Has Jonas Eidevall finally found his best goalkeeping setup for Arsenal Women?

Just Arsenal News

·30 September 2024

Has Jonas Eidevall finally found his best goalkeeping setup for Arsenal Women?

Has Jonas Eidevall finally found his best Arsenal Women goalkeeping setup? In the summer of 2023-24, it was evident that the Arsenal manager wasn’t convinced with his goalkeeping department. He had Sabrina D’Angelo and Manuela Zinsberger at his disposal, but he was still willing to spend much on Manchester United keeper Mary Earps.

According to reports, the North Londoners were prepared to make Earps the most expensive goalie. In any case, United rebuffed Arsenal’s advances on Earps, and she remained. Months after failing to sign Earps, Arsenal seemed to lose interest in her and started chasing Aston Villa’s Dutch shot-stopper, Daphne van Domselaar.

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Fortunately, in the summer, Van Domselaar joined our Gunners. Notably, she arrived as Sabrina D’Angelo’s replacement, and D’Angelo switched to Aston Villa. When she arrived, many people suggested Van Domselaar was the future of Arsenal Women’s goalkeeping, but with Arsenal Women competing on all fronts, both will be needed I’m sure..

Zinsberger, 28, beat D’Angelo, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, and Lydia Williams to first place. But, 24-year-old Daphne, who is full of potential, still has many years ahead of her and is the most serious danger to Zinsberger’s place in the Arsenal starting lineup.

Even so, according to Arsenal Women’s manager, the Austrian international keeper isn’t intimidated by competition; instead, it motivates her to be her best self, and she’s emerging as a leader.

Eidevall said, “It is a good observation that Manu is really developing her leadership qualities. If you were at the press conference on Wednesday (pre-Hacken), you see how much of a leader she is and how good a communicator she is and how confident she is with communicating the way she thinks. That part is not only good for the goalkeeping group but in the whole squad.

“It is really shining through. We have great competition in the goalkeeping group, and I think Daphne (van Domselaar) has been off to a tough start with injuries and not been able to train fully at the beginning, and it is only now that she is able to get full training under her belt. But we will need to have a really strong goalkeeping group with the games that we have in front of us.”

With the Arsenal women’s team back in the Champions League as well, wanting to compete in the league cup tournaments and the league, Jonas Eidevall needed one of the strongest squads he’d ever had this season, to give our Gunners the best change of success. Fortunately, he has that now. Now it’s up to him to ultimately embrace squad rotation.

If Van Domselaar immediately assumes the Arsenal Women’s No. 1 role, as David Raya did when competing against Aaron Ramsdale last season, it would be fascinating to watch.

Daphne Van Domselaar made her Arsenal debut this weekend, playing the full 90 minutes as our Gunners beat Leicester City 1-0 at King Power Stadium on Sunday 29th September. Daphne was awarded Player of the Match as she made some magnificent saves to keep a clean sheet against a very forward-pressing Leicester City. Daphne spoke, via Arsenal.com, post match saying “They just kept on pushing and pressing up the pitch. Unfortunately, they got some chances but I was happy that I could save them.

“In the end, we worked hard as a team and we defended as a team, so I’m pleased.”

Fellow goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger was the first to run onto the pitch and congratulate Daphne after their 1-0 win over the Foxes.

“We have a good goalkeeper union and I feel like we can support each other in what position we are. I’m really happy that she supported me in this game and I always felt her support. I will do the same for her.”

What are your thoughts on our goalkeeping setup now Gooners? Impressed with Van Domselaar?

Michelle M

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