Arsenal are currently leading Group C after beating Lyon
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall said “Nights like Lyon” could happen again if they prepare perfectly for every game in the Women’s Champions League.
Eidevall said it was “nice to be a part of the win against Lyon” and hopes Arsenal can repeat it against Zurich.
“We have to keep working, have that mindset and maybe it can happen again,” he said.
“We’re going game by game, how we’re going to do our best for each game to make things really easy.
“What potential and what limits do we have? We need to find out. But if we give 100 percent both in the preparation and in the implementation, then we don’t have to regret anything.
“I think if you do that, nights like this can happen in Lyon. It’s not a guarantee, but it can happen.”
“We don’t have these discussions”
Arsenal enter the game from behind 2-0 win at Liverpool, as they equaled the women’s Super League record of 12 straight wins.
They have lost just one of their last 13 home games in all competitions and the last time they faced Swiss champions Zürich in the Women’s Champions League 14 years ago, they won 7-2 thanks to a hat-trick from captain Kim Little.
However, Eidevall is not yet thinking about winning Arsenal’s second women’s Champions League title.
“The fact that we play a really good game away to Lyon to get a great result and then start talking about winning the whole competition… I don’t like that. I don’t think that’s modest enough.” , he added .
“We’re still at a point where we know we’re a very good football team, but we still have to work extremely hard to develop to fulfill our potential as a team.”
Thursday’s game at the Emirates Stadium is Arsenal’s third in seven days and Eidevall wants the WSL to do more to help English clubs better prepare for European competition.
“When we played the qualifier against Ajax, they didn’t have a game between the two games because the Dutch FA wants to prioritize [the Champions League]’ Eideval said.
“They know their players are going to get more competitive games, so they choose to do it that way. What I’m looking for is to have that discussion with clubs and the authorities across WSL.
“We don’t have those discussions and I think that’s not a good thing.”
“I’m fit enough to start over”
Frida Maanum scored in the 5-1 win over Lyon, as did Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead
Frida Maanum started Arsenal’s last two games – against Lyon and Liverpool – ahead of Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema.
When asked if she thinks she can start a third in seven days, Maanum said: “It’s hard to play games every three or four days but I feel like I have the fitness to do it.
“It’s up to Jonas [Eidevall] on who he picks, but I feel fit enough.”
Maanum also said the competition for places in the squad has made everyone “stronger” and is a “really positive” thing for the club.
“You have to work so hard in training to be able to play at all and I think that strengthened our team,” she added.
Zurich held off last season’s quarter-finalists Juventus for 70 minutes in the opening group game before ultimately losing 2-0.
They have kept a clean sheet in each of their three European games outside of Switzerland this season.
“I haven’t seen much of the Swiss league but obviously our team and our analysts are there all the time and we know what we face tomorrow,” said Maanum.
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