Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal Women went head to head with Emma Hayes Chelsea Women, on Sunday 31st March, at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton. The London rivals were competing in the Final of the FA Women’s Continental Cup 2024.
Arsenal Women were looking to win the Cup for a 2nd consecutive year, having beaten Chelsea to the silverware in 2023, and win for a record-extending 7th time. To say Arsenal Women’s season has not gone to plan is an understatement. Arsenal failed to get past Round 1 in this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League, were put out in the 5th round of the Women’s FA Cup by Manchester City, and have fallen off the pace in the WSL title race after recording 4 WSL losses (including their very recent humiliating 3-1 loss to the Blues). The Conti Cup was the only realistic piece of silverware the Gunners could get their hands on.
Chelsea Women were equally determined, having beaten the Gunners 3-1 in the WSL only a couple of weeks previously. The Blues, in boss Emma Hayes’ final season with the club, before she moves stateside to manage the US Women’s National Team, were hungry to get the Quadruple in Emma’s final term – something which Arsenal Women are the only UK team to have achieved..
So the stakes were high, on both sides, I get that. Arsenal went on to win the match, in the 116th minute of play in extra-time, with Stina Blackstenius super strike. See match report:
Match Report: Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 to life Women’s Continental Cup trophy again!
Unfortunately, after the match, when the teams were shaking hands, Emma Hayes appeared to shove Jonas Eidevall, then call the Arsenal boss’ “male aggression” unacceptable in her post-match interview. The video of the incident has been trending all over twitter and, in light of Hayes upcoming move to manage the USWNT, American news are discussing the incident too. We discussed the issue in detail in the article below, with a huge response, thank you readers.
Scotland captain Rachel Corsie, who plays for Aston Villa, said the reaction to the scenes at the end of the game, when Chelsea were defeated by Arsenal 1-0, reflects the growing interest in the women’s game. I beg to differ..
“I think it was a case that there were heightened pressures.” said Corsie on the BBC’s Behind the Goals podcast.
“It’s drawn a lot of attention, which there probably is an element of it compounds the growth of the women’s game – more people talking about it.”
“We would love for more people to be talking about football-specific things,” added Corsie.
“Next week it’ll be something else. Everyone wants the best for the game.”
So, should we just talk about something else? Perhaps.. But I believe Emma Hayes behaviour warrants, at the very least, a statement from the FA or Chelsea football club. And an admittance of unacceptable behaviour, retracting her “male aggression” statement, for the sake of women’s football in this country.
Hayes had to make a full about-turn recently, admitting she was wrong to describe intrasquad player relationships as “inappropriate.”
Michelle M
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I suppose that the FA consider that in booking Jonas the referee dealt with it, and there’s no reason to investigate further, although Cuthbert’s actions could be looked at again, she was the catalyst.
No Jax, if Eidevall had pushed her, would the fa had acted?
She needs to apologise to him, women’s football and our club.
I would be up in aens if he had pushed Hages4, I would be asking for him to be sacked!!
That’s up to the FA Ken. Hayes would’ve been better off shutting up about it, instead of making “male aggression” accusations.
Jonas doesn’t seem too bothered though does he, and the media and blogs (like JustArsenal) are making more of it than the Arsenal.
I don’t know what Jonas thinks about it Jax, but would the fa had acted if he had pushed Hayes?
That’s the question being asked by Michelle.
I don’t know Ken. It would have depended on the “push”. If it had been of similar force she’d have most likely have thrown herself down screaming that she’d been stabbed, and the FA couldn’t ignore that. But it didn’t happen, Jonas took it well, wasn’t hurt, didn’t complain, and all the article writers want blood.
Personally I think Emma has made such a ridiculous prawn of herself, that the FA probably feel think any further punishment will be worthless and are just pleased to see the back of her.
I’m most disappointed because I always liked her.
… but if Jonas had pushed Emma with similar force and she’d reacted the same way by looking startled, grinning and carrying on shaking hands…then no I wouldn’t have expectant FA action.
Yes and it’s a good question Ken. I notice how carefully you’re treading in the way you ask it too.
Ok. I’ll spell out the elephant in the room. There seem to be two standards these days, one for the pasty pinkish-white male of the species and another standard for the non-pink shades of the human race and the other seventeen and a half genders.
I wonder what would have happened if the article above had been written by a bloke instead of a woman. Especially, God forbid, a white bloke. Pearls would be clutched.
Scot E. Cuthbert cheated , deliberately handball, should have been booked. Cuthbert than tries to cheat once more by using a second ball. Jonus stopped her rightly , ref and assistant should have done so … Cuthbert was the aggressor.
Hayes should be fined and warned about her behaviour.
Club already in trouble with Kerrs racist remarks
Could she have received a card post match?
Anyway, she should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute
For her OTT tirade Sue, not so much for a bit of a shove.
Is it a case of men are from Mars and women are from Venus, Jax?
I found it rather unedifying watching a woman who has the world at her feet, with a great career, resorting to shoving a fellow manager.
TBH Sue, I think the whole thing has been blown up completely out of proportion by article writers & one or two “what if?” folk.
One must remember that Gareth Taylor, the Man City head coach, earlier this season also accused Jonas of bullying the match officials. So it does seem that Jonas has a reputation. Remember the adage….’people in glass houses should not throw stones’.
What Emma Hayes said , after she herself shoved Eidevakk in the chest, about HIM showing “typical male aggression”, to my mind simply demonstrated the truth that I write constantly on JA.
And that truth is that ALL humans, male and female alike, have natural hypocrisy in out very souls, as it is a natural, normal, though not desirable part of OUR COMMON NATURE.
I am astonished and saddened that I seem to be VIRTUALLY alone on JA in noticing what thinkers throughout the ages have widely accepted as truth. That we ARE ALL HYPOCRITES!
Speak for yourself Jon🙄.
I don’t think Emma Hayes has doné the women’s game any favours. Pushing and shoving is usually attributed to the men. But I think we can afford to be magnanimous and put it down to a fit of peek – we did win the cup after all.
The BBC published this in the early hours:
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes will face no action after she appeared to shove Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall at the end of Sunday’s League Cup final, the Football Association has said.
No action for the shove, but what about the crazy tirade against Jonah?
What I find astonishing is that the catalyst for all this was JE protest about Chelsea trying to secure a 2nd ball for a quick throw when pre game they had insisted on a one ball game.
JE was perfectly correct in calling out Cuthbert. Hayes was simply displaying her complete arrogance born from not being in the wrong end of a result too often. She is the bully!
Sadly Hayes will be back in Chelsea in 2 years time
Can’t buy titles as USA manager
You do know that she’s probably the best manager in women’s football world wide? There’s even been suggestions that she could manage a mens team. Being a completely obnoxious prawn doesn’t make her any less worthy at her job.
Agree Jax. Not much chance coming back to Chelsea in the near future, she’s earning $2m p.a. coaching the US Women’s team and will probably end up winning the World Cup.
👏