Jonas Eidevall hails special Emirates atmosphere after Arsenal brush aside Bayern Munich in Women’s Champions League
JONAS EIDEVALL believes history is being created at Arsenal after a record crowd turned out to watch his side beat Bayern Munich at the Emirates.
Frida Maanum fired in a wonder goal as the Gunners sealed a 2-0 second-leg quarters victory in front of 21,307 fans at the stadium.
The Wednesday night match saw the club set a new attendance record for a Women’s Champion’s League game in England.
After their victory, Eidevall said: “I get the sense of belief that we’re seeing history getting created very quickly in front of our eyes, when I see how the attendances and the culture is here at the Emirates Stadium.
“Five years ago, if someone would have said that Arsenal’s long-term plan is to move permanently to Emirates Stadium, people would probably have asked ‘how is that going to happen?’
“Now I think people understand that that might be a realistic vision for the future.
“It was special when I came here and we beat Chelsea 3-2 in my first game but that was a limited time we had worked here.
“This feels like 20 months’ combination of work going into a double header against one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. I’m very proud of that.
“I got a very nice message from Edu after the game. The support of the whole club is magnificent.
“They talk a lot about when you’re around Arsenal that we always act with class, but when you’re inside the organisation you really understand the meaning of those words.”
Two goals in seven minutes secured a win that sees the Gunners enter the contest’s last four stage for the first time since 2013.
Maanum, Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord were among the players who shone on the night as the Gunners harried their opponents.
Maanum opened the scoring after being teed up by Leah Williamson firing home a thunderbolt shot in the 19th minute.
Victoria Pelova came close to netting moments later with Bayern in disarray in defence before Blackstenius doubled the Gunners’ advantage.
She did so with a bullet header after Katie McCabe’s pinpoint 26th-minute cross bagging her third goal in eight Champions League appearances this term.
Foord almost got on the scoresheet late in the second half after latching on to a cheeky backheel pass from Maanum.
The result saw the Gunners reach the tournament for the first time in a decade before their WSL duel against Manchester City at Meadow Park on Sunday.