I'll go about it."
He added: "We need to do our best in the game but there will be a day after the game as well. If you want to win a league it's never going to be only one game. It's the team who keeps consistent.
"When you are winning to not lose your humbleness and when you are losing to get back up on the horse again for the next game. You have to be tough in those moments, to keep going, to stay positive when people say things are wrong."
It's a season-defining fixture and a rivalry fraught with tension. The Blues beat Arsenal to the WSL title by one solitary point last season, as the race went down to the final day. It's therefore hard to overstate the significance of Sunday - not quite 'winner takes all', but the opportunity to dictate and shape the mid-season momentum swing.
Battle lines have been drawn. Question is, will they be crossed?
Watch Arsenal vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports Football on Sunday from 11.45am, kick-off 12pm.
