Emma Hayes angrily pushes Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall after Women’s League Cup final loss
Hayes’s Chelsea side lost to Arsenal late in extra-time and she appeared to shove Eidevall when he went for a post-match handshake
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea coach Emma Hayes appeared to angrily push Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall as he went for a post-match handshake following the Gunners’s dramatic victory over the Blues in the Women’s League Cup final.
The final at Molineux looked to be heading for a penalty shootout before Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius popped up with a 116th-minute winner to seal a 1-0 triumph.
After the full-time whistle, an annoyed-looking Hayes seemingly shoved Eidevall as he attempted to initiate a handshake and then pointed accusingly at the Swede as he walked away with a puzzled expression and a smirk on his face.
The two managers have long had an intense rivalry while in charge of two of women’s football’s biggest clubs with Hayes – who will leave Chelsea for the USA women’s job at the end of the season – fanning the flames during the build-up to the final this week.
She said: “Don’t get me wrong he can be a pain in the backside on the touchline,” before adding, “I have huge respect for him and what he’s done for Arsenal.” Eidevall echoed the sentiment and said he would miss the competition with Hayes once she departed.
Eidevall does have a reputation for sideline antics. After defeating Chelsea for the first time in his career three years ago, he sunk to his knees in celebration. Eight months later as the Blues clinched the league, Erin Cuthbert and Millie Bright mocked the celebrations.
The game at Molineux had been overshadowed by the collapse of Gunners midfielder Frida Maanum in stoppage time.
Maanum fell to the turf in second-half stoppage time before being carried off on a stretcher, with Arsenal subsequently announcing that “Frida is conscious, talking and in stable condition. She will continue to be monitored closely by our medical team.” No further details about what caused the incident were given.
The game resumed after Maanum’s collapse and, with a penalty shootout beckoning, Blackstenius was set up by Caitlin Foord as she took a touch before blasting home from close range to ensure Arsenal retained the League Cup.
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