Eidevall and Hayes: Will They Meet Again?

Image: Emma Hayes and Jonas Eidevall after heated Conti Cup final moment Credit: AOL

By Gaby Harman-Craddock (09/01/25)

It has been announced that Jonas Eidevall will be the new head coach for NWSL

team San Diego Wave. The former Arsenal Women’s head coach will be making his way stateside for the first time in his professional career.

Eidevall secured 2 league cup trophies and reached 2 Champions League semi-finals during his 3-year stint with the Gunners. However, he never reached the summit of the WSL due to the dominance of London rivals, Chelsea.

Chelsea remains an inevitable threat in the WSL. Their 5 consecutive trophies

under former coach Emma Hayes make them a true force to be reckoned with.

Hayes and Eidevall spent an explosive 3 seasons head-to-head as club rivals and

are now back to competing on the same soil. Hayes has been coaching the USWNT since summer 2024 and already has an Olympic medal under her belt.

With Eidevall on his way to enter the world of women’s soccer, we wanted to take a look at their rivalry over the years and if we could be seeing any more drama in the future.

21/22 Season

Summer 2021 marked the beginning of Eidevall’s Arsenal career, and the 21/22

season gave us the first few clashes between himself and Hayes. On the 17 th of April 2022, Chelsea knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup in the semi-final with a 2-0 defeat.

Hayes’ side was dominant throughout the game, and Eidevall was unable to get his players to take back control of the ball. By the end of the season, Chelsea were top of the table, beating Arsenal by just 1 point. This was their 3rd consecutive title win, and Eidevall ended his first season in North London with no silverware.

22/23 Season

The following season, Hayes’ Chelsea knocked Arsenal out of the FA cup again but

this time, in the fifth round. On the 26th of February 2023, Sophie Ingle and Sam Kerr scored a goal each to seal a 2-0 victory over Eidevall’s Gunners. However,

in March of the same year, the tables begin to turn as Chelsea saw their biggest defeat of the season at the hands of Arsenal in the League Cup final.

The 3-1 loss at Selhurst Park saw a goal from Stina Blackstenius, a successful penalty from Skipper Kim Little and then an own goal from Niamh Charles. Eidevall’s side had put the Blues in place more than any other team during the season and had even managed to take a sacred trophy off them.

Despite this, Chelsea still managed to beat Arsenal to the top of the WSL table yet again. With 11 points between them, Chelsea scored their 4th consecutive title and Arsenal finished in 3rd place.

23/24 Season

Towards the end of Eidevall’s final season at Arsenal, the Reds saw their biggest defeat at Kingsmeadow with another 3-1 result. Lauren James scored once and

Sjoeke Nüsken scored twice to see Arsenal take their biggest hit of the season. However, Eidevall led his team to League Cup victory again in a nail-biting clash at Molineux Stadium.

After 116 minutes of play, Arsenal striker Blackstenius hit the back of the net, presenting the Gunners with their second bit of silverware from the Eidevall era. Despite the win, it was after this that fans are becoming more and more frustrated with Eidevall’s coaching style.

Following the Conti Cup final, multiple clips began to circulate various social media following a heated moment between the two managers. The clip allowed the world to make a big comment on the rivals' relationship

That brings us up to now

Now, in January 2025, we see both Hayes and Eidevall again playing in the same realm. This time, it’s American soccer. Just 2 of Emma Hayes Olympic-winning squad currently play for San Diego Wave, meaning they will be under the watchful eye of both of these clashing coaches at the same time.

Naomi Girma is a 24-year-old defender who has 44 caps with the USWNT. Girma has played for San Diego Wave since 2022 and made the starting 11 for Hayes’ gold medal team. Jaedyn Shaw also plays for both San Diego and the national team. The 21-year-old midfielder has 8 caps and was a substitute in the 2024 Paris Olympic final.

Another notable player as this rivalry crosses the Atlantic is Emily Fox. Fox is still playing for Arsenal in the WSL and has been since January 2024. Despite only

playing through the final months of Eidevall’s tenure, she has been a valuable player throughout their Champions League campaign.

As Hayes and Eidevall are not competing head-to-head in the States like they were back in England, it will be interesting to see how both teams perform with players operating under both rivals. It’s fair to say the two have clashing managerial styles, with Hayes saying she has issues with Eidevall’s “male aggression”.

In a recent interview, Eidevall said he has “no relationship” with Hayes, following the League Cup clash, and that he is “disappointed she has not reached out” as he goes to join her in the world of women’s soccer. For now, they don’t have to face off so regularly anymore although.