For Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall, the writing was quite literally on the wall after his team fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Chelsea on Saturday. On Hornsey Road, just a stone’s throw from the Emirates Stadium, the words ‘Jonas out’ were there for all to see as night fell, boldly brushed onto dark brick in white paint. It took a couple of days for that disgruntled fan’s wish to come to fruition but, on Tuesday, the Gunners announced that Eidevall’s three-year stint as head coach had come to an end.
North London’s new graffiti artist wasn’t the only fan that wanted this outcome. Many have become frustrated in recent seasons as the most successful club in the history of English women’s football has consistently fallen short in the Women’s Super League, all-but-mathematically out of contention for the title when the run-in began last season, and the year before.
At times, critics of Eidevall have at least temporarily been swatted away by other achievements, such as back-to-back League Cup triumphs and a run to the Champions League semi-finals, but it was always going to be difficult for him to come back from the negativity brought on by Arsenal’s start to the 2024-25 season.
It all began so well for the Swede, with a memorable 3-2 win over Chelsea at the Emirates and a title charge that fell just short on the final day. Where did it go wrong to lead to his time at the club ending in his resignation just four games into the new WSL season?