Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall slams ‘odd’ fixture schedule – ‘It’s like you want one team to have a better chance’

Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall says he “can’t see the logic” behind the decision to schedule a midweek Women’s Super League match for his side and not Chelsea ahead of the two clubs’ Champions League semi-finals.

Eidevall’s side travel to Wolfsburg on Sunday for the first leg of their European tie, while Chelsea face Barcelona at home on Saturday.

However, Arsenal must first take on Manchester United away in the WSL on Wednesday, while the Blues have a free week to prepare for their European clash.

“It’s like you want one of the teams to have a better chance to succeed than the other,” said Eidevall.

“I find it very odd that we are the only team of the two English teams that are forced to play before our semi-final,” Eidevall continued.

“I can’t see the reasons for it. It’s something we have to look into after, for the appropriate time, because I can’t see the logic.”

He added: “We can only focus on what we do have and now this is the schedule we have, that we need to go to Manchester and play well there, and we need to go to Wolfsburg.

“But of course, it’s preference to have, like the other team does, no games at all, to train and to prepare for the Champions League.”

Arsenal’s clash with United is a significant one, as a win would see Eidevall’s side jump from third to joint-top with the Manchester club.

Chelsea are currently second in the standings, but have a game in hand over United one point above them.

Both clubs are looking to become the first English winners of the Women’s Champions League since Arsenal’s victory in the then-UEFA Women’s Cup in 2006/07.

Wolfsburg won back-to-back titles between 2012 and 2014, while Barcelona were winners two years ago.