It started with a knee drop and ended with a shove. The Emma Hayes v Jonas Eidevall rivalry is over and we are all left wanting more.
There will be some who view what happened in the aftermath of the League Cup final on Sunday as unacceptable.
Arsenal boss Eidevall arguing with Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert, Hayes responding by pushing him after the full-time whistle. The type of stuff people say they do not want to see, when in reality it is the type of stuff everybody wants to see. Passion, fireworks and drama. Managers are not robots after all.
As the dust settles over this international break, which has come at a good time for Hayes, she will realise she was wrong. She was wrong to push Eidevall and she was wrong to label his touchline behaviour as ‘male aggression’.
There is no doubt Eidevall can be a nuisance. A ‘pain in the backside’ is how Hayes described him before their league meeting three weeks ago. He can be animated, over the top and, if you are his opponent, incredibly irritating.
Emma Hayes shoved Jonas Eidevall following Arsenal’s Conti Cup win over Chelsea on Sunday
Hayes was wrong to push Eidevall and to label his touchline behaviour as ‘male aggression’
The Chelsea boss criticised Eidevall after a clash with Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert over match balls
The argument on Sunday stemmed from Cuthbert reaching for the closest ball in sight, rather than the one that had gone out of play, when taking a throw-in in the final minute.
Eidevall rushed over and shouted, arguing that the original ball had to be used. He explained after the game that Chelsea had refused the option of having a multi-ball system and he was pointing out they could not have it both ways. Cuthbert angrily walked towards Eidevall, who stood his ground. Hayes called it fronting up and this is why, she says, she lost her cool.
When the full-time whistle blew, crowning Arsenal League Cup champions for a second season in a row, Eidevall approached Hayes for a handshake. The Chelsea boss pointed at him, made a passing remark, then shoved him away.
Asked about the incident afterwards, Hayes said she was ‘not down for male aggression’ and called Eidevall’s touchline behaviour ‘unacceptable.’ He responded by calling Hayes ‘irresponsible’ and a bad loser.
The problem for Hayes is that it is difficult to call somebody else aggressive when you have pushed somebody in front of the TV cameras. If the tables were turned, Eidevall would have come under intense scrutiny for having laid hands on an opponent. Hayes has gotten away lightly.
‘I don’t think we need to make a massive story out of it, the problem is you’re going to,’ Hayes said. ‘I don’t want the talking point to be about that.’
One suspects that if Hayes did not want her altercation with Eidevall to be the talking point then she would not have spoken about it.
The narrative, of course, should have been about how Arsenal’s players overcame the shock of watching their team-mate Frida Maanum collapse on the pitch to win a trophy. Those nine minutes were difficult for both sets of players and everybody watching inside Molineux. That they were able to carry on with such professionalism made the full-time antics of both managers look trivial.
Hayes has got away lightly as Eidevall would have faced more scrutiny had he acted the same
Eidevall has got under other manager’s skin but the Arsenal boss triumphed on Sunday
The three-year rivalry will be missed when Hayes leaves to take over as United States boss
Eidevall was booked for his confrontation with Cuthbert and Hayes argued this was not the first time he has been warned about his touchline behaviour. In November, Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor accused Eidevall of ‘bullying’ the fourth official during their WSL match. Eidevall was not booked and described Taylor’s comments as ‘borderline slander’.
The Hayes v Eidevall rivalry started when the latter dropped to his knees in celebration after Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-2 in his first game in charge. When Hayes’ side won the FA Cup that same season, she made purring noises in reference to Eidevall’s fear of black cats. They have consistently bitten at each other but, even though it ended in confrontation, there is a level of respect between both coaches.
Eidevall gets under people’s skin, that much is clear. Hayes’ departure to the United States at the end of the season begs the question of who will fill the void. The incoming Blues manager, perhaps, whoever that may be. But the box office rivalry of the last three years will take some beating.
Le Tissier is caught between two positions
Maya Le Tissier must wonder what she has to do to win the trust of England boss Sarina Wiegman.
The Manchester United centre back was one of the best defenders in the Women’s Super League last season but surprisingly missed out on selection for the World Cup squad.
She has been in and around the set-up since but was dropped once again for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers.
The issue seems to be that Wiegman sees Le Tissier as a right back, when she plays as a centre back for United. That is not Le Tissier’s fault and when she has played full back for England she has always done a steady job.
It may puzzle Le Tissier that Wiegman seemingly prefers Esme Morgan, who is not starting regularly for Manchester City, over her. But all she can do is continue to work hard and try to prove the England boss wrong.
Maya Le Tissier was left out of the England squad despite her impressive form at club level
Toone’s double lightens Man United’s mood
Manchester United’s struggles this season have been well documented but it was nice to see Ella Toone bring some light relief to the club last weekend.
The forward, who is the club’s all time record goalscorer and appearance holder, netted her 50th and 51st goal in United colours in a 4-1 victory over Everton.
Toone has competition for the No 10 spot in the England team, with the likes of Grace Clinton and Jess Park in great form.
Her performance at the weekend was a timely reminder of the attacking assets she can bring to the Lionesses team.
Ella Toone scored twice as Manchester United earned a 4-1 win over Everton in the WSL
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