Arsenal show resolve to deny Hayes quadruple on Chelsea exit،
The celebrations were already intense after Stina Blackstenius calmly headed home Arsenal in the 115th minute of the Conti Cup final, sealing a 1-0 victory over Chelsea. They became unmistakable once the final whistle blew at Molineux.
You could see what this meant for Jonas Eidevall, the Gunners manager, as well as his players and fans; elation and relief were written on their faces. Given that Arsenal are no longer in contention for the Women's Super League (WSL), six points behind Chelsea and Manchester City at the top of the table, and are already out of the FA Cup and Champions League , it was one of Eidevall's chances. to add a trophy to his cabinet. Fortunately, it was spot on.
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The afternoon was badly spoiled after Frida Maanum was stretchered off after collapsing with the ball in the fifth minute of injury time at the end of the 90. A club spokesperson told ESPN that the Norwegian was “conscious, speaking and in stable condition.” ” as the match went into extra time. However, perhaps the injury gave the Gunners life, ensuring they lifted the trophy in honor of their teammate.
“One of the lessons from the match we had against Chelsea [3-1 league loss at Stamford Bridge, March 15] “It’s probably one of the most difficult situations because it seems very scary when Frida falls.
“It's very easy to get so focused and emotional. But the reality is we have a great medical team, and they're going to take care of this situation and we need to focus on football, and we were able to do it.
“The first thing after the match, we don't care about winning; we care about Frida's condition. And I'm so happy that she's doing well. It's much more important than that. But at this At this point we have to remain “task oriented”, and there is nothing we can do to control this situation other than controlling our football. That's what we had to do, and that's what Frida wanted us to do too, to make her a champion.”
Alessia Russo, who replaced Maanum, told the BBC: “Obviously it's devastating to see one of your teammates go down like that, and we hope she's okay. I think it was written in the stars that her best friend went and scored the winner for her.”
There is something about this competition for Arsenal, who were defending champions, that brings out the best in them. But before the tie, Arsenal looked something of an underdog given the dominance in the match from Chelsea boss Emma Hayes. Holding the title may have given his team an advantage; perhaps it was the fact that the Gunners only had one trophy to show for the last five seasons or their impressive record in the League Cup, which they won seven times during their 13 years history; whatever it was, it worked.
Chelsea were on course for a quadruple before Blackstenius struck late to prevent a penalty shootout. As this was Hayes' final season before taking over as head coach of the United States, Eidevall made sure to remain victorious in his final match against his greatest opponent. Arsenal are still the only English team to have won four competitions in a season, having done so in 2006-07, when Hayes, ironically, was assistant manager of the Gunners.
“To be honest, I don't really care,” Eidevall said of the end of Chelsea's quadruple dream. “It’s not my motivation in the world to deny anyone else the opportunity to win anything.
“I was asked before if this match was more important for Arsenal than for Chelsea, and I said I still think it was more important for Arsenal because winning with Arsenal is the most important thing, and it That's what was important today.”
Winning this season is something Arsenal have struggled to do consistently. If the Gunners can come away victorious from this final and with a trophy in hand, victory doesn't just cover their incredibly inconsistent season. After putting up exceptional performances against top teams, they collapsed against bottom teams in frustrating matches.
Perhaps for the first time since they beat Chelsea 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium in December, Arsenal looked coherent and confident, a far cry from the team that collapsed in a 3-1 defeat against the Blues two weeks ago. However, it was still wasteful, albeit on both sides, as the Gunners squandered numerous chances to take a vital lead, lacking the end product and clinical finishing.
It may have been an up and down season, but Arsenal will always be at their best in the final; their history in the Conti Cup bears witness to this. They reached the final in the first five editions of the competition, won the first three and lost only three finals in its 13-year history.
Compared to last year's dominant performance, where Arsenal were victorious late in the first half after taking a 3-0 lead against Chelsea, this was not a dramatic or comfortable victory. It was a low-key game where, at any time, either team could score against the run of play. The opening draw benefited Arsenal more, who had developed their ability to play on the counter.
It's not always pretty, but the Conti Cup feels like Arsenal's competition. The story, the strength in the face of adversity, makes it almost a cosmic alignment. Whether it's written in the stars or a stroke of luck against tired legs, Arsenal will be celebrating heading into the international break while Chelsea will look to rebuild and continue their quest for a treble.
